Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 20 October 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a meeting with President of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis, who is on a visit to our country.

The Head of State thanked Ignazio Cassis for his visit to Ukraine, which testifies to the impossibility of maintaining neutrality in times of extraordinary challenges for the security of the entire continent and humanity.

As the President of Ukraine noted during a conversation with media representatives following the meeting with Ignazio Cassis in Kyiv, Russia has now moved to a new stage of escalation and intensified terror against Ukrainian cities, using missile attacks and Iranian combat drones.

“The key topic of our negotiations with Mr. President of Switzerland is further interaction in response to the terror of the Russian Federation,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The President of Ukraine thanked Switzerland for its clear and principled condemnation of Russia’s criminal attempt to annex the occupied territories of Ukraine and its support for the EU’s sanction packages against the Russian Federation.

“We also expect that Switzerland will support our steps in response to the complicity of Iran, which helps Russia terrorize our cities by sending combat drones,” the Ukrainian Head of State said.

According to him, during the meeting, the possibilities of assistance from Switzerland in eliminating the consequences of Russian strikes on energy facilities of Ukraine and its participation in the modernization of transport infrastructure, in particular railways, were discussed.

Separately, the interlocutors focused on the issue of rebuilding our country.

“I want to thank Mr. President Cassis once again for organizing a conference in Lugano dedicated to the recovery of Ukraine. Our Swiss friends have been informed about the areas in which they can most effectively participate within the Fast Recovery Plan,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In addition, the leaders discussed the involvement of Switzerland in the development of certain sectors of the Ukrainian economy, in particular the processing industry.

“Switzerland’s investment potential is very significant, and cooperation with Ukraine can bring real benefits to our peoples,” the President of Ukraine is convinced.

Taking into account the unique experience of the Swiss side, the participants of the negotiations substantively discussed cooperation in the field of demining and construction of bomb shelters in Ukraine. As Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, an agreement was reached to hold a meeting of working groups for the implementation of these projects.

Separately, the Head of State thanked President Ignazio Cassis for his country’s support of initiatives and programs to search for missing persons, assistance in investigating the crimes of the Russian occupiers, and the provision of forensic equipment.

“We agreed on close cooperation within the UN regarding Ukrainian initiatives to create a compensation mechanism and a special tribunal. I am sure that our cooperation will only strengthen in all spheres: politics, economy, on international platforms, in the humanitarian sphere,” the President of Ukraine emphasized and thanked his Swiss colleague for substantive negotiations, in which a wide range of representatives took part, and for the constant support of our state and people.

For his part, the President of the Swiss Confederation noted that his country provides the Ukrainian state with support in various areas, in particular humanitarian aid, which is intended to meet the urgent needs of Ukraine and its citizens. 5.5 thousand tons of humanitarian goods were transferred, and experts were sent to help our country.

Ignazio Cassis said that before the meeting with the Head of State, he visited Borodyanka and Ivankiv in the Kyiv region, in particular, a kindergarten for children with disabilities that was rebuilt thanks to the help of Switzerland. He also spoke with Ukrainian families who received housing assistance.

The President of the Swiss Confederation noted that what he saw gives a complete picture of the atrocities committed and the suffering of people, and expressed his admiration for the resilience and courage of the Ukrainian people.

“From the very beginning, Switzerland strongly condemned this Russian military aggression. We immediately developed concrete steps to support Ukraine. Switzerland is a neutral country, but this does not mean that we should not pay attention to what is happening in Ukraine. Mass murders of people are something that has nothing to do with neutrality or our values,” he emphasized.

According to Ignazio Cassis, Switzerland will continue to support reforms in Ukraine, the decentralization process and the development of digital transformation.

“Our contribution to the digital sphere continues with an additional CHF 15 million to support the digitization process. Digital solutions are critical – they can save lives and make public services much easier to access,” he said.

The President of Switzerland also declared his readiness to help bring war criminals to justice and assist in the search for missing Ukrainian citizens.

“Switzerland will continue and, if necessary, intensify cooperation with international partners regarding the implementation of sanctions against the Russian Federation,” Ignazio Cassis said.

He expressed conviction that it is necessary to help Ukraine restore the normal life of people right now, without waiting for the end of the war.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 20 October 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a substantive and constructive call with Federal President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

The Head of State informed the interlocutor in detail about the situation at the front. Particular attention was paid to the air terror by Russia and the terrorist state’s purposeful destruction of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as Iranian kamikaze drones.

