Thirty-three athletes from Latvia and Ukraine are participating in the International Marathon “I raise the flag for Ukraine in NATO.” The number of participants in the marathon, 33, corresponds to the number of Alliance members if Ukraine becomes a NATO member. The final point of the marathon is Vilnius, where a solemn flag-raising ceremony of the Ukrainian flag will take place during the NATO Summit on July 11th.
Stepan Barna, a fighter of the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade and a deputy of the Ternopil Regional Council from the “European Solidarity” faction, handed over the Ukrainian flag to the runners. The purpose was to convey to Europe and the world that Ukraine is a European country deserving NATO membership. The Ukrainian flag comes from the Donbass and was handed over on June 24, amid fighting for the control of Bakhmut. “This flag has crossed the entire east of Ukraine. It is our flag of victory and every soldier on the front line knows that many of our soldiers sacrificed their lives for it,” said Sergeant Barna. “It is crucial to convey to Europe and the world that Ukraine is a European country where Ukrainian soldiers give their lives for the values of democracy and freedom of speech. This flag represents the border between Europe and the horde that is now called Russia”.
On June 25, in Lithuanian Square in central Kyiv, some of Ukraine’s best runners prepared for a marathon of more than 1,500 kilometres. Over the week, they will run to the Polish border carrying a Ukrainian flag handed over by soldiers and pass it on to Lithuanian runners. The latter will carry the flag to Vilnius, which will be hosting the NATO Summit.
“During the NATO Summit on July 11, this flag from the battlefield, handed over to us by soldiers of the 10th Assault Brigade, will be raised in Lukiškių Square,” said Edmundas Jakilaitis, journalist and head of the Strong Together Foundation. The run, entitled Raise the Flag for Ukraine in NATO, is organized by the NGOs Strong Together and Blue/Yellow. According to them, it shows Lithuania’s strong support for Ukraine’s aspirations to join the military alliance.
“And in Vilnius, we hope that 33,000 Ukrainian flags will be hoisted throughout the campaign. If we succeed, and I believe we will, it should make a huge impression on the visiting delegations, journalists and everyone else,” said Jakilaitis. When the run reaches Vilnius on July 7, everyone is invited to welcome the runners with flags.
The marathon will last 16 days. It is a symbolic but important action, according to the Lithuanian Ambassador to Ukraine Valdemaras Sarapinas. Ukrainians have high expectations for the NATO Summit in Vilnius. “There might not be a direct invitation [to join NATO] during the Vilnius summit, but there will be a political track with very specific obligations and actions for Ukraine. I think it will be outlined in Vilnius and during the next meeting in Washington, at the latest, there will be the invitation,” Sarapinas said.
