Moments ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy concluded his address to the Nordic Council in Reykjavík, Iceland, encouraging the leaders of the Nordic countries to continue their support for Ukraine, and their sanctions against Russia, while Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues.
Arrived yesterday
Zelenskyy arrived yesterday, and immediately embarked on a whirlwind schedule filled with meetings that included talks with both Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson and President Halla Tómasdóttir.
At a press conference held later in the day, Bjarni was asked amongst other things what Iceland will do to support Ukraine. Bjarni responded that, pending parliamentary support, the government is proposing “doubling the funding for Ukraine, namely going to energy infrastructure, and also towards defense systems.”
Zelenskyy’s address
During Zelenskyy’s address to the council, he placed emphasis on how crucial it was for the Nordic partners to act swiftly. He mentioned how many children in what are now Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine have been separated from their families, and that the longer they remain separated, the worse the harm these children suffer and will suffer, even after the war’s conclusion.
He concluded by saying that the need for peace was “as crystal clear as the waters we saw yesterday at Þingvellir”.
Zelenskyy will be in Iceland through tomorrow. In the meantime, high security measures are in place, which are further detailed on this map.
