Zelenskyy receives international prize honoring his and Ukraine's courage and resilience

MIDDELBURG, Netherlands, April 16, (AP): Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was awarded the prestigious International Four Freedoms Award at a ceremony Thursday for his and his nation's courage and resilience in resisting the full-scale invasion launched more than four years ago by Russia.

The honor was bestowed by the Roosevelt Foundation that was created in 1982 to present awards honoring the Four Freedoms outlined by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his 1941 State of the Union address - freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.

"We pay the highest tribute to the unwavering courage and enduring perseverance of the Ukrainian people and to the steadfast and resolute leadership of their president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy,” Hugo de Jonge, chair of the foundation, said Thursday.

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten paid tribute to Zelenskyy at the ceremony, saying, "It speaks volumes that you only agreed to accept this award if you could do so on behalf of all the people of Ukraine.”

After receiving a standing ovation, Zelenskyy asked for a moment of silence for the victims of a deadly overnight barrage by Russia that killed at least 16 people and wounded many more. "Dozens of people have been injured and, sadly, so sadly, there are also lives lost in Odesa, Kyiv, Dnipro.

Just ordinary people, children, civilians, killed by Russian madness,” he said, as he called for those responsible for war crimes in Ukraine to be held accountable under international law. "Do not let Russia go unpunished," he said.

Previous winners of the international award include Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, Germany's former Chancellor Angela Merkel, and organizations including the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

French rape survivor Gisèle Pelicot was receiving the Freedom from Fear Award; the Committee to Protect Journalists received the Freedom of Speech Award; Isidora Uribe Silva from Chile, who has cerebral palsy, earned the Freedom from Want Award for her years of campaigning for inclusion, equal human rights, and gender equality.

The winner of the Freedom of Worship Award was not announced publicly by the foundation, citing security concerns. After the ceremony, Zelenskyy was meeting with Jetten. The Netherlands has been a strong supporter of Ukraine since the Russian invasion, including providing Patriot missiles and fighter jets. On Wednesday, Defense Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius announced that the Netherlands was spending 248 million euros ($292 million) on drones for the Ukrainian military.