Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,
Let me begin with a simple truth: what Vladimir Putin unleashed in February 2022 was not only a war against Ukraine. It was a war against our values, against freedom, against Europe itself. Families torn from their homes. Lives destroyed. A cynical attempt to crush the spirit of a people.
But that spirit was not broken. Ukrainians stood up. They held firm. They showed the world what courage, resilience, and dignity truly mean. And in the face of this tragedy, I could not look away. As President of the CPAS of Brussels — and as a liberal leader in this city — I felt it was my duty to act.
From the very first day, our institution was mobilised. We opened our doors. We provided immediate support: dignified reception, social assistance, simplified procedures to obtain temporary protection and access fundamental rights.
I created a dedicated unit — ACAL — with Ukrainian mediators, so that every person could find not only shelter, but also a path: a path towards stable housing, towards healthcare, towards education for their children, towards language courses, and finally towards employment.
In practice, this means hundreds of families were supported to find decent housing. More than 90 percent of those we followed enrolled in a language program. Workshops, information sessions, and job days were organized to break isolation and open the door to work. Children found a school. Parents found a job. And step by step, everyone began to find their place in our community.
This was not the work of one person. It was the result of a collective effort: the CPAS, the Region, associations, volunteers, and all of you here, with Ukrainian Voices as an essential partner. Together, we proved that solidarity is not a slogan. It is action. It is a hand extended. It is a promise kept.
And yet, my friends, much remains to be done. Too many families still live in housing that is too small, too expensive. Too many skills are held back by language barriers or by diplomas not yet recognized. Too many people still carry the trauma of war.
So my duty is clear: we must continue. We must go further. More training. More support towards employment. More attention to health, including mental health. More durable housing solutions. Because reception is not enough: what we must offer is integration, emancipation, the chance of a future.
And this future — I believe — we will build together. Together, we must allow every Ukrainian woman, man, and child to choose their destiny: to stay here and build a new life among us; or one day, to return to a free and sovereign Ukraine. An Ukraine that I hope will soon join the European Union. Because our values, our history, and our future are bound together.
Tonight, I want to say thank you. Thank you to the social workers, the mediators, the associations, the citizens who stood up without hesitation. Thank you to the Ukrainian community for your trust and your strength. You inspire us. You remind us why we do all this.
And let me say this, personally: as long as the war continues, as long as lives are broken, I will stand by your side. Because solidarity is not temporary. It is our shared humanity.
So let us continue. So that Brussels remains a city of welcome and hope. So that Belgium remains a land of freedom and solidarity. And above all, so that every Ukrainian who has known exile, fear, and pain may find here the opportunities to move forward, to rebuild, and to create a dignified future — even through the scars of war. Because your courage obliges me, and your hope inspires me.
Thank you.