Category: Attack on Ukraine

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 30 April 2022.

Unbreakable people of the bravest country!

Today we marked the Border Guard Day. It is clear that there can be no celebrations during the war. But it is necessary to support Ukrainian men and women who defend the state in the ranks of the Border Guard Service.

Since the first days of the war – and not only since February 24, but also since 2014 – border guards have been bravely defending Ukraine. They fulfill combat missions. They were the first to face the Russian invaders at the state border. They are under daily shelling. They are fighting side by side with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with our National Guard, with the National Police, with the territorial defense and all those who stood up for our state.

In particular, they are fighting in Mariupol, heroically defending our city. 340 border guards – our heroes. I talked to them today. Congratulated them. Thanked them.

I am grateful to everyone whose professional day was today. I had the honor to present state awards to border guards who distinguished themselves in the battles for our state.

The occupiers are accumulating additional forces for new attacks against our military in the east of the country. They built up reinforcements in the Kharkiv region, trying to increase pressure in Donbas. They have already lost more than 23,000 soldiers in the battles of this senseless war for Russia. But they do not stop.

We know that the Russian command is preparing for new big losses.

In those units, the personnel of which was almost completely destroyed or significantly weakened in March-April, new people are being recruited. With little motivation. With little combat experience. They just want to get the right amount. So that they can throw these units into the offensive.

The Russian command is well aware that thousands more Russian soldiers will be killed and thousands more will be wounded in the coming weeks.

But why do the Russian soldiers themselves need this? Why do their families need this? Russian commanders lie to their soldiers saying they will face some serious responsibility for refusing to fight. And at the same time they do not tell, for example, about the preparation by the Russian army of additional refrigerators for storing corpses. They do not tell what new “planned” losses the generals expect.

Every Russian soldier can still save his life. You’d better survive in Russia than die on our land.

Our defenders have already destroyed more than a thousand Russian tanks. Almost two hundred Russian aircraft. Almost two and a half thousand armored fighting vehicles. Of course, the occupiers still have equipment in stock. Yes, they still have missiles to strike at our territory. But this war has already weakened Russia so much that they have to plan even fewer military equipment for the parade in Moscow.

We are actively communicating with partners to enhance sanctions on Russia. For Mariupol, for all the destroyed cities and communities of Ukraine, for war crimes against our people. For missile and air strikes at the territory of Ukraine.

Today the occupiers again fired missiles at the Dnipropetrovsk region and Odesa. Again and again, Russian troops prove that the people of Odesa are the same enemies for Russia as all other Ukrainians. The runway of the Odesa airport was destroyed. We will, of course, rebuild it. But Odesa will never forget such a Russian attitude towards it.

We expect a decision on oil restrictions against Russia in the near future. We insist that a fair part of sanctions against Russian oil should be the blocking of any attempts by Russia to circumvent restrictions through the sale of so-called oil blends. If any company or state helps Russia trade oil, it must also face sanctions. Any sponsorship in the interests of the Russian military terrorist machine must end.

I spoke today with President of France Emmanuel Macron. On various areas of cooperation between Ukraine and France, especially on defense. Also – on cooperation on Ukraine’s path to the European Union. We are moving towards the political formalization of what is already a fact: Ukraine has become an integral part of a united Europe.

I also spoke with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. On defense support for Ukraine and other efforts necessary to end the war.

I informed Boris about the current situation on the battlefield in the areas of active clashes and in detail about the situation in our east, in Mariupol, in the south of the country.

All the leaders of the free world know what Russia has done to Mariupol. And Russia will not go unpunished for this.

Many of the leaders are trying to help save our heroic defenders of the city. This was discussed in great detail with the UN Secretary-General during his visit to Kyiv. We are doing everything to ensure that the evacuation mission from Mariupol is carried out.

I held talks with President of Switzerland Cassis. Thanked for the humanitarian support of Ukraine and Ukrainians. The mediating role of Switzerland in helping Ukrainians who found themselves in Russia was discussed. Preparations for the conference on postwar reconstruction of our state were also discussed.

We are doing everything to return normal life to the de-occupied part of our Ukraine. The work of humanitarian offices has already begun in 93% of de-occupied settlements.

We are actively demining the liberated territory. Every day several dozen settlements are added to the list of those where demining has been completed. 69% of de-occupied settlements are again with full-fledged local self-government. We are restoring electricity supply, communications, water supply and gas supply. We are doing everything to return normal medicine, educational services, access to financial institutions. We are restoring roads.

Of course, there is still a lot of work ahead. The occupiers are still on our land and still do not recognize the apparent failure of their so-called operation. We still need to fight and direct all efforts to drive the occupiers out. And we will do it. Ukraine will be free.

