The Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) of Ukraine, Ruslan STEFANCHUCK, is welcomed by Roberta METSOLA, EP President, to the European Parliament. Later, he speaks to MEPs in person during a formal sitting in the Strasbourg hemicycle. Extracts.

EU - Ukraine (T)

Strasbourg

plenary session

troubles in Ukraine (T)

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

formal sitting

president's agenda

solidarity with Ukraine (T)

STEFANTCHOUK, Rouslan

Ukraine's application for EU membership (T)

Ruslan STEFANCHUK, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada at the European Parliament: meeting with Roberta METSOLA, EP President (arrival and roundtable) and extracts from the formal sitting

Title: Ruslan STEFANCHUK, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada at the European Parliament: meeting with Roberta METSOLA, EP President (arrival and roundtable) and extracts from the formal sitting

Cutaways: applause and family photo (11 shots)

Arrival of Ruslan STEFANCHUK, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, welcomed by Roberta METSOLA, EP President and handshake (14 shots)

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, This comes two months after I addressed the Verkhovna Rada on invitation of Ruslan, and it is now our turn to host you in our home, which is the seat of European democracy here in Strasbourg.

SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian), Ruslan STEFANCHUK, Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament - I am very thankful you personally, Madame President, for your bravery, for your. This is of actions. I would like to remind you of that. Ms.. President, Madame Mazzola was one of the first European politicians that offered the assistance to Ukraine, and she was one of the first who arrived on April 1st to the city of Kiev to address the Ukrainian parliament.

Arrival in the hemycicle, applause (13 shots)

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, - Your fight for freedom, for democracy, for the values that bind us as Europeans is our fight. And what Ukraine has had to endure was unthinkable a few months ago. But your people have inspired the world.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, We have sent military, financial, political and humanitarian support and we will continue. We cannot lose momentum. We cannot lose focus. We cannot turn away and allow war fatigue to set in.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, We want to assure you that we will continue to support you with any assistance needed to push back against the consequences of the Russian invasion.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, We will help rebuild every city and every town from Mariupol to open from Kurson to half. And we will hold war criminals accountable.

SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian), Ruslan STEFANCHUK, Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament - I have a chance to address the European Parliament openly and I have this feeling of support of the entire Ukraine. Therefore, I sincerely thank you each and every one of you, thank you for being with Ukraine. I thank you sincerely for your trust in Ukraine. And thank you very much that Ukraine is Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian), Ruslan STEFANCHUK, Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament - The Kremlin is talking about the liberation of the people of Donbass. But at the same time, they annihilate they wipe out the biggest city in the Donbas, Mariupol. Russia is saying that they're defending the Christian values. At the same time, they actually burned down this Fatburger church skit. They are claiming they're trying to prevent the world food crisis. At the same time they steal grains on the occupied territories.

SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian), Ruslan STEFANCHUK, Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament - We are going to speak this truth and we're going to speak about the responsibility, about the responsibility before history, before humankind, before the responsibility, before the future. And this responsibility should occur. And I thank you for the initiative. I think many countries for the initiatives the countries represented in the European Parliament that initiated the International Criminal Court investigation against the Russian Federation.