“The goal of these actions is to destroy Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, primarily the energy infrastructure, before winter. Destroy the will of our people. This is what we warned our partners about,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.

The President of Ukraine emphasized the urgent need for active actions by international partners to deploy an air shield over Ukraine as soon as possible. Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Germany for the transfer of the first IRIS-T air defense system, which has already proven its high efficiency, and expressed hope for receiving additional such systems. The parties also touched upon the issue of German armored vehicles, artillery systems and other elements of defense assistance from the Federal Republic of Germany necessary for the liberation of Ukrainian lands.

The interlocutors noted the importance of Germany’s continued comprehensive support for Ukraine, material and technical assistance to our defense forces, as well as the readiness to immediately help in overcoming the acute humanitarian consequences of Russian missile terror, in particular in the restoration of electricity, water supply and heating. The President of Ukraine thanked Germany for the first diesel generators provided.

Separately, the leaders discussed Ukraine’s move to the EU, as well as Ukrainian-German cooperation within the UN.

The parties positively assessed the implementation of the grain export initiative and underscored the need for its continuation.

Touching upon the issue of the reconstruction of Ukraine, the interlocutors paid attention to the holding of the International Expert Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine, scheduled for October 25 in Berlin, as one of the activities of the German presidency of the Group of Seven. Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his readiness to address the participants of the Conference in an online format and confirmed the participation of the Prime Minister of Ukraine.

The important results of interaction in the format of the first ladies of Ukraine and Germany, Olena Zelenska and Elke Büdenbender, were positively evaluated. These include, in particular, the treatment of Ukrainian children with cancer in Germany and the launch of the Better Times Stories joint project at the Frankfurt Book Fair.

The Presidents paid attention to the preparation of the expected visit of Frank-Walter Steinmeier to Ukraine.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 20 October 2022.

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak had a video call with representatives of leading Jewish organizations, during which he emphasized the importance of providing our state with modern air defense systems that Israel has.

Andriy Yermak told the participants of the online meeting that on October 7-8, Russia launched 190 strikes with missiles and drones on the territory of Ukraine, and on October 10, 84 missiles and 24 attack UAVs were launched.

In general, according to the available information, the Russian Federation purchased 2,400 kamikaze drones from Iran, which attack Ukrainian cities, critical infrastructure, and historical and cultural monuments every day.

In particular, on Monday, October 17, such a drone destroyed a historic building in the center of Kyiv, built by the Jewish community, in which many famous people once lived.

“We are talking about the intention to intimidate civilians, efforts to destroy the critical infrastructure of Ukraine before winter, to plunge the country into darkness and frost,” the Head of the President’s Office emphasized.

Andriy Yermak noted that the Russian authorities are considering the possibility of purchasing missiles and other weapons for attacks on Ukraine. He emphasized that the Russian aggressor directs his efforts not only against our state, but also against the entire civilized world.

“I think there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that we are dealing with a terrorist state. Russia is a terrorist state that today uses Iran in its fight against the United States and its allies, including Israel. Andriy Yermak is convinced that Russia is the European Hezbollah.

The Head of the President’s Office emphasized that without reliable air defense systems, no one in Ukraine will be able to feel safe: children will not be able to go to school, and civilians will be left without heat and electricity.

“Finally, our allies and partners, in particular the USA, Great Britain and other states, confirmed the start of work on providing Ukraine with air defense systems,” he noted.

Andriy Yermak called on Israel to join effective assistance to Ukraine, because at a time when the aggressor poses threats to the whole world, it is impossible to remain an outside observer. According to him, it is important to unblock military-technical cooperation between the two countries.

In particular, according to the Head of the President’s Office, Jewish public organizations are now able to influence the situation and persuade the Israeli government to provide our state with the necessary systems.

“Today, the voice of each of you and your organizations is critically important in the issue of air defense, in which Israel has really great experience, and most importantly – it has these systems,” emphasized Andriy Yermak.

The Head of the Office of the President also noted the importance of information support to Ukraine in difficult times of war.

“Explain as much as possible to both citizens and politicians what Russia’s real goals are in this war, as well as what Ukraine is fighting for. This is necessary not only for us – this is also a guarantee of peace for Israel,” noted Andriy Yermak.