Kherson, Nova Kakhovka, Melitopol, Berdyansk, Dniprorudne and all other temporarily occupied cities and communities in which the occupiers are now pretending to be “masters” will be liberated.

The Ukrainian flag will return wherever it should be by right. Return with a normal life, which Russia is simply unable to provide even on its own territory.

I signed a decree on awarding our defenders – warriors of the National Guard of Ukraine. 133 national guards were awarded state awards, 11 of them posthumously.

Eternal memory to all who died for Ukraine!

Eternal glory to everyone who stood up for the state!

Glory to Ukraine!

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 29 April 2022.

Unbreakable people of the bravest country!

The 65th day of our defense is coming to an end. We are beating the occupiers in all directions where they are trying to advance.

The situation in the Kharkiv region is tough. But our military, our intelligence, have important tactical success.

In Donbas, the occupiers are doing everything to destroy any life in this area. Constant brutal bombings, constant Russian strikes at infrastructure and residential areas show that Russia wants to make this area uninhabited. Therefore, the defense of our land, the protection of our people is literally a struggle for life. For Lysychansk, Severodonetsk, Popasna, Kramatorsk, Slovyansk, Marinka and all other cities and communities of Donbas, which Russian troops want to turn into ruins, absolutely everything is being decided in this war.

Only if Ukraine withstands will they live. If the Russian invaders succeed in realizing their plans, at least in part, they will still have enough artillery and aircraft to destroy the entire Donbas. Just as they destroyed Mariupol.

The city, which was one of the most developed in the region, is simply a Russian concentration camp in the middle of ruins. And the order of the occupiers in that part of Mariupol which they unfortunately still control differs insignificantly from what the Nazis did in the occupied territory of Eastern Europe.

But the Russian troops manage to be even more cynical than the Nazis 80 years ago. At that time, the invaders did not say that it was the Mariupol residents and the defenders of the city who shelled and killed themselves.

I am grateful to the United States, President Biden and Congress for an analogue of the famous Lend-Lease program, which will be very helpful in the fight against Russia, against the Russian invaders. Which helped a lot in the fight against the Nazis during World War II.

I am sure that now the Lend-Lease will help Ukraine and the whole free world beat the ideological successors of the Nazis, who started a war against us on our land. Lend-Lease and other programs in support of Ukraine are concrete proof that freedom is still able to defend itself against tyranny.

Today, the Government of Ukraine considered the issue of eliminating the deficit in the fuel market. Queues and rising prices at gas stations are seen in many regions of our country. The occupiers are deliberately destroying the infrastructure for the production, supply and storage of fuel. Russia has also blocked our ports, so there are no immediate solutions to replenish the deficit. But government officials promise that within a week, maximum two, a system of fuel supply to Ukraine will be provided that will be able to prevent a deficit.

This is a difficult task after the Russian missile strike at the Kremenchuk refinery. But government officials along with fuel suppliers, traders and networks must fulfill this task no matter how difficult it may be. I’m sure they will. We must take from the European Union as much fuel as our citizens need now.

Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Ukraine Melinda Simmons returned to Kyiv today.

Currently, 27 foreign diplomatic missions operate in the capital of our country. And this is an extremely important gesture of support for Ukraine, for which we are grateful to all of them.

Such gestures, together with strong defensive, financial and political support from the free world, mean that the need to end the war is becoming more and more obvious to Russia. The defeat of the occupiers is unalterable.

In the temporarily occupied areas of the Kherson region, collaborators say that they are allegedly preparing for the transition to the “ruble zone”. Any attempt to transfer our territory to Russia’s administrative, monetary, or any other system will mean only one thing: Russia itself will suffer from that. Our responses, sanctions and other reactions of the free world to Russia’s aggressive actions will not be delayed.

The dismantlement of debris in Kyiv, where Russian missiles hit yesterday during the visit of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, continues. Unfortunately, such a deliberate and brutal humiliation of the United Nations by Russia was left without a powerful response.

Today it became known that a journalist, an employee of Radio Liberty Vera Hyrych was killed by a Russian missile hitting a residential building in Kyiv. She became the 23rd media representative whose life was cut short as a result of the Russian invasion since February 24. My condolences to all relatives and friends. Eternal memory to all the victims of this war!

Today in the White Hall of Heroes of Ukraine in the Mariyinsky Palace, I presented awards to our defenders and members of the families of fallen warriors. The Order of the Golden Star was awarded to the Heroes of Ukraine: Lieutenant Colonel Serhiy Burkovsky, Captain Vitaliy Hural, Senior Lieutenant Dmytro Dozirchy, Lieutenant Colonel Oleksandr Zuhravy, Colonel Dmytro Kashchenko, Major Oleksandr Kukurba, Captain Oleh Pasichnyk, Lieutenant Colonel Vyacheslav Tsyhankov, Colonel of the Medical Service Oleksandr Sliesarenko, Lieutenant Colonel Leonid Khoda, Colonel Denys Chayuk and Lieutenant General Serhiy Nayev.

