The award was conferred on Nausėdienė for her significant personal contribution to the strengthening of international co-operation, for upholding the sovereignty of the state of Ukraine and its territorial integrity, and for the promotion of the state of Ukraine worldwide.
“It is an award for all the people of Lithuania who, from the very beginning of the war, stood united for Ukraine and its people without being urged or asked to do so. We have provided and will continue to provide all possible assistance because our hearts tell us that we must. We will continue to support Ukraine by all means. We will not get tired, and we will not let others get tired,” Nausėdienė spoke.
Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Lithuania’s first lady has taken the lead in mobilising aid for people affected by the war in Ukraine, especially women and children.
During the first days of the war, together with Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska, Nausėdienė initiated the establishment of the Ukrainian Center in Vilnius. Thanks to donors around the world, the Ukrainian Center was able to quickly provide full assistance to Ukrainian refugees who fled their war-torn homeland, and to strengthen their families and the Ukrainian community in Lithuania. Over time, the Center has become a safe haven for thousands of Ukrainians and a beacon of hope for Ukrainians and Ukraine’s integration into Europe.
In 2021, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine conferred the 1st grade Order of Yaroslav the Wise on President Gitanas Nausėda for his outstanding merits to Ukraine and its people.
