Congratulations #KalushOrchestra and #Ukraine! 🇺🇦🏆 #Eurovision #ESC2022

Next year in #Kyiv – in a free Ukraine. I will be there.

Slava Ukraini!

— Roberta Metsola (@EP_President) May 14, 2022

Metsola has been extremely vocal about the war in Ukraine, repeatedly urging EU member states to ramp up their sanctions against Russia and denouncing Russian President Vladimir Putin as an “autocrat”.

In a recent interview with Lovin Malta, she said the EU is at war with Russia.

“We are in a situation where one regime has invaded a territorially independent and sovereign country,” she said. “What will our response be, as Europe and as countries like the UK, NATO countries, the US and Canada?”

“Are we going to be intimidated and allow ourselves to be blackmailed and threatened? If the answer is no, which it should be, then we must not stop at making sure our response is as strong as possible.”

Last month, Metsola became the first leader of a major EU institution to visit Ukraine since it was invaded by Russia, with Ukrainian President Vlodomir Zelenskyy awarding her the Order of Princess Olga.

Zelenskyy has said he intends to hold next year’s Eurovision in Mariupol, a port city that has been besieged and suffered extensive damage by Russian forces.

This article is part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. This article reflects only the author’s view. The European Parliament is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.

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