Also, three servicemen were posthumously awarded the Order of the Golden Star. I had the honor to hand them over to the relatives of our heroes – Sergeant Volodymyr Balyuk, Master Sergeant Oleksandr Tsyupak, Major Pavlo Sbytov.

It is thanks to our heroes, thanks to all those who stood up for our state, that we can live, can be with our families in our homes.

Glory to all our heroes!

Glory to Ukraine!

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 28 April 2022.

Ukrainians!

All our defenders!

Today we have significant news for our state, for our defense.

First, the United States has prepared a new support package for Ukraine worth $ 33 billion. In particular, more than 20 billion can be allocated for defense. More than $ 8 billion is planned for economic support. Another $ 3 billion will be allocated for humanitarian aid.

This is a very important step by the United States. And I am grateful to the American people and personally to President Biden for it. I hope that the Congress will quickly support this request for help to our state. President Biden rightly said today that this step is not cheap. But the negative consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and against democracy are so large-scale for the whole world that, in comparison with them, this support from the United States is necessary. Together, we can certainly stop Russian aggression and reliably defend freedom in Europe.

We are also working to direct the blocked assets of Russian individuals subject to sanctions and the Russian state to compensate Ukraine for this war and to restore normal life.

The investigation into the crimes committed by the Russian military against our people is underway. Ukraine’s position is absolutely clear – every Russian criminal must be and will be brought to justice. Whoever they are and wherever they hide, we will find them all and make them bear responsibility.

The first ten Russian servicemen from the 64th motorized rifle brigade of the Russian Ground Forces who committed crimes against our people in Bucha, Kyiv region, received the status of suspects. Their surnames are known. It is established what they did. We know all the details about them and their actions. And we will find everyone. Just as we will find all the other Russian thugs who killed and tortured Ukrainians. Who tormented our people. Who destroyed houses and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. None of these bastards will avoid responsibility.

However, some of them may not survive until trial and fair punishment. But for one reason only. This Russian brigade was relocated to the Kharkiv region. There they will get retribution from our military.

Prime Minister of Bulgaria Kiril Petkov paid a visit to Kyiv today. We had very substantive and very warm negotiations with him. Bulgaria is one of those countries that reacted to Russia’s aggression in a principled manner and quickly. I am grateful to both the Bulgarian government and the Bulgarian people for not delaying the support for our state.

Defense, energy and transport issues were discussed with Mr. Petkov. Sanctions pressure on Russia, which is necessary for peace. We also discussed our cooperation at the EU level. A very important agreement is on the repair of our military equipment at the Bulgarian production facilities.

Another issue we agreed on is the supply of Ukrainian electricity to Bulgaria and the use of the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline together with the Bulgarian side. I am grateful to Bulgaria for the opportunity to use the port of Varna to export our agricultural capacity.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres was also in Ukraine today. It is very important that Mr. Secretary-General visited Borodyanka, Kyiv region. And saw with his own eyes what the Russian occupiers had done there. Hundreds of Ukrainian cities and hundreds of communities have experienced the same thing as Borodyanka and Bucha. The Russian army in Ukraine consciously and without any doubt trampled down everything on which the global order was based after World War II.

The UN Charter, international conventions, declarations, the rights of people and states… Everything that should guarantee freedom and security in the world is simply destroyed by Russia’s aggressive actions. So the key issue in the talks with the UN Secretary-General was how to stop Russian aggression. And this is not just a question of Ukraine, our fate. This is a question of the fate of the United Nations, the fate of international law, the fate of many nations – and not just Russia’s neighbors who may become the next victims of Moscow’s aggressive ambitions.

Of course, during the negotiations we paid a lot of attention to saving our people from Mariupol. I believe that with the help of the UN it is possible to organize an evacuation mission. Ukraine is ready for these steps. But it is also necessary for the Russian side to consider this issue without cynicism and actually do what it says.

Moscow claimed they had allegedly ceased fire in Mariupol. But the bombing of the defenders of the city continues. This is a war crime committed by the Russian military literally in front of the whole world. Russia’s shelling of Mariupol did not stop even when the UN Secretary-General was holding negotiations in Moscow.

And today, immediately after the end of our talks in Kyiv, Russian missiles flew into the city. Five missiles.

And this says a lot about Russia’s true attitude to global institutions. About the efforts of the Russian leadership to humiliate the UN and everything that the Organization represents. Therefore, it requires a strong response.

Russian missile strikes at Ukraine – Kyiv, Fastiv, Odesa, and other cities – once again prove that we cannot let our guard down. We cannot think that the war is over. We still have to fight. We still have to drive the occupiers out.

