Several thousand people gathered in cities across Europe to mark two years since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
More than 3,000 people participated in a solidarity demonstration at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, on Saturday, according to initial estimates by local police.
Many participants in the demonstration 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 like “Russia is a terrorist state.”
Large crowds gathered across the UK to show their 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 main Ukrainian Catholic bishop in the UK, Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski, said his countrymen are “resolved to win the war” and have experienced an “endless two-year nightmare”.
Meanwhile, in Dublin, thousands of people have marched through the city. Micheal Martin, the Irish deputy prime minister, said Ireland “will not give up” 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 they did not choose.”
Other demonstrations took place in cities across Europe, including Belgrade, Bucharest, Istanbul, Paris, Helsinki and Pamplona, while in Ukraine people mourned the loss of their loved ones.
