Official statements from the German government or defense ministry reports

Zelenskyy Receives Standing Ovation in German Parliament Speech Amid AfD and BSW Boycott, Antiwar Vote

Jun 11, 2024, 02:25 PM

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the German Bundestag, receiving a standing ovation from most members of parliament. However, lawmakers from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the far-left The Left (BSW) parties boycotted the parliament speech. Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine would end the war on its own terms, stating, 'We will not leave this war as a legacy after us. We will end this war. We will end it on our own terms.' The AfD, currently the second most popular party in Germany, opposes funding the war in Ukraine and issued a statement saying, 'We refuse to listen to a speaker wearing camouflage fatigues.' The European elections were first of all an antiwar vote.