Today, the Russian army continued its offensive attempts in the east of our country, in Donbas. Tries to advance in the southern regions.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine repel the invaders. And I am grateful to each of our defenders who are holding positions.

We are doing everything to help our army, to provide the military with all the necessary weapons.

Every time I contact my partners, I emphasize that weapons for Ukraine right now, the very types we ask for and just when we need them, are salvation not only for our people. This is salvation for all of you – for all of Europe.

I am grateful to those partners who understand this. And who help convince others.

Before delivering the evening address, I signed a decree awarding our heroes. 214 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were awarded state awards. 14 of them posthumously.

Eternal memory to all who gave life for Ukraine!

Eternal glory to all who stood up for the state!

Glory to Ukraine!

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 27 April 2022.

Unbreakable people of the bravest country!

The 63rd day of our defense is coming to an end. A day during which a lot has been done.

First, an important decision of the European Union is being prepared. The European Commission has agreed to remove all duties and quotas on Ukrainian exports for a year, as well as to suspend anti-dumping tariffs.

I discussed the details of this proposal with President Ursula von der Leyen today. I am grateful to her personally and to all our European friends for this step.

Right now, this will allow us to maintain the economic activity in Ukraine, our national production as much as possible. But this decision needs to be considered not only in the Ukrainian context. Sufficient export of our products to European and global markets will be a significant anti-crisis tool.

Russia is trying to provoke a global price crisis. To start chaos in all basic markets and especially in the food market. Ukrainian exports will help stabilize markets. So it is beneficial not only for us, but also for all Europeans. For residents of all countries that can be affected by Russia’s destructive ambitions.

New partners’ decisions to liberalize our exports are expected soon.

We are also agreeing with the European Union on how to increase the potential of transport corridors on our western border.

I spoke today with the President of Indonesia. In particular, on food security. I stressed that the threat of famine for millions of people in different countries will remain until Russia begins to seek peace with Ukraine. It is because of this war waged by Russia that dozens of states have found themselves in a situation where they cannot be sure of stability for their people.

I am grateful to Indonesia for supporting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our state, for an honest and responsible position during the UN voting.

I am also grateful for the invitation to take part in this year’s G20 summit.

A conversation took place with the Prime Minister of Italy. I thanked Mr. Draghi for the involvement in the investigation of crimes committed by the Russian military. I informed him about the situation in the combat zones. We appreciate Italy’s support for truly effective sanctions that can end the war.

This week, Russia’s leadership launched a new series of energy blackmail of Europeans. The decision to cut off gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria is another argument in favor of the fact that no one in Europe can hope to maintain any normal economic cooperation with Russia.

Russia considers not only gas, but any trade as a weapon. It is just waiting for the moment when one or another trade area can be used. To blackmail Europeans politically. Or to strengthen Russia’s military machine, which sees a united Europe as a target.

Hence, the sooner everyone in Europe admits that it is inadmissible to depend on Russia in trade, the sooner it will be possible to guarantee stability in European markets.

A meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities took place today. The first meeting during the full-scale war. A set of issues was discussed. In particular, the reconstruction of our country. We are already working on all the details so that the post-war reconstruction project can be implemented quickly and most effectively.

I stressed that we expect specific requests and proposals from local authorities. So that we can talk specifically with our partners, with the European Union, with international donors. Communities must provide all information about destroyed housing, all damaged objects.

We discussed how and in what order to build, how to organize the purchase of ready housing. Our goal is not just to rebuild everything that was destroyed by the occupiers. But also to solve old problems with housing queues and so on. So that all servicemen, rescuers, policemen, all who work for the state are provided with their own housing.

Today in Congress we heard the reports on the earliest possible provision of housing for IDPs. On the interaction between central and local authorities in the communities that are temporarily occupied.

The issues of territorial defense development and coordination between local authorities and law enforcement agencies were discussed.

Today I want to especially support Ukrainians in the south of our country. In Kherson, in all communities of the region, in the temporarily occupied districts of the Zaporizhzhia region. I am grateful to everyone who does not give up. Who protests. Who ignores the occupiers and shows those outcasts who have become collaborators that they have no future. The stronger our resistance now, the more rejection the occupiers will see, the sooner normal life will return to our land.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to beat the invaders throughout the territory where the fighting continues. I am grateful to each of our defenders who do everything for Russia to lose.

Mariupol, Marinka, Popasna, Severodonetsk, Izyum, Rubizhne, Dniprorudne, Melitopol and all other cities and communities that are now at the epicenter of the struggle for Ukraine. That is where the fighting for the future of our people is taking place. Thank you to everyone who brings our victory closer!

I have just signed decrees on awarding our heroes. 173 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were awarded state awards of Ukraine.

