The European Parliament (EP) has awarded its 2022 Sakharov Prize to "the brave people of Ukraine" in their battle against Russia's unprovoked invasion in late February.
The EP said in a statement on October 19 that the award went to "brave Ukrainians, represented by their President [Volodymyr Zelenskiy], elected leaders, and civil society."
"This award is for those Ukrainians fighting on the ground. For those who have been forced to flee. For those who have lost relatives and friends. For all those who stand up and fight for what they believe in. I know that the brave people of Ukraine will not give up and neither will we," European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said in the statement.
The annual prize is named after the Soviet physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov and was established in 1988 by the European Parliament to honor individuals and organizations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Zelenskiy said on Twitter he was grateful to the European Parliament for awarding the prize to the people of Ukraine.
"Ukrainians prove dedication to the values of freedom, democracy every day on the battlefield against the terrorist state of the Russian Federation," he wrote.