Veteran ends 1,500-kilometer trek for Ukraine in Brussels

DW (English)

War veteran Andrii Madzharov walked 1,500 kilometers from Ukraine to Belgium to raise funds for Ukraine's army and remind people in the European Union that Russia's war contniues. DW's Xenia Polska joined his last steps.

Transcript

00:00This Ukrainian war veteran has walked 1,500 kilometers,

00:05passed more than 60 towns and cities across four countries.

00:10Andrey Madzharov departed from Ukraine three months ago, and he's now in Belgium.

00:19I often got sunburned, and I had large blisters on my toes and feet,

00:23but I still had to keep going.

00:25I had no idea what awaited me the next day, because the route I had planned when I was still in Ukraine

00:31turned out completely differently, and the maps did not show the actual situation on the roads.

00:41But Andrey is not walking alone anymore.

00:44He says he's made friends in all the places he's passed through,

00:47and also thanks to his campaign on social media.

00:50Some of his supporters came to accompany him to the finish line

00:54and show their patriotism.

00:56Andrey's destination is Brussels, the capital of Belgium,

01:00but more importantly also the European Union and NATO.

01:04The last stop before the finish line, the town of Krajnem,

01:08eight kilometers from Brussels.

01:10This is where his new friends are waiting for him.

01:12A special welcome by the mayor of the town, who, surprise, speaks Ukrainian.

01:17I think that Europe and Europeans should understand that Ukraine is defending

01:32not only itself, but also the whole of Europe.

01:36Time to head off to the final stop.

01:47Why did you choose Brussels?

01:49It is the center of global decision-making regarding the European continent,

01:55partner countries, and Ukraine, both in this war and beyond.

01:58The veteran wanted to show the world that Ukrainian spirit is unbreakable.

02:06And here he is, after 93 days on the road.

02:11Tired, but undefeated, just like Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.

02:15Everything is for the sake of victory, so there's still a lot of work ahead.

02:19My brain hasn't quite caught up with the fact that I've made it,

02:22so I'm just feeling calm,

02:24but I'm happy that I won't have to walk such long distances anymore.

02:30Now Andrei is preparing to meet with some members of the European Parliament

02:34and other decision-makers in Brussels

02:36to remind them that they have to unite to stop Russian aggression.

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