Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 26 October 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with influential representatives of the world’s Jewish communities, which was dedicated to the importance of protecting universal values, guaranteeing security and peace, and preserving historical memory.

In particular, the former Soviet political prisoner, minister and deputy prime minister in the governments of Israel, chairman of the executive board of the Jewish Agency for Israel Natan Sharansky took part in the meeting. President of the World Jewish Congress Ronald Lauder, ex-US Senator from Connecticut Joe Lieberman, Chief Rabbi of Kyiv, President of the Union of Jewish Religious Organizations of Ukraine Yaakov Dov Bleich took part in the meeting in a video call format.

The Head of State thanked the participants of the meeting for their constant attention and support for Ukraine, especially in the current difficult time.

“Your voice sounds weighty and always matters to public opinion. Therefore, I ask you to continue to spread the truth about the terror that Russia has brought and about the help we need,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The President noted that the people of Ukraine and Israel have a lot in common, they are united by historical memory, including the tragic pages of history, as well as the desire to guarantee security for people and their states. Therefore, today, at the time of heinous Russian aggression, Ukraine hopes for more decisive support from the State of Israel.

“Today we are fighting such a heinous phenomenon as rashism, and it cannot be overcome without a united position of the free democratic world. If Israel does not give a clear political assessment of the Russian Federation, new phenomena such as the alliance between Russia and Iran will emerge. They have already launched hundreds of Iranian Shahed kamikaze drones against us. Then we will fight against it post factum with the whole world,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted and emphasized the need to act more decisively and in unity already now.

Natan Sharansky expressed solidarity with the heroic struggle of the Ukrainian people, who today defend their future and the future of the entire free world. Therefore, it is the duty of all democratic countries without exception to support this struggle.

He emphasized that this is why the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center is implementing a project to collect evidence of crimes against humanity on the territory of Ukraine.

The Head of State noted that at this time it is extremely important to pay even more attention to the protection of historical memory and informing about the conclusions humanity has drawn from the large-scale tragedies of the XX century.

In view of this, the parties discussed the continuation of the construction project of the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center.

“We have not forgotten and must implement this project. But for this we have to defend our state today,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The President of Ukraine thanked the supervisory board of the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center and everyone involved for continuing work on the project.

For his part, Natan Sharansky, as the head of the supervisory board of the Memorial Center, emphasized the importance of remembering all the lessons of the Holocaust and preserving the memory of the heroism of Ukrainians.

Former US Senator Joe Lieberman thanked Volodymyr Zelenskyy for supporting the Babyn Yar Foundation.

“From the very beginning, we understood that it should be not just a museum in Kyiv, but such a living institution that would be engaged in advocacy and defense of rights considering what is happening in the world today,” he said.

President of the World Jewish Congress Ronald Lauder noted that today the main question for American society, for American Jews, is what they can do to help Ukraine, in particular, in the matter of preserving the memory of Babyn Yar.

“We are willing to work with the Ukrainian state, defend its interests to provide greater and faster support to your government and your army,” the President of the World Jewish Congress emphasized.

Member of the supervisory board of the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center, businessman and philanthropist Viktor Pinchuk, who was also present at the meeting, noted that, unfortunately, today the world has witnessed a new genocide – in relation to the Ukrainian people. Therefore, these crimes must be recorded, and civilized countries, in particular Israel, must help Ukraine stop this genocide and terrorism.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 25 October 2022.

Germans and Ukrainians stand side by side!

We are connected by shared European values – freedom and democracy – and by a deep sense of solidarity in this time of war, caused by the brutal and illegal aggression of Russia against Ukraine.

Municipal partnerships are at the heart of our bilateral cooperation and an indispensable part of a vibrant Europe of civil societies, good governance and local democracy.

After the end of the Second World War, municipal partnerships helped to unite a divided Europe and promote peaceful cooperation. As Russia has brought war back to our continent, municipal partnerships have opened a new chapter of strength: German towns and cities have shown immense solidarity by giving refuge to Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s brutal aggression, municipal partnerships have provided a strong bridge to deliver aid and essential supplies, give advice and exchange experiences, and they have already started to make a contribution to the economic recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine.

