Upon accepting the award, Prime Minister Kallas said that the true value of freedom is often only appreciated when it is at risk of being taken away. “We are living in an historical moment where more people around the free world are waking up to the fact that freedom and democracy are not a given,” she said. “Freedom is never free – you have to fight for it. Brave Ukrainians are teaching us this every day.”
At a gala ceremony held in New York on the evening of 4 April, the award was accepted on behalf of the head of government by Estonia’s permanent representative to the UN, Rein Tammsaar. Prime Minister Kallas gave her acceptance speech via video.
The Renew Democracy Initiative (RDI) was founded in 2017 by one of the best-known Russian opposition figures, Garry Kasparov, to fight autocracy around the world. Its headquarters are in the United States.
The Heroes of Democracy awards were first presented in 2023. Previous recipients include Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba.
Prime Minister Kallas’ acceptance speech (via video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYv3FI_NF54
Full text of Prime Minister Kallas’ acceptance speech (in English): https://valitsus.ee/en/news/speech-prime-minister-kaja-kallas-after-receiving-heroes-democracy-award
