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The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 30 September 2022.

On the 81st anniversary of the Babyn Yar tragedy, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak held a video conference with representatives of Jewish human rights organizations.

The meeting was joined by: Soviet dissident, Israeli statesman and politician of Ukrainian origin, Knesset member, chairman of the executive board of the Jewish Agency for Israel and chairman of the supervisory board of the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center Natan Sharansky; Canadian politician, parliamentarian, ex-Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada in 2003-2006 Irwin Cotler; Canadian investor, entrepreneur, human rights activist and head of the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights, who works in Ukraine, Jay Rosenzweig; President and CEO of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, member of the Canadian delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Michael Levitt.

The interlocutors discussed the importance of preserving the memory of the victims of the Babyn Yar tragedy and holding Russia accountable for the terrible crimes against humanity it is committing today in Ukraine.

“Decades after, hordes of murderers infected with the ideology of hatred returned to Ukraine. This time they came from the east, not from the west, they speak a different language, they have a different chieftain, but they have the same goal – to subjugate and destroy entire nations,” emphasized Andriy Yermak.

The current generation of Ukrainians feels the pain of the Babyn Yar tragedy extremely deeply, as we are experiencing the horrors of military aggression, he noted.

“We ourselves became witnesses of hell – here and now. As in the 41st, thousands of people are dying today just because they belong to the wrong people, from their (the aggressor’s – ed.) point of view. The tragedies in Bucha, Irpin, Mariupol, Izyum and dozens of other cities make the tragedy in Babyn Yar extremely close to modern Ukraine. The pain from this old scar was intensified by new wounds. We will never forget Babyn Yar. It is a place of remembrance for people of many nationalities and religions. They are united by the fact that they are all residents of Ukraine who faced absolute evil,” said the Head of the President’s Office.

He recalled that this year, with the beginning of the full-scale invasion by Russia, new victims appeared in Babyn Yar: in March, five people, including a child, were killed by a missile attack by the aggressor.

According to the Head of the Office of the President, today Babyn Yar is a reminder not only of previous, but also of modern crimes against humanity, which cannot be forgotten or forgiven.

Andriy Yermak invited human rights defenders to join the work of the group working on the creation of a special international tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine. Russia should be held accountable not only for war crimes and crimes against humanity, but also for the act of aggression against our state, he believes.

The Head of the President’s Office also urged those present to insist on a tough reaction of the world community to Russia’s holding of illegal “referenda” in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and to attempts to annex them.

“A tough response is needed – not just to condemn, but to make it clear what will happen next,” he stressed.

Andriy Yermak emphasized that no actions of Russia will stand in the way of Ukraine’s struggle for its freedom and territorial integrity.

“We will fight until our victory, because it is important not only for those who live in Ukraine today, but also in the name of those who gave their lives, whom we remember and honor. Criminals must bear responsibility to the whole civilized world,” the Head of the President’s Office summarized.

The representatives of Jewish human rights organizations, for their part, emphasized the importance of preserving the memory not only of the innocent victims of World War II, but also of modern Ukrainians. The President of the Russian Federation and the entire top Russian leadership must be held accountable for the crimes against humanity they commit in Ukraine. Human rights defenders expressed their support for the creation of a special international tribunal regarding the crime of aggression against Ukraine in order to bring the leadership of the Russian Federation to justice.

“I am sure that Putin will be defeated. It is very important to establish an international court for crimes against humanity committed by the leadership of Russia. This is genocide, because they decided which nation should exist and which should not,” said Natan Sharansky.

He also added that the coordinated work of many leaders and lawyers is necessary to condemn the terrible crimes against humanity committed by the Russian leadership.

Canadian politician Irwin Cotler, for his part, noted: “The creation of a special tribunal for Russia’s crimes against Ukraine is a necessary and urgent step that must be taken to make the Russian leadership responsible for this aggression in the same way that they will be responsible for crimes against humanity and incitement to genocide. I hope the international community will start moving in this direction.”