He urged to support Ukraine in concluding the Kyiv Security Compact on the mechanism of security guarantees, recommendations for which were developed by an international group of experts chaired by the Head of the President’s Office and former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

Andriy Yermak emphasized that despite war, Ukraine will not stop in the development and support of the Babyn Yar Memorial Center, although the hostilities make their adjustments. “This memorial will develop and truly become one of the most powerful memorials in the world,” he assured.

For his part, 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 noted that the war in Ukraine is not just a tragedy for the Ukrainian people, it is a war for the future of the entire free world.

“That’s why I, like everyone present here, believe that being together with Ukraine at this moment is not just a moral obligation, it is in the interests of Israel,” said Natan Sharansky.

He noted that the systems of early warning about missile attacks, which Israel is ready to provide, will help Ukraine use air defense means more economically and inform citizens more quickly. However, according to him, Israel can provide much more help, so this is only the first step and everything should be decided in the process of negotiations.

“Our duty is to do everything so that Israel does this. The people of Ukraine need this, but we, as part of the free world, also need this, because Putin has encroached on the foundations of the free world and wants to deprive us of this freedom,” said Natan Sharansky.

Chief Rabbi of Kyiv, President of the Union of Jewish Religious Organizations of Ukraine Yaakov Dov Bleich emphasized that in this historic struggle, Israel must be on the side of truth and protection of people’s lives.

“We are talking now about saving lives – this is not about politics, not about elections. We are talking now about the war against people, against the nation. This is terror to destroy people. We have to do something to stop this,” said Yaakov Dov Bleich.

“We must fight against terror, we must do everything possible to stop the killing of civilians. Everyone saw these mass burials on the territory of the de-occupied cities – in Bucha, in the Kharkiv region. We cannot turn a blind eye,” he added.

The Chief Rabbi of Kyiv offered to establish an international committee of Jews to support Ukraine in the fight against terror and appeal to the government and people of Israel to support Ukraine.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 20 October 2022.

The task of the Ukrainian state is to help Ukrainians endure the winter as best as possible. This was stated by First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska in an interview with the German newspaper Bild.

In particular, she talked about the Russian strikes this and last Monday (October 17 and October 10).

“Russian terrorist attacks are too close to every Ukrainian, no matter where you are at this moment. We grieved for the death of a young pregnant woman caused by a Russian drone in the capital together with a colleague from my team – she knew Victoria personally. For my part, I am well acquainted with the doctors from “Okhmatdyt” who suffered a heavy loss last week – the Russian attack took the life of a young pediatric doctor, hematologist Oksana Leontieva,” said the First Lady.

At the same time, she emphasized that every strike only unites Ukrainians more.

“We are working and we have plans, because to postpone life, to freeze means to give in to terror,” the President’s wife is convinced.

Olena Zelenska also talked about the work of her recently established foundation, which was presented in New York in September.

“Now our task is to help survive the winter to those who remain in the Kherson region, Kharkiv region and other vulnerable territories. Everything is needed: from generators to medications. Other tasks, in addition to humanitarian aid, are the reconstruction and material and technical equipment of schools so that children can study in comfortable and safe conditions, the restoration and material and technical equipment of hospitals so that people can receive medical aid in a timely manner,” the First Lady said.

The wife of the President of Ukraine thanked Germany for the new batch of aid and noted that if it had arrived earlier, many victims and destruction could have been avoided.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 19 October 2022.

In addition to fighting the Russian aggressor on the battlefield, Ukraine is forced to quickly overcome the challenges associated with eliminating the aftermath of Russian strikes on critical infrastructure facilities to ensure the normal life of peaceful citizens. This was stated by Deputy Head of the Office of the President Kyrylo Tymoshenko when delivering a speech online at the Ukraine Reconstruction and Recovery Conference, which is ongoing in The Hague.

“Ukraine is actually in a state of war and daily overcomes unprecedented challenges. Over the past two weeks, the occupiers, using cruise missiles and kamikaze drones of Iranian origin, have systematically and daily mounted terrorist attacks on the critical energy infrastructure of Ukraine. And now, during our communication, missiles and drones are flying over the territory of Ukraine,” he said.

As Tymoshenko said, the terrorist state is purposefully destroying Ukrainian power plants, CHPPs and other critical infrastructure facilities every day. And every day, often under fire, Ukrainian energy workers and engineers are trying to restore the destroyed facilities and prevent the interruption of the supply of electricity, heat and water throughout the country.

“However, it is becoming more and more difficult to do this in view of the increase in the number of destroyed objects,” the deputy head of the Office of the President added.

