Berlin, Dec 16 (AP) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people on Friday were awarded a prize that the German city of Aachen gives for contributions to European unity.

The prize committee said it selected Zelenskyy and his invaded country's citizens for the 2023 International Charlemagne Prize because they were fighting Russia not only for the sovereignty of Ukraine “but also for Europe and European values,” German news agency dpa reported.

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The committee said awarding the prize to Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people underscored that their nation is part of Europe.

The prize, named for the Holy Roman emperor Charlemagne, who once ruled a large swath of western Europe from Aachen, has been awarded since 1950 for service to Europe and European unity.

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Past winners include former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Pope Francis. Last year's prize went to Belarusian opposition leaders Maria Kalesnikava, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and Veronica Tsepkalo. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)