As Presidents of Ukraine and Germany, we are grateful for the wealth of existing municipal partnerships and call for more towns and cities in Germany and Ukraine to join in new partnerships!

Municipal partnerships provide a concrete channel for solidarity in the face of war, they lay the foundation for a united future, and they send a clear signal to Moscow: Your war will not divide us – it will bring us closer together, as Germans and Ukrainians, as Europeans!

To lend visible and lasting support to our appeal, we, the Presidents of Ukraine and Germany, take on Patronage of the German-Ukrainian Municipalities Network. We encourage local governments and civil society leaders to join the Network and reach out to each other for the creation of new partnerships.

We are grateful to the German Association of Municipalities and to the German Federal Ministry for Development for administrative and financial support as well as to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine, which plays an important interlinking role between different levels of Ukrainian authorities in terms of the economic recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine.

We believe that European integration starts on the municipal level, and we therefore urge all German actors of the German-Ukrainian municipal partnerships to contribute to the future EU membership of Ukraine. Sharing of the best EU practices and supporting the alignment with EU standards can strengthen Ukraine’s European path.

In order to encourage active participation of German actors in the reconstruction of Ukraine, Federal President Steinmeier takes the opportunity of his visit to the Chernihiv region to assume symbolic patronage of the various German development and reconstruction efforts in the Chernihiv region. The President thereby wants to encourage new German-Ukrainian civil-society and municipal partnerships as well as German economic engagement and investment in the region, which has especially suffered due to the Russian invasion.

We thank all the passionate and committed men and women in both our countries who put so much energy into the German-Ukrainian friendship. The network of German and Ukrainian municipalities is essential for building and strengthening Europe – together.

We stand together and we will prevail together.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 25 October 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting in Kyiv with Federal President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is visiting our country.

The Head of State thanked Frank-Walter Steinmeier for cooperation in the field of security, economy, social development, energy, for humanitarian interaction and cooperation at the international level, in particular in the European Union and UN structures.

“Germany’s contribution to Ukraine’s movement towards peace and restoration of our territorial integrity is significant. Today, we held important negotiations with Mr. President, which fully correspond to such relations between our states,” stated Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a conversation with media representatives following the meeting with Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Kyiv.

The President of Ukraine also thanked Germany for providing the modern IRIS-T air defense system, which has proven itself very well in protecting the sky and saving people. He expressed hope for continued support in this area.

“It’s really a priority today, we all feel it. I hope we can get some more relevant systems in the near future. I informed Mr. President about our other defense needs – they are also a priority for our protection, for the protection of all Ukrainians and the liberation of our land. In particular, this applies to artillery systems, armored vehicles, and other weapons,” the Ukrainian Head of State said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Frank-Walter Steinmeier also discussed the financial and further political support of Ukraine and focused on reconstruction issues in detail.

“I am grateful to Germany for a clear signal to the political and corporate world that the reconstruction of Ukraine and investments in our country are the reconstruction and development of a future member of the European Union. I am also thankful for Germany’s willingness to continue helping us maintain energy resilience,” said the Head of State.

The President of Ukraine thanked Germany and all our partners who support the preservation and expansion of the grain export initiative.

“About 9 million tons have already been exported, and this means that tens of millions of people around the world in various countries have been saved from the threat of famine provoked by the Russian Federation. I consider Russian attempts to slow down the supply of food to African and Asian countries by creating an artificial queue of ships absolutely disgraceful. More than 170 ships were recorded in such a queue,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Separately, he thanked Frank-Walter Steinmeier for supporting cooperation between the First Ladies of Ukraine and Germany.

The Head of State also appealed to the President of Germany with a request to facilitate the Bundestag’s recognition of the Holodomor as a genocide of the Ukrainian people, which, according to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is particularly important this year.

He also announced that today, for the first time in the history of bilateral relations, the Presidents of Ukraine and Germany approved a joint statement that establishes the personal patronage of Frank-Walter Steinmeier over the restoration of the Chernihiv region.

