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Marcelo, the first President to enter the trench in Moshchun

Marcelo, the first President to enter the trench in Moshchun

Marcelo, the first President to enter the trenches in Moschchun

The President of the Portuguese Republic had an unusual moment today when he entered a trench that was improvised in Moshchun, Ukraine, during the Russian occupation, becoming the “first” head of state to do so.

“This has never happened before! He’s the first to do this,” said Lesya Arkadievna, the deputy governor of the Kiev region, in amazement as she watched Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa enter a trench.

Moshchun, a town on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital, was decimated during the Russian occupation and, unlike, for example, Bucha, there was little progress in recovery. Almost nothing was left standing while Russian troops were there.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa wasn’t the first leader to visit the site, but he was the first to be where the population and military were fighting the occupiers.

The President didn’t hesitate, he even slipped on the sand and ended up in the trench, where he had to walk almost in a crouch.

epa10815035 Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (C) pays respect during a tribute ceremony to the Defenders of Urkraine in Moschun, Ukraine, 23 August 2023, amid the Russian invasion. Portuguese president is in Ukraine for a two-day visit. EPA/ANTONIO PEDRO SANTOS

“I’ve been here with several presidents and ministers and none have done this,” said Lesya Arkadievna.

People and members of the regional administration watched with some surprise.

“It’s reminiscent of the trenches of the First World War,” commented the President of the Republic as soon as he came out of the trench, still wearing dirt on his blazer.

The trench remained as a reminder of the struggle against the occupation.

A short conversation with local people gave the Portuguese head of state one certainty: [if it happened again even the] “children are already prepared and know how to defend themselves.”

However, he regretted that the children had to live with this knowledge and the memory of the devastation.

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