Zelensky appeal to Europe: “If we will fall, you will fall so please don’t be silent”

Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, called for solidarity in a message broadcast to thousands of people gathered in cities across Europe on Friday.

Zelensky in the speech, which came a little over a week after Russia began its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, said that if Ukraine fell, “Europe will not stand.”

“If we will fall, you will fall so please don’t be silent, do not turn the blind on eye on this,” he added.

“If we win, and I’m sure we’ll win, this will be the victory for the whole democratic world,” Zelensky said.

“This will be the victory of our freedom. This will be the victory of light over darkness, of freedom over slavery.”

Zelensky also paid tribute to those who have died with a moment of silence.

“Those who are making heroic deeds in different areas protecting their country and have given their lives away for this,” he said.

“They’re protecting your Europe and they’re greeting each other, wishing each other good health….this is our heart, this is the heart of Ukraine, standing together against the evil,” Zelensky added.

The speech was broadcast over Zoom to cities across Europe, including Bratislava, Frankfurt, Prague, Lyon, Tbilisi, Vienna and Vilnius, according to CNN.

Meanwhile, Russia blocks access to Facebook and Twitter.

Move to block Facebook and Twitter comes as the government passed a bill the criminalizes ‘fake’ reports against the war

The bill, quickly rubber-stamped by both houses of the Kremlin-controlled parliament and signed by Putin, imposes prison sentences of up to 15 years for those spreading information that goes against the Russian government’s narrative on the war.

The White House has said it is “deeply concerned” about Russia’s efforts to suppress information about its citizens.

“This is part of their effort… to cut off some information from their audience,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.