Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to appear by video link, as he has done throughout the war, and most recently during the UN General Assembly, to address the Athens Democracy Forum (ADF), and to accept the award on behalf of the Ukrainian people.
The award recognises a globally acknowledged and lasting commitment to the advancement of democracy and this year’s committee has decided to present it to the Ukrainian people.
Most recently, EU Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen, in her State of the European Union speech, called Ukraine “a nation of heroes” that has risen, “standing strong, because an entire country has fought street by street, home by home”. She is one of the speakers at this year’s ADF.
This symbolic award comes at a crucial time for Ukraine and the people of Ukraine. They stand to be illegally robbed of nearly 15% of their territory through sham referendums organised by Russian separatists in Russian-held territories in the country’s east.
The conflict seems without end at the moment, as Finland’s president recently said that Putin is frustrated over the progress of the war in Ukraine and is not willing to accept any kind of defeat.
The City of Athens Democracy Award is presented annually during the ADF around the U.N. International Day of Democracy (September 15). Past winners include Kenneth Roth, former Executive Director of Human Rights Watch and Joaquim Alberto Chissano, former President of Mozambique as well as, most recently, Wai Wai Nu, the founder of Women’s Peace Network.
The Athens Democracy Forum was initially organised by The New York Times but has since taken the form of a nonprofit structure with Achilles Tsaltas, former vice president of international conferences at The Times at the helm of the then-newly-established Democracy & Culture Foundation.
This year, the award will be granted to the people of Ukraine in a symbolic but meaningful nod, as the West and democracies around the world continue their ongoing commitment to supporting Ukraine.
Christos Floros covers News and Politics for RTL Today @christosfloros