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 30 September 2022.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that there can be no neutrality in the fight against evil. He is hopeful Switzerland will increase its support for Ukraine. The Head of State said this during a conversation with the university community and public figures of Switzerland.

“I would very much like Switzerland to be able to block Russian assets, so that we could absolutely fairly receive compensation for the occupation of Ukrainian territories and for the aggression that Russia committed against Ukraine,” the Head of State said, answering the students’ questions.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the citizens of Switzerland to convey the truth about the events in Ukraine to Europe.

“It is important to tell what is happening so that support for Ukraine does not decrease. For this, people can come to Ukraine and see with their own eyes what is happening here,” he said.

The President also invited the Swiss to participate in volunteer support for our country and join the implementation of the Fast Recovery Plan.

“The academic year has begun, many schools and universities have been bombed, and they need to be repaired and restored. Both finance and technical assistance are needed here,” the Head of State said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that there should be no place for neutrality in the issue of the struggle between good and evil.

The President is also hopeful that China will play a greater role in ending the war by influencing Russia and supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The President noted that Ukraine would actively work to develop relations with China.

The Head of State emphasized the importance of unity of European countries in difficult times, as the price of such unity is very high for Ukraine. He expressed conviction that any country under threat of aggression should not be alone with the enemy. The aggressor must know that he will receive a quick and powerful response from the whole world.

“It is inspiring that we managed to boost the morale in Europe, that Europe is united. The whole world believes now that this is how you can protect democracy, this is how you need to protect freedom,” the President stated.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also expressed his belief that after the victory, Ukraine will become a full member of the European Union.

“We have already obtained the status of a candidate – we worked hard on this even during the war… The country chose the path to the European Union. There is no doubt that within two or three years we will receive membership in the European Union. At least we are clearly proceeding – both legislatively and in dialogue with our partners. And most of the EU countries already see us there,” the Head of State emphasized.

He noted that Ukraine is on the way to NATO membership and is simultaneously preparing an agreement on security guarantees.

“We have developed a serious document – recommendations for this agreement for a circle of countries – guarantors of security for Ukraine. We really need this agreement. And it is extremely needed on the way to NATO,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted and added that it is not known how long this path will last, but our country needs security on it.

“These two directions, which I mentioned, already indicate that Ukraine will be a European state,” he stated and noted that thanks to the powerful army and combat experience, Ukraine will also be one of the safest countries.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 29 September 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the delegation of the National Assembly of France led by its President Yaël Braun-Pivet.

The President noted that the first-ever visit of the head of the lower house of the French Parliament to Ukraine, which is taking place at a crucial time for our country, is clear evidence of solidarity on the part of the French Republic, support for the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

During the meeting, the key attention was paid to the illegal holding of sham referenda in the temporarily occupied territories of our country and the world’s reaction to it.

“With its aggressive policy, Russia continues artificial referenda, and it is very important that all our partners, all leaders of the civilized world, and certainly France, support Ukraine and condemn these fake referenda as strongly as possible,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The importance of the fact that France categorically does not recognize the sham referenda that Russia held in the occupied territories of Ukraine was noted separately.

The President noted that the Ukrainian side counts on the strengthening of EU sanctions and the approval of the eighth package of sanctions, which should be much stronger than the previous ones and synchronized with the illegal decisions of the Russian Federation as soon as possible.

The Head of State emphasized the significant defense support for Ukraine from France and noted the special role of President Emmanuel Macron in this matter. Emphasis was placed on the need to continue and enhance military-technical aid.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine received the status of a candidate for joining the European Union precisely during the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union. In this regard, the Head of State thanked the President of the French Republic and the entire French people for their broad support for the European integration of our country, and also expressed his belief in Ukraine’s continued progress on this path.

“We saw how the French society supported us on the streets of France at the beginning of the aggression, and then at the time of solving an important geopolitical issue regarding the candidacy and EU membership,” the President said.