The title of Hero of Ukraine was awarded to Lieutenant General Serhiy Ivanovych Nayev, Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Eternal glory to everyone who stood up for our state!

Eternal memory to all who gave life for Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 26 April 2022.

Ukrainians!

All our defenders!

Every year on April 26, the world remembers the Chornobyl disaster. The worst nuclear disaster in human history.

But this year it is not enough to just remember Chornobyl. And it is not enough to say traditional words of gratitude to the heroes-liquidators. It is not enough to remind why and how the catastrophe became possible. It is not enough to repeat the conclusions that every intelligent person and every adequate society must draw.

Because this year, Russia has created new threats that could surpass even the worst accident.

I remember the night of March 4, when it became known about the fire at the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

When Russian tanks fired at the station. They knew exactly which object they were firing at. But they had an order to seize the object at any cost.

They did not care about anything. They did not care that the Zaporizhzhia station is the largest in Europe. They didn’t think about how many power units there are and how the shelling could end.

That night I spoke with world leaders. With everyone who could influence the events and stop Russia. I spoke with President Biden, with Chancellor Scholz, with President of the European Council Charles Michel, with President of Poland Andrzej Duda… I spoke with IAEA Director General Mr. Grossi.

If the world had not woken up that night, we would not mention Chornobyl today, because everyone would think about what Russia has done at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

It is even surprising how quickly and completely Russia, the whole country, can forget about the worst catastrophe that its people have experienced as well.

Not only Ukrainians were involved in the liquidation of the consequences of the Chornobyl accident in 1986. But also Belarusians, Russians and others.

That catastrophe should have been told about in Russian schools as well. They should have reminded about it in Russia every year on April 26, as is done throughout the civilized world.

Instead, today they launched three missiles against Ukraine so that they flew directly over the blocks of our nuclear power plants. Over three nuclear power plants at once. Over Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi and South-Ukrainian NPPs. What is it? Are they threatening? Are they targeting? There are no words…

It turns out they do not realize what Chornobyl is. At all.

Russian troops that were trying to attack Kyiv through the Chornobyl zone used the restricted area as a military base.

They set up positions on land where it is forbidden to even stand. They drove armored vehicles through areas where radiation-contaminated materials are buried and where the number of radioactive particles is simply horrendous. They destroyed the dosimetric control points. The Chornobyl radiation monitoring system was broken and looted. They looted a nuclear analytical laboratory…

They even stole contaminated items, which were confiscated from violators of the rules of the Exclusion Zone!

Only thanks to the professionalism and conscientiousness of our specialists working at the Chornobyl station and other facilities of the Chornobyl zone, we managed to save Ukraine, save Europe from a new catastrophe.

Only thanks to the professional team of the Zaporizhzhia NPP and our entire nuclear industry is it possible to ensure trouble-free operation of stations during the war.

Mr. Grossi, Director General of the IAEA, paid a visit to Kyiv today. We discussed all the dangers created by Russia and ways to possibly influence the situation to protect Europe and the world from completely irresponsible actions of the Russian Federation.

Today, I also awarded our heroes – shift workers at the Chornobyl station who did not leave the facility. Who maintained the work of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant despite the threat to their lives and despite the occupiers’ lack of understanding of even the basics of radiation safety.

I believe that after all that the Russian military has done in the Chornobyl zone and at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, no one in the world can feel safe knowing how many nuclear facilities, nuclear weapons and related technologies the Russian state has.

If Russia has forgotten what Chornobyl is, it means that global control over Russia’s nuclear facilities and nuclear technology is needed.

I spoke today with the Prime Minister of Japan. In particular, about the dangers created by Russia. About the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine. I thanked Japan for a strong package of sanctions, for its support and for the leadership needed to force Russia to peace and recognition of the foundations of international law. We also discussed the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine and the possible role of Japan in future security agreements.

The Prime Minister of Romania paid a visit to Kyiv. I thanked him for the defensive and political support.

We discussed not only bilateral cooperation between our states and joint work to protect freedom in Europe, but also cooperation at the EU level. With Romania, we share a common vision of both prospects and threats to European unity, in particular in the Black Sea region.

We agreed to work together even harder to ensure security in our region.

An important meeting at the level of defense ministers of Ukraine’s partner countries took place in Germany today. The key issue was to strengthen the protection of the whole of Europe from Russia’s aggressive ambitions.

There are almost no people left in the free world who do not understand that Russia’s war against Ukraine is just the beginning.

The ultimate goal of Russia’s leadership is not just to seize the territory of Ukraine, but to dismember the entire center and east of Europe and deal a global blow to democracy.

Therefore, the free world has the right to self-defense. And that is why it will help Ukraine even more.

I am grateful to the United Kingdom and personally to Prime Minister Boris Johnson for his prompt and positive response to our request for trade liberalization. Right now it is especially important for the support of our state.

