Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy paid tribute Sunday evening to Holocaust survivors, telling them on the eve of the 75th anniversary of the death camp's liberation that they are an example to humanity.
Zelenskiy spoke of the importance of protecting humanitarian values and freedom against the hatred that threatens civilization in a short speech at a dinner in Krakow organized by the World Jewish Congress. He received a standing ovation for his words.
"You are truly amazing. You are strong and incredibly courageous. So you are an example that we should follow," he said through an interpreter. "The Holocaust is named the dark period in the history of humanity. And you are the rays of sunshine that penetrated the darkness."
Zelenskiy, who is of Jewish descent and has family members who perished in the Holocaust, is to attend commemorations Monday at the site of the Auschwitz-Birkenau former death camp.