The issues of European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine were discussed separately.

“Already this year, we will implement all the recommendations of the European Commission regarding Ukraine’s acquisition of membership in the European Union. I believe this work should be properly assessed by the EU even before the next package in the framework of the enlargement policy is published,” said the President of Ukraine and once again thanked Frank-Walter Steinmeier for meaningful negotiations, today’s visit and support for our country.

The Federal President of Germany noted that it was important for him to come to Ukraine at a time when it is suffering from Russian missile and drone attacks, and to demonstrate Germany’s solidarity and support for the Ukrainian people.

He said that today he had the opportunity to visit Koryukivka in the Chernihiv region, which suffered from the Russian invasion, and to talk with local residents who experienced the occupation.

“I am extremely grateful to you, Mr. President, for being able to see the situation through the eyes of Ukrainians. I was able to talk to many people today and I want to say that I admire the courage and indomitability of Ukrainians, their willingness to fight,” said Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

He said that the so-called winter package was handed over to Ukraine, which includes mobile generators and machines for processing wood for heating.

The Federal President of Germany emphasized that the reconstruction of Ukraine must begin now, without waiting for the end of the war. So it’s good that the International Expert Conference on the Recovery, Reconstruction and Modernisation of Ukraine was held in Berlin today.

In the context of accelerating reconstruction, Frank-Walter Steinmeier noted the importance of establishing partnerships between German and Ukrainian cities, and the cities of Waldkirchen and Koryukivka will be an example of such municipal partnership and solidarity. He urged as many communities of Ukraine and Germany as possible to build such partnerships, which would demonstrate to Russia the inseparability of the ties between the two countries.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier also reminded that Germany is already transferring modern IRIS-T air defense systems to Ukraine.

“I promised the President that soon the Mars II systems and Panzerhaubitze 2000 will be handed over to Ukraine,” said the President of Germany.

He also emphasized the continuation of political support for Ukraine, in particular in the movement towards membership in the European Union.

“Many people want an end to the war, a truce. But, as Mr. President said, Ukraine wants to achieve a just peace. I share this opinion: there will be no true peace without justice, and an unjust peace can only cause a new war,” said the Federal President of Germany.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 25 October 2022.

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak had a fruitful conversation with the newly appointed Minister of Enterprises and Production of the Italian Republic Adolfo Urso.

The parties discussed a wide range of issues of Ukrainian-Italian cooperation. Special attention was paid to the practical aspects of the support for Ukraine by the new Italian government, as well as further contacts between the leaders of the two states.

Andriy Yermak, on behalf of the President of Ukraine, thanked Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni who today in her speech before the Italian Parliament once again expressed firm support for Ukraine in countering Russian aggression.

The parties noted the importance of establishing contacts between the ministers of foreign affairs and defense of the two states as soon as possible for coordinating efforts and strengthening cooperation between Ukraine and Italy.

The interlocutors separately discussed the issue of defense assistance to our country by the Italian Republic. They agreed to enhance Ukrainian-Italian economic cooperation, which would be a powerful signal to the world community about the importance of developing cooperation with Ukraine even in the conditions of ongoing Russian aggression.

Andriy Yermak and Adolfo Urso agreed on the importance of joint promotion of Ukrainian products on the European and world markets. They emphasized that Made in Ukraine, as well as Made in Italy, should become a well-known brand in the world.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 25 October 2022.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva is on a working visit to the Republic of Croatia on October 24-26.

During the meeting with Minister of Defense of Croatia Mario Banožić the interaction of the two countries in the military-technical sphere was discussed in detail.

The Deputy Head of the President’s Office thanked the Croatian side for the important practical assistance provided to our country in the first days of the full-scale invasion of Russia, and also expressed hope for the continuation of relevant efforts aimed at strengthening resistance to Russian military aggression.

Ihor Zhovkva informed the interlocutor about the course of the military operation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in particular in the context of the liberation of temporarily occupied territories in the east and south of our country.