Britain has announced the abolition of all duties and quotas on imports of Ukrainian goods. This will allow us to save thousands of jobs during the war and ensure a significant intensification of economic relations with Britain.

We expect similar decision from other partners.

I want to emphasize that this is important not only for our country, not only for each of the partner countries. This adds stability to global markets, especially the food market, which is one step away from a large-scale price crisis due to Russia’s war against Ukraine.

There is only one way to avoid the crisis: to strengthen cooperation and put pressure on Russia for it to give up this war.

Today, Russian troops continued missile strikes at our land, particularly in the Odesa region. They continued to attack our troops near Kharkiv, in Donbas. They are trying to portray an alleged “new government” in Kherson and part of the Zaporizhzhia region. They change flags, demonstrate some suicides in the role of collaborators.

And what does this give Russia? Only new losses.

There will be a new sanctions package from the European Union. There will be even more restrictions on trade. Inevitably, the vast majority of the world’s countries will abandon Russian oil and other Russian energy sources. No adequate country will want to invite Rosatom to cooperate. Most Russians will have to pay with poverty for the aggressive policy of their country’s leadership.

And I emphasize: we will identify, find and prosecute everyone – war criminals and collaborators. The longer and more brutal this war, the more resources will be spent not only by us, but also by the world to establish justice and punish all those responsible.

The time will come when Russia will have to recognize that peace is needed.

I paid a visit to Ilya Matvienko and Kira Obedinska in Okhmatdyt Hospital today. Kira is 12 years old, and Ilya turned 10 today. They lived in Mariupol until the Russian army came. Ilya’s mother was killed during the bombing of the city. Kira’s father, a well-known athlete and former captain of Ukraine’s water polo team, Yevhen Obedinsky, was killed by a sniper.

The occupiers took the children out of the city, actually abducted them, and it took a lot of effort to get them back. I am grateful to everyone who joined this cause. I am especially grateful to Iryna Vereshchuk and Andriy Yermak, who coordinated this task, to our entire team.

Now Ilya is with his grandmother, Kira is with her grandfather. Their only relatives left. We will help them with everything they need. We will help raise children.

And we will definitely do everything to return all our Ukrainian children to Ukraine. Let no one in Russia hope that Ukraine will forget or forgive the abduction of our children, the deportation of our citizens. And the destruction of Mariupol.

I also thanked Okhmatdyt’s doctors for their work. For saving lives and trying to restore children’s peace of mind under all circumstances. Thank you very much, dear doctors.

Before delivering the evening address, I traditionally signed a decree awarding our heroes. 243 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were awarded state awards.

Eternal gratitude to all our defenders!

Eternal memory to everyone who gave life for Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 25 April 2022.

Unbreakable people of the bravest country in the world!

Today the third month of our war for our independence began. Russian-Ukrainian war. The third month!

On February 24, most in the world did not even believe that we would withstand more than a week. Someone said – three days. A month ago, we still had to convince different countries that betting on Ukraine means winning. And now… Now everyone knows it.

Thanks to the courage, wisdom of our defenders, thanks to the courage of all Ukrainian men, all Ukrainian women our state is a real symbol of struggle for freedom. Everyone in the world – and even those who do not openly support us – agree that it is in Ukraine that the fate of Europe, the fate of global security, the fate of the democratic system is being decided. And above all, it is being decided what life in the centre and east of our continent will be like and whether there will be life at all.

Bucha, Borodyanka, Hostomel, Okhtyrka, Chernihiv and Sumy, Izyum, Kharkiv, Volnovakha, Zolote, Severodonetsk, Rubizhne, Popasna and Mariupol… Missiles aimed at Odesa and Kramatorsk, Zhytomyr, Lviv, Kremenchuk and Kryvyi Rih… In all Ukraine’s cities and communities, Russia has shown what it really wants and can bring to Europe. What it can bring to Chișinău, Tbilisi, Helsinki, Vilnius, Warsaw, Prague, all the cities and countries that Russian state propagandists have long openly identified as alleged enemies for Moscow.

Russia has launched an offensive against Ukraine in many directions. Missile strikes, air raids, artillery, tanks – everything! Russian troops did not spare anything, any means to kill us, kill Ukrainians and destroy our land.

In two months, they used more than 1100 missiles against us. Countless bombs and artillery. They tortured, robbed, executed. They mined our land. Peaceful cities and villages were turned into hell. Some Ukrainian cities and communities were destroyed to the ground. But they did not achieve anything. And they will not achieve.

Kherson, Kakhovka, Melitopol, Dniprorudne, Enerhodar and our other cities where the Russian occupiers temporarily entered didn’t obey them. People showed with their protest their attitude towards the occupiers, showed that Ukraine will definitely win.