Discussing the topic of Russia’s nuclear blackmail of the world at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, the Head of State thanked France and President Emmanuel Macron personally for the active efforts in organizing the visit of the IAEA mission to the plant.

Given the scale and nature of the Russian Federation’s crimes in Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the French parliament to adopt a decision on designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.

In the framework of the meeting, special attention was paid to the issues of important comprehensive aid that France provides to Ukraine (security, diplomatic, political and financial), as well as promising directions for its increase, taking into account the current needs of our country.

On the eve of the 90th Holodomor anniversary, the President of Ukraine urged French legislators to recognize this tragedy as an act of genocide of the Ukrainian people.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 29 September 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had another phone call with Prime Minister of Italy Mario Draghi. The main topic of the negotiations was the sham referenda organized by the Russian aggressor in the occupied territories.

The interlocutors discussed in detail the appropriate reaction to sham referenda.

“They are worthless and do not change reality. The territorial integrity of Ukraine will be restored. And our reaction to Russia’s recognition of their results will be very tough,” the Head of State emphasized.

Emphasis was placed on the need for a firm reaction from the world’s leading states in the event of the Kremlin’s recognition of sham referenda. Separately, the leaders noted the importance of building a system of effective security guarantees for Ukraine with the involvement of key partners of our country, in particular Italy.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed the interlocutor about the situation at the front, emphasizing the vital need for Ukraine to further strengthen the capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the successful return of Ukrainian territories.

While discussing the defense support of Ukraine, the parties exchanged views on the possibility of continuation of such assistance from Italy, which is extremely important, in particular, for the protection of citizens and civil infrastructure.

The President of Ukraine separately noted the important personal role of Mario Draghi and expressed gratitude for the active support of the Italian Republic for the independence and sovereignty of our state.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also noted the personal role of the Prime Minister of Italy in the formation of a new quality of Ukrainian-Italian relations.

“We laid the foundation for their further effective development for the benefit of the peoples of both states,” the President emphasized.

He separately thanked Mario Draghi for supporting our country on the way to European integration and granting the status of a candidate country.

“As a sign of our gratitude, you have been awarded the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise of the 1st degree. On the Walk of the Brave in Kyiv, among the names of political leaders who have supported Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, your name is now also included. I am hopeful to have the opportunity to meet with you in the near future in Kyiv and personally present a high state award,” said the Head of State.

During the meeting, the parties also expressed confidence that Italy would maintain a high level of support for Ukraine even after the formation of a new government following the recent parliamentary elections in the Italian Republic.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 29 September 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone call with President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda.

The key attention was paid to the international reaction to the sham “referenda” held by Russia in the temporarily occupied territories of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Andrzej Duda for the strong support for Ukraine expressed during his speech at the opening of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, as well as for Poland’s clear position on non-recognition of the so-called referenda.

The interlocutors agreed on the need for a powerful consolidated reaction of the world to the illegal actions of the Russian Federation, which undermine the foundations of international law. Specific steps and measures that the parties will work on in this context were discussed.

The heads of state also discussed the issue of military and defense cooperation. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted Poland’s invaluable contribution to strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities and the importance of further increased support for our country.

The President of Ukraine congratulated Poland on the official opening of the Baltic Pipeline. “This is a significant event for building up security and strengthening the energy independence of the entire region,” he noted.

The Presidents of Ukraine and Poland exchanged views on topical issues of bilateral relations. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted the decrease in queues at the Ukrainian-Polish border and emphasized the importance of further efforts to increase the throughput capacity of the relevant points.

The Ukrainian President also emphasized the interest of the Ukrainian side in introducing joint border and customs control at all checkpoints and speeding up work on a bilateral agreement in this area.

The leaders separately praised the launch of a new format of cooperation between the first ladies – within the Lublin Triangle – on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 29 September 2022.

Ukraine is determined to return all territories temporarily occupied by Russia, despite sham referenda held there and threats by the Russian military-political leadership to use nuclear weapons. This was stated by Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President Mykhailo Podolyak in an interview with the Associated Press.

