Several thousand people gathered in cities across Europe to commemorate two years since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
More than 3,000 people took part in a solidarity rally at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany on Saturday, according to initial estimates by local police.
Many participants at the rally carried Ukrainian flags. Others shared their views on the war with slogans on banners and posters reading, “Russia always lies” or “The devil is in the Kremlin”. People also shouted slogans such as, “Russia is a terrorist state,”
Big crowds gathered across the United Kingdom to show support for Ukraine and pay their respects to those who have died in the last two years of war.
Commemorations in London began with an interfaith prayer service at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in Mayfair. Speaking before the service in London, the leading Ukrainian Catholic bishop in the UK, Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski, said his compatriots are “resolved to win the war” and have experienced a “two-year unending nightmare”.
Meanwhile, in Dublin, thousands of people have marched through the city. Micheal Martin, the Irish deputy prime minister, said Ireland “will not waiver” in its support for Ukraine.
“For 730 days, Ukraine has endured unimaginable violence and suffering, the destruction of homes, livelihoods and critical infrastructure by the Russian Federation,” he said.
“Across the country, innocent Ukrainian men, women and children are paying the ultimate price for a war not of their choosing.”
Other rallies took place in cities around Europe, including Belgrade, Bucharest, Istanbul, Paris, Helsinki and Pamplona, while in Ukraine, people mourned their lost loved ones.