Russia wants to play a sham “referendum” somewhere on our land? Even if they try, it will be as shameful as everything else that was “created” in Moscow for the occupation of Ukraine.

Kharkiv region, Donetsk, Luhansk – the Russian military didn’t see even the slightest support they had hoped for anywhere. But they saw that it is a completely different state. They saw that there are completely different people here. People who are confident. Who believe in their state. Who know how to respect others because they respect themselves. Who do not want to capture someone else’s land, but will not give anything of their own. Who will protect every city, every street, every field.

In two months of hostilities 9 thousand 781 defenders of Ukraine were awarded state awards. The title of Hero of Ukraine was awarded to 142 of our defenders.

Ukrainian men and women have shown a truly massive readiness to defend Ukraine. At any age, any property status, with any education – Ukrainian men and women equally stood up for the state.

This war has truly become a people’s war for Ukraine. And it showed that throughout our territory – from east to west, from north to south – the Ukrainian idea is equally strong, equally national.

As of this time, 931 settlements have already been de-occupied. Many cities and communities are still under the temporary control of the Russian army. But I have no doubt that it is only a matter of time before we liberate our land.

Russia can spend enormous resources to support the war. To oppose even the whole free world. It can take away from its people everything that could develop Russia itself, and direct this potential to destroy the lives of neighbours.

But the lessons of history are well known. If you are going to build a millennial Reich, you lose. If you are going to destroy the neighbours, you lose. If you want to restore the old empire, you lose. And if you go against the Ukrainians, you lose.

A global anti-war coalition was formed in two months. Sanctions have already been imposed on Russia, which have taken away its future. Ukraine receives assistance from dozens of countries. This is support in the form of weapons, finances, necessary goods, political support directly.

We are accelerating our movement to the European Union as much as possible. We have already passed a historic moment, an important stage – with the receipt and answering a special questionnaire, which was provided to each country before they acquired the status of a candidate for EU membership.

Even now, when the war is still going on, we are creating the necessary base for the reconstruction of Ukraine. These are international agreements of various levels, this is the creation of special funds for the reconstruction of our state.

Even now, when Russia is still trying to seize our territory, we are demonstrating that we will give free Ukraine more opportunities for development than Russia can give not only to the occupied part of our territory, but also to its own territory, its own state.

It is obvious that every day – and especially today, when the third month of our resistance has begun – everyone in Ukraine is concerned about peace. About when all this will be over. About when and what can be a victory for Ukraine.

There is and at the same time there is no simple answer to this question. When we gain a victory, everyone will feel it. When peace comes, everyone will see it. But for this to happen – and happen faster – we need to think not about when and what it will be. We must think every day about how to make the stay of the occupiers on our land even more unbearable.

Ukraine is ready for peace. It was ready even when the war was going on in Donbas. It is ready even now, when the Russian invasion has become full-scale.

But for Russia to seek peace, every Ukrainian must still fight. They must defend freedom. Because every day of struggle now adds years of peaceful life after this war. After our victory.

As always, before delivering the address, I signed decrees awarding our heroes. 269 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and 9 servicemen of the Main Intelligence Directorate were awarded state awards.

Eternal glory to all who stood up for the state!

Eternal gratitude to all who help us endure!

Eternal memory to everyone who gave life for Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 24 April 2022.

Ukrainians!

All our defenders!

Yesterday, Christians of the Eastern rite celebrated Easter. The traditional greeting “Christ is risen!” sounded also in Russia. But did these words mean the same thing as in the whole Orthodox world?

Russia “congratulated” Ukraine on Easter with an air threat almost all over our country, a missile strike at the Poltava region, and a missile strike at Kremenchuk. Why was this attack needed at Easter? There is no military threat from which this could protect Russia. This is just a deliberate destruction of life in Ukraine. Destruction that did not stop even on the greatest Orthodox holiday.

So are these people who continued to shell our cities and communities yesterday Christians? Who fired at Chuhuiv of the Kharkiv region. Who killed two more children in the Donetsk region on Easter – girls aged five and fourteen.

Killing children, destroying lives, covering up with cynical and total lies what has been done against peaceful cities – all Russia is doing on the territory of Ukraine – is definitely not Christianity. This is what Christ opposed.

People who once again refused to open humanitarian corridors from Mariupol are not Christians. People who filmed propaganda reports in the occupied regions of Ukraine about the distribution of alleged humanitarian Easter kits are not Christians. Moreover, everyone knows, including in Russia, that before February 24, all Ukrainians in all parts of Ukraine had the opportunity to celebrate Easter freely in any church and without any “humanitarian” kits.

People who are trying to build a brutal occupation regime in the seized districts of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, holding people hostage, torturing people are not Christians. Those who did not allow people to leave the occupied territory even on Easter, threatening them with death.

