In a ceremony held at the Frankfurt Paulskirche, Hesse’s Minister-President, Boris Rhein, honored the Mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko, for his efforts in promoting freedom and democracy.
The Ukrainian mayor received the Franz-Werfel Human Rights Award, a prize worth 10,000 euros, for his tireless work in upholding human rights and democratic values. In his speech, Rhein emphasized that the fight for human rights is not a self-evident truth, as it is often the case in Europe, but a vital struggle that requires courage and determination, as exemplified by Klitschko’s “heroic courage and unwavering will”.
Rhein reaffirmed Hesse’s solidarity with Ukraine, highlighting the state’s significant contributions to the war-torn country. To date, Hesse has dispatched around 120 aid transports and taken in nearly 100,000 refugees from the conflict zone. Furthermore, the state is supporting medical care and providing political and military backing through the NATO Support Command in Wiesbaden.
The Minister-President praised Klitschko’s unwavering commitment to the cause, stating that the Ukrainian people are not only fighting for their country, but also for the self-determination of all nations in Europe and for a life of peace and freedom.