During a meeting with Foreign Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister of Croatia Dino Mihanović, the Deputy Head of the Office of the President expressed gratitude to the Croatian government for supporting our country in the struggle against full-scale armed aggression.

“Ukraine highly appreciates the firm support of Croatia and the corresponding personal efforts of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković in providing assistance to our state,” said Ihor Zhovkva.

He also noted that the holding of the first parliamentary summit of the Crimea Platform in Zagreb is another proof of the continued support of the Croatian side for Ukraine’s efforts to liberate the territories temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation.

The interlocutors paid the main attention to the prospects of strengthening the EU’s sanctions pressure on the aggressor country, the importance of speeding up the supply of weapons to Ukraine, as well as the practical steps of our country regarding the implementation of the strategic course for joining the EU.

Separately, during the meeting, Ihor Zhovkva and Dino Mihanović discussed the possibilities of Ukraine’s further cooperation with NATO.

During the meeting with Foreign and European Policy Advisor to the President of Croatia Neven Pelicarić and Defense and National Security Advisor to the President of Croatia Dragan Lozančić, a wide range of issues of the Ukrainian-Croatian dialogue were discussed.

The Deputy Head of the Office of the President thanked for the significant humanitarian assistance provided by Croatia. He expressed hope for the effective support in demining the territory of Ukraine, in particular in view of the significant relevant experience of the Republic of Croatia.

The interlocutors also discussed the issues of European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine.

In addition, Ihor Zhovkva took part in a discussion program in the framework of the first parliamentary summit of the international Crimea Platform, organized by the office of the Crimea Platform and the expert network of the Crimea Platform, regarding the reintegration of Crimea and holding Russia accountable for international crimes.

In his speech, Ihor Zhovkva spoke about the work of the Ukrainian side with the aim of de-occupying Crimea, in particular about the formation of its reintegration policy and the key role of the initiative of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding the establishment of the international Crimea Platform in this.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 24 October 2022.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Sybiha met with Bundestag member of the Federal Republic of Germany Roderich Kiesewetter, who is the Spokesman for the Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) faction on crisis prevention and security policy and a member of the Bundestag’s foreign policy committee.

Andriy Sybiha thanked the interlocutor for the second visit to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia, as well as for the consistent comprehensive support of the CDU/CSU faction and Roderich Kiesewetter personally to our country in the conditions of ongoing Russian aggression.

The German side was informed in detail about the situation at the front and missile terror against critical civilian infrastructure.

“It is necessary to deploy an air shield over Ukraine as soon as possible,” the Deputy Head of the President’s Office emphasized.

In this regard, he thanked Germany for the transfer of the first IRIS-T air defense system and emphasized the need for the further supply of highly effective German air defense equipment. It was separately noted that in order to liberate its lands, Ukraine expects modern heavy weapons and equipment from Germany.

The parties strongly condemned Russia’s latest provocative actions and statements regarding the so-called dirty bomb. Andriy Sybiha reported that our country has urgently officially appealed to Director General of the IAEA Rafael Grossi with a request to immediately send a mission of the Agency experts to peaceful objects in Ukraine, which have become the subject of Russia’s cynical manipulations.

The Deputy Head of the President’s Office emphasized that an important prerequisite for the success of our country’s efforts in confronting the aggressor is the recovery of the economy. In this context, the interlocutors discussed preparations for the Berlin international expert conference on the recovery, reconstruction and modernization of Ukraine, which will be held on October 25, 2022, and exchanged visions of its results.

Andriy Sybiha called on the German side to actively participate in the program of regional and industry patronage initiated by the President of Ukraine, as well as to continue the development of regional and city partnerships between the two states.

In view of the commemoration this year in Ukraine and the world of the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor in 1932-1933, the Deputy Head of the Office of the President expressed hope that the German Bundestag would recognize this tragedy as an act of genocide of the Ukrainian people. Roderich Kiesewetter assured of the further active support of the CDU/CSU faction and him personally for the steps aimed at repelling Russian aggression and restoring the territorial integrity of Ukraine.