Do More to Help, Ukraine’s Defiant Zelenskiy Asks Britain

In this image from video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 6, 2022. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this image from video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 6, 2022. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
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Do More to Help, Ukraine’s Defiant Zelenskiy Asks Britain

In this image from video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 6, 2022. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
In this image from video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 6, 2022. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appealed to Britain to do more to help his country fight Russia and to punish "the terrorist state" on Tuesday, striking a defiant tone that Ukraine would fight for its survival, no matter what the cost.

Addressing Britain's parliament and greeted by a standing ovation in a packed chamber of lawmakers, Zelenskiy documented the Russian invasion day by day, listing the weapons used, the civilians killed and those running out of food and water.

He thanked Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has sought to take a leading role in supporting Ukraine against Russia, for the help already offered, but said Britain and other Western countries had to go further, pressing on with more sanctions. He asked them to recognize Russia as a "terrorist state".

"The question for us now is to be or not to be," Zelenskiy told parliament via videolink.

"We will not give up and we will not lose. We will fight to the end at the sea, in the air, we will continue fighting for our land, whatever the cost. We will fight in the forests, in the fields, on the shores, in the streets."

"Please increase the pressure of sanctions against this country (Russia) and please recognize this country as a terrorist state, and please make sure that our Ukrainian skies are safe... Please make sure that you do what needs to be done."

Zelenskiy has addressed his people and the world from Kyiv regularly since Russia invaded his country 12 days ago, in what President Vladimir Putin calls a "special military operation" to rid the country of leaders he characterizes as neo-Nazis.

The Ukrainian leader has kept up his appeals for the West to do more to help a country he says is not only fighting for its survival but also to save democracy across the whole of Europe.

Britain has become one of Ukraine's closest allies since the invasion, with Johnson speaking frequently to him by telephone and the two, according to some, enjoy a friendly relationship.



Thousands Protest Housing Crunch, High Rents in Barcelona

Demonstrators march to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Demonstrators march to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
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Thousands Protest Housing Crunch, High Rents in Barcelona

Demonstrators march to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Demonstrators march to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Thousands of Spaniards rallied in downtown Barcelona on Saturday to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in the popular tourist destination.
People held up homemade signs in Spanish reading “Fewer apartments for investing and more homes for living,” and “The people without homes uphold their rights.”
The issue has become one of the leading concerns for the southern European Union country, mirroring the housing crunch across many parts of the world.
The average rent for Spain has doubled in the last decade. The price per square meter has risen from 7.2 euros in 2014 to 13 euros this year, according to the popular online real estate website Idealista. The growth is even more acute in cities like Barcelona and Madrid. Incomes meanwhile have failed to keep up, especially for younger people in country with chronically high unemployment.
Protestor Samuel Saintot said he is “frustrated and scared” after being told by the owners of the apartment he has rented for the past 15 years in Barcelona’s city center that he must vacate the premises. He suspects that the owners want him out so they renovate it and boost the price.
“Even looking in a 20- or 30-kilometer radius outside town, I can’t even find anything within the price range I can afford,” he told The Associated Press. “And I consider myself a very fortunate person, because I earn a decent salary. And even in my case, I may be forced to leave town.”
A report by the Bank of Spain indicates that nearly 40% of Spaniards who rent dedicate an average of 40% of their income to paying rents and utilities, compared to the European Union average of 27% of renters in that strained economic circumstance.
“We are talking about a housing emergency. It means people having many difficulties both in accessing and staying in their homes,” said Ignasi Martí, professor for Esade business school and head of its Dignified Housing Observatory.