According to him, if Russia announces the annexation of the occupied territories of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine in the coming days, nothing will change on the battlefield.

“We will liberate our territory by military means. And our actions depend not so much on what the Russian Federation thinks or wants, but on the military potential Ukraine has,” said Mykhailo Podolyak.

He emphasized that it is vital for Ukraine to return all lands captured by Russia. And this is important not only for our country, but also for Ukraine’s European neighbors.

“Otherwise, Russia will feel that it has the right to blackmail the world, raise the stakes, escalate the conflict, and consider itself the winner in the brutal war against Europe,” the Advisor to the Head of the President’s Office is convinced.

Therefore, according to him, in order to ensure stability in Europe, it is necessary to completely liberate Ukrainian territory.

“This is the only safeguard against the further spread of the war,” Mykhailo Podolyak stressed.

Commenting on threats by Russian officials to use nuclear weapons, the Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President said: “Of course, Ukraine takes it seriously, because we understand what kind of state we are dealing with.”

As Mykhailo Podolyak noted, threats from Russia cause concern not only in Ukraine, as a preventive nuclear strike could set a precedent for other countries in the world.

“If nuclear weapons are used now, in the XXI century, we will not close this Pandora’s box again. Because there are many unstable political regimes that will take advantage of this situation and start speculating on nuclear weapons and try to use them in one form or another, as they will think that this is permissible,” said the Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President.

As a member of the Ukrainian negotiating team during the previous rounds of negotiations with Russia, Mykhailo Podolyak has low hopes for the possibility of meaningful negotiations with the Russian Federation in the near future. He doubts that Moscow is ready to adhere to its promises, and believes that Russian officials only want to buy time to regroup and strengthen their positions on the battlefield.

“Russia constantly talks about negotiations in an ultimatum style, but it only speaks to an external audience, as it wants to ensure pressure on Ukraine from the side of our partners,” summarized the Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 29 September 2022.

On the 81st anniversary of the Babyn Yar tragedy, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy honored the memory of all the victims of the mass executions of civilians by the Nazis in occupied Kyiv during World War II.

The Head of State laid flowers at the monument to the victims of the tragedy on the territory of the Babyn Yar National Historical and Memorial Reserve.

The President also honored the memory of the Jews shot by the Nazis in Babyn Yar by putting an icon lamp next to the Menorah memorial sign.

Baskets of flowers from the Head of State were placed at the monuments of the Ukrainian writer Olena Teliha and the Roma executed by the Nazis.

In addition, Volodymyr Zelenskyy watched the Black Cube installation dedicated to the 81st anniversary of the Babyn Yar tragedy. A model of Babyn Yar is installed inside the cube, on which a visual projection takes place; excerpts from the works of Ukrainian writers devoted to the tragedy are also voiced, and images symbolizing the tragic events of Babyn Yar are shown on multimedia screens.

The Head of State was told about how the Babyn Yar National Historical and Memorial Reserve was working to preserve the memory of this tragedy for current and future generations of Ukrainians.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that the world should do everything to prevent similar tragedies and crimes against humanity, which, unfortunately, still happen today, particularly on Ukrainian soil.

“Any inhumane regimes pose a threat to all humanity. Criminals who cause such tragedies must be punished. So that dictators and tyrants are reluctant to repeat something similar in the future,” the President noted.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 29 September 2022.

The International Working Group on Russian Sanctions has developed the fifth Paper of the Working Group on the topic “The Case for Designating the Russian Federation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism”. The document explains in detail the essence and features of the status of a State Sponsor of Terrorism envisaged by American law, and the need to include Russia in the list of countries with SST (State Sponsor of Terrorism) status.

The consequences of the official designation of Russia as a State Sponsor of Terrorism for Russia itself and for the US or Canada were assessed. Working group experts assessed the risks and suggested potential mitigation strategies for many of them.

