Belgian Senate President Stephanie D’Hose met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev on Saturday.
The meeting occurred during a memorial ceremony for the Holodomor – a genocide brought about by famine during 1932 and 1933 under Stalin’s Soviet regime which resulted in millions of deaths and is considered one of Ukraine’s greatest tragedies. This year marks its 90th anniversary.
In March, the Belgian Chamber recognised the Holodomor as genocide. D’Hose, along with President Zelensky and other European parliamentarians, attended the ceremony at the memorial in central Kiev.
After the ceremony, the delegation moved to the presidential palace where they were received by President Zelensky. Describing the meeting, D’Hose said: "President Zelensky was visibly exhausted. You could feel the burden of today’s events, but alongside his fatigue, he still remained defiant. His message was clear: we will keep fighting, but we still need your support. Do not forget about us."
D’Hose also enjoyed a warm welcome at the parliament. Ruslan Stefanchuk, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, received a resolution from her, recently approved by the Senate, proposing sanctions against Russia for their forced deportation of Ukrainian children.
Credit: Belga / Benoit Doppagne
In an unprecedented move, she addressed the Ukrainian Parliament, stating, “More than 20,000 Ukrainian children risk being sacrificed on the altar of Putin’s madness. We have to bring the children home and give them a world without war – a world without Putin”. Her speech received a standing ovation.
A member of the Ukraine Working Group within the Inter-Parliamentary Union, D’Hose is currently negotiating the return of abducted Ukrainian children. She expressed cautious optimism about the talks, explaining: "The Russians seem prepared to start discussing this matter. We’ll see what that means in reality."
Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska, Senate President Stephanie D'Hose and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky pictured during a ceremony to commemorate the Holodomor, during a visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, on Saturday 25 November 2023. Credit: Belga / Benoit Doppagne
As D’Hose arrived in Kyiv on Saturday morning, the city was hit by a massive drone attack, which forced her to take refuge in a bunker for an hour until the air raid siren ceased.
Despite another air raid signal in the afternoon, the city was swiftly declared safe. Reflecting on the situation, D’Hose described it as “disturbing”.
The attacks involved 75 drones, according to Stefanchuk. The Ukrainian Air Force reportedly neutralised 74 of them. Kyiv's Mayor, Vitali Klitschko, reported five injuries, including an 11-year-old girl.
D’Hose departed for Poland on a night train on Saturday, with plans to fly back to Belgium on Sunday.
