Zelenskyy on Thursday morning via livestream delivered a speech to lawmakers, members of the government, ambassadors and other officials. He has been connecting with parliaments around the world--including the European Parliament, the US Congress and the UK’s House of Commons--to shore up support for his country as it is under attack from Russia.

“Your state and your people have a wise motto: we want to remain what we are,” Ukraine’s president said. “Why are we fighting today? To stay what we are: a free, independent and open people, allied with all Europeans.”

Around 12m Ukrainians are internally displaced because of the war and another 5m have fled the country. More than 5,500 have sought refuge in Luxembourg.

Zelenskyy thanked the grand duchy for its support, which has included €50m worth of military materiel, while urging more sanctions and an accelerated procedure for Ukraine to join the EU. “Ukraine de facto is a member of the European Union,” he said.

But his hopes for quick accession to the bloc were dampened by prime minister Xavier Bettel (DP), who spoke in response to Zelenskyy. “There is no accelerated procedure,” the premier said but added that Luxembourg would support Ukraine to start accession talks and reach membership conditions as quickly as possible. “The future of Ukraine is in Europe.”

Former Luxembourg prime minister and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker during a speech on Monday had warned that it for Ukraine to be integrated into the EU as the country must meet rule of law and other obligations. “Enlargement negotiations take time,” he said.

Bettel on Thursday said that expectations about EU membership must be managed on both sides.

“Tyranny must lose”

Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister Emine Dzhaparova was at the Chamber of Deputies for Zelenskyy’s speech. She is set to meet with members of parliament’s foreign affairs committee on Friday and Bettel promised he would continue talks on how Luxembourg can efficiently and effectively help Ukraine.

Zelenskyy has urged countries to send more weapons for Ukraine to defend itself. “Every day, Ukraine is hit by Russian missiles,” he said. And while EU members are still in the process of tying up a sixth sanctions package against Russia, Zelenskyy said a seventh should already be prepared.

EU leaders earlier this week agreed on a partial oil embargo to cut funding for Russia. But Hungary is reportedly stalling talks, after the head of the Russian Orthodox church, Patriarch Kirill, was included on a sanctions list.

Bettel said it would “unacceptable” if the reports were proven accurate and warned that one EU member country cannot take the 26 others hostage.

“One single man doesn’t want to let us be who we are,” Ukraine’s president said of Russia’s Vladimir Putin. “We must push back,” he said. “We count on the support of our European partners.” Zelenskyy said the war would be decisive for the future of Europe. “Tyranny must lose so that Europe can remain what it is today--free, united and strong in its diversity.”

Resolution

Lawmakers after the speech passed a resolution in support of Ukraine, condemning the Russian attack and calling on the government to uphold aid, help for refugees and military supplies.

Déi Lénk abstained from the vote, saying the party does not support supplying more weapons. The right-wing conservative ADR party voted against the document on the same grounds.

ADR member of parliament Fernand Kartheiser during a debate following Zelenskyy’s address had said Ukraine was a corrupt and divided nation before the war broke out in February and that it needs a new institutional architecture and process of national conciliation to heal the wounds of the war and the divisions that existed before.

“Doing nothing is dangerous,” said Claude Wiseler (CSV). “Allowing Putin to win this war is dangerous,” he said, warning the the Russian president would be back for more, a sentiment echoed by Stéphanie Empain (déi Gréng).

Lawmakers also warned of famine triggered by the war. Bettel had urged Zelenskyy to address governments and parliaments in Africa and the Middle East to counter the Russian propaganda machine blaming sanctions for its inability to export grain. “World peace is at risk,” commented Gusty Graas (DP).