Russia was offered an Easter ceasefire. But the Orthodox world has seen that for the Russian invaders Easter means nothing. For them, it is just a red date in the calendar, which requires special words, special behaviour, but not what is called faith, and not what is called Christian good.

The Russian army has made this Easter red not only formally in the calendar, but also red with blood. Christians would not do that if they had the opportunity to make peace.

So holding a candle in the temple does not mean being a Christian. Eating or even celebrating Easter every year is not enough to be human, to be a Christian.

And I am grateful to all our police officers, to all employees of the Security Service of Ukraine, to all those who were responsible for security on Easter, for not allowing any provocations yesterday. All that Russian propagandists announced recently.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine are deterring attacks by Russian troops in key areas. In the Kharkiv region – in the Izyum direction, in Donbas – especially near Popasna, in Mariupol where the resistance of the city’s defenders continues, in the southern areas, where the occupiers are trying to go on the offensive.

Air alarms this morning were heard again almost all over our country. Vinnytsia, Rivne, Lviv, Odesa regions – missile threat. Russia does not stop trying to break our resistance to… Achieve what?

In the occupied areas, either a humanitarian catastrophe has already occurred or there is very little time left before it occurs. There is a lack of basic products, there is a lack of medicines. People do not have the means to live normally, there is no basic security. They don’t have everything they had before February 24. What Donetsk and Luhansk had before 2014. Everything that we will definitely return after the liberation of our land.

We continue to do everything to drive the occupiers out and restore peace to all our people. A key element of this process is the strength of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Availability of sufficient quantity and quality of weapons, sufficient quantity and quality of ammunition.

Assistance to Ukraine was the number one issue in talks with representatives of the United States of America who arrived in Kyiv yesterday – Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Our talks with them were long enough – more than three hours – and meaningful. Encouraging and, which is important, effective.

I am grateful to the people of the United States and personally to President Biden for the strong and sincere support we receive. These are real things that strengthen not only our state, but democracy as a whole.

We share the same understanding with the United States: when democracy wins in one country, it wins all over the world. When freedom is defended in one country, it is defended all over the world.

We agreed with the American side on further steps to strengthen the Armed Forces of Ukraine and meet all the priority needs of our army. This includes preparations for a major ministerial meeting in Germany on Tuesday, which will bring together forty defense ministers from partner countries. The key issue is the protection of Ukraine, the protection of freedom in Eastern Europe.

Ways to strengthen sanctions were discussed. The fact that Russia is not looking for peace and is demonstratively killing even on Easter shows that greater sanctions pressure is needed. It is necessary to block all opportunities for Russia to circumvent sanctions. So we handed over to our partners a special Plan to strengthen sanctions on the Russian Federation developed by an international expert group led by Andriy Yermak and Michael McFaul.

A separate point of the negotiations was financial support for Ukraine. When tyranny has enormous financial resources from oil and gas exports, the issue of financial support for freedom becomes vital. I heard a full understanding of this position from American friends. Not only in the context of helping Ukraine now, during the war, but also for the post-war reconstruction.

Discussions on security guarantees for Ukraine continued. I am convinced that the United States can be a leader among the future countries – guarantors of Ukraine’s security. The main goal for all of us is to make Europe and the world safer after the war, to ensure that the security architecture works in the event of any new threats.

I was pleased to hear from our friends that the United States Embassy will be back in Kyiv in the near future. The appointment of a new US Ambassador to Ukraine will also take place. This is a very useful gesture of support for our state.

I had an important conversation with Turkish President Erdoğan. On the situation in Mariupol and the need to evacuate civilians and the wounded, the need for immediate exchange of the blocked Ukrainian military.

We discussed the negotiation process with Russia and the issues of defense. The threats to the world food market provoked by Russia, which has blocked our Black Sea ports, were also discussed in detail.

Rising food prices have already reached critical levels in many countries. But this is just the beginning. If Russia does not seek peace, the issue of food security in many countries will become a matter of physical survival for millions of people and, consequently, stability of state systems.

More and more political leaders around the world are aware of this threat. So we expect more pressure on Russia.

I congratulated President of France Macron on winning the elections. We spoke with Mr. President at night. Ukraine will always appreciate his support, and will always be grateful for the help of France. I am convinced that together with France, together with President Macron, we will be able to do much more to protect our common freedom, our united Europe.

Late last night, after all foreign policy issues, I signed important decrees to award our heroes. 188 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and five employees of the Security Service of Ukraine were awarded state awards of Ukraine.

The title of Hero of Ukraine was awarded to Colonel Chayuk Denys Valentynovych, deputy commander of the 128th separate mountain assault brigade, for personal courage and effectiveness in battles with the occupiers, for destroying enemy equipment and manpower.

Glory to all our heroes!

Eternal memory to everyone who gave life for Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!