The document provides factual data confirming the compliance of the actions of the Russian Federation with the definition of “terrorism”. In practice, Russia’s crimes in Ukraine are actually worse than “sponsoring terrorism”, since the main perpetrator of these acts of terrorism is the Russian armed forces, a key institution of the Russian state. The type, scale and purpose of the deliberate, politically motivated violence that the Russian state uses against Ukrainian non-combatants is appalling. The U.S. Department of State should designate the Russian Federation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism. A similar designation should be made by the Canadian government.

Experts describe in detail the main consequences: restrictions on transactions, loss of sovereign immunity, secondary sanctions, individual sanctions, symbolic impact.

This designation would increase pressure to add Russia to the blacklist of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). It would also restrict foreign assistance from the United States and from organizations in which the U.S. is a member; ban all arms-related exports and sales; strengthen even further the controls over exports, re-export, and transfer of dual-use items; and put in place additional financial restrictions.

The designation of such status for Russia would make it easier and more likely for the U.S. to impose secondary sanctions on third parties transacting with the Russian state and private sector entities. With the SST designation in place, the U.S. and its allies could impose financial and trade sanctions on any country that continues to cooperate with the Russian state. This threat of secondary sanctions would increase the probability of compliance with sanctions already in place, thus enhancing their credibility and enforceability.

The designation would also greatly increase the scrutiny of many Russian private sector entities and individuals by international counterparties. Potential business partners would need to take extra care in their due diligence and Know-Your-Customer (KYC) research.

The complicated diplomatic, legal, and economic implications for the U.S. and potentially for other members of the sanctions coalition in imposing this designation on the Russian Federation were noted.

However, the paper argues, the laws that allow designation of such status in the United States provide sufficient flexibility to develop effective mitigation strategies for most of these problems.

The designation would bring more global attention to the nature of the Russian regime and the atrocities and terror that it has committed against innocent Ukrainian civilians. It would substantially increase the scale, scope, and effectiveness of the sanctions imposed on the Putin regime.

As for mitigating the risks, first of all, the legislation provides for the possibility of cooperation with Russian entities in joint humanitarian efforts.

It is noted that a waiver could be added to the SST designation that would allow contacts with Russian diplomats when American national interests were being advanced. For example, even while Iran was designated as a state sponsor of terrorism, officials negotiated directly with Iranian diplomats to conclude the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

To reduce fears that American claimants in the U.S. might drain some Russian government assets currently being held in the United States and other banks in the democratic world, the U.S. government could stipulate that these assets are exempt from potential lawsuits and instead will be used for Ukrainian reconstruction.

There could be a condition that if Russia’s armed forces left Ukraine and therefore stopped terrorizing the Ukrainian population, then the designation would be lifted. The U.S. House of Representative and the Senate could commit to this trigger for lifting the designation in a joint resolution. Doing so in advance might create greater incentives for Putin to end his war.

Given the costs of witnessing terrorist acts and doing nothing in response, the Yermak-McFaul Group believes that the benefits of proceeding with SST designation for the Russian Federation outweigh the risks, which, in turn, can be mitigated.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 28 September 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone call with UN Secretary-General António Guterres to discuss the escalation of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

The Head of State expressed gratitude to the UN Secretary-General for his unwavering commitment to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine within internationally recognized borders. Evidence of this is the clear position regarding the United Nations’ non-recognition of the sham referenda held in the occupied territories of Ukraine as a gross violation of the fundamental goals and principles of the UN Charter expressed on behalf of the Secretary-General by Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo at the meeting of the UN Security Council convened by Ukraine on September 27.

The interlocutors highly assessed the implementation of the grain initiative over the past two months, which made it possible to unblock the export of Ukrainian agricultural products and mitigate the global food crisis. They believe it is necessary to continue and expand this initiative under the auspices of the United Nations.

The parties also discussed the issues of nuclear security in the context of the threatening situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP and the next visit to Ukraine by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and António Guterres paid attention to the initiatives of Ukraine proposed during the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, as well as to a number of other important issues of the global agenda.

The President thanked the Secretary-General for holding an important meeting with the First Lady and the Prime Minister of Ukraine on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York.