Tymoshenko said that, as of now, more than 30% of critical infrastructure facilities have been destroyed by Russian strikes.

“They do it deliberately. Their goal is to leave the country without power and heat on the eve of winter. This is a real genocide of Ukrainians, which the Russians have resorted to more than once in their history,” he said.

In this context, the deputy head of the President’s Office said: Ukraine needs equipment that will ensure the functioning of mobile and stationary heating points for the population. He called on the Netherlands to help in this direction.

“I want to call on the Netherlands to become a leader in helping Ukraine survive a possible blackout – no power, heating and water supply in the homes of Ukrainians, saving thousands of lives of our people,” Tymoshenko said.

As the deputy head of the Office of the President said, as of the 238th day of the full-scale war, 97,406 destroyed infrastructure objects in all regions of the country were recorded in the dedicated online system.

He called on the Netherlands to actively participate in the implementation of the Fast Recovery Plan, which provides for the restoration of the most urgent facilities, which will enable Ukrainians to return home and survive the winter period normally.

Tymoshenko informed about the principles of implementation of this project with the involvement of the mechanisms of the Ukraine Recovery Fund.

The deputy head of the President’s Office thanked the Netherlands for the initiative of holding a national business forum on the reconstruction and recovery of Ukraine and the country’s government for considering the possibility of patronage over Kherson region.

According to Tymoshenko, the event with the participation of government officials, representatives of the Agency for Entrepreneurship and the National Business Association is a real opportunity to discuss and find solutions to the challenges Ukraine faces, in particular, those related to the urgent recovery of critical infrastructure.

“We in Ukraine highly appreciate the support of the Dutch government and Prime Minister Rutte personally, who was in Ukraine on official visits already several times during the war, as well as the country’s broad participation in reconstruction projects in Ukraine,” Tymoshenko said.

“I hope that today’s Conference will be another important step on this path,” the deputy head of the President’s Office said.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 19 October 2022.

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak held a meeting with European Commissioner for Crisis Management, European Emergency Response Coordinator Yanez Lenarčič, who arrived in our country.

At the beginning of the conversation, Yermak thanked Lenarčič for his visit to Ukraine in this tense period, when our country has been under massive attacks by missiles and drones from the Russian Federation. He said that Ukrainians have been living like this for eight months.

“This visit is a powerful signal of your support and assistance for Ukraine. We continue moving towards victory and do everything possible for this. And for us, of course, the preservation of the lives of our people is paramount,” the head of the President’s Office said.

Yermak also said that Ukrainians will always remember the attitude of the European community, citizens of the European Union states to us in this difficult time for our country.

“Today, we consider the EU to be our home, because Ukraine has received the candidate status and, we hope, will become a member of the European Union in the near future,” he said.

The special attention of the European Commissioner was drawn to the shocking scale of war crimes and crimes against humanity, which require decisive actions from all organizations that take care of compliance with the rules of international humanitarian law and the protection of human rights.

In connection with the failure of the International Committee of the Red Cross to perform its mandate, Yermak called for more active steps on the part of other international organizations, in particular the European Union, to assist in the release of Ukrainian prisoners of war.

In his turn, Lenarčič assured that Ukraine can continue to count on the support of the European Commission, among other things, on the continuation of unprecedented assistance in the areas that are the responsibility of the European Commissioner for Crisis Management.

Lenarčič recalled the support that has been provided to our country and the plans for further assistance, taking into account all the large-scale challenges that Ukraine is facing. In particular, he drew attention to the importance of helping Ukrainians in the cold season, when shelling of critical infrastructure threatens normal life.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 19 October 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic Nikos Dendias.

The head of state discussed with the head of the ministry of foreign affairs of Greece key issues of bilateral cooperation: strengthening support for Ukraine and sanctions pressure on Russia, as well as ensuring a tough consolidated response of the international community to the crimes of the Russian aggressor against our state.

Noting Greece’s consistent support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within internationally recognized borders, Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to the Greek government and society for effective assistance to our country in the fight against Russian aggression, primarily in the defense sphere, as well as for supporting Ukraine’s initiative to include the historical center of the city of Odesa to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The President highly appreciated Greece’s decisions and practical steps regarding the supply of infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine.

“We feel this support. I want to thank your society for the extremely warm attitude of Greeks to Ukrainians,” he said.

Zelenskyy separately noted the principled and staunch stance of Greece during the adoption of the decision to grant Ukraine the European Union candidate status and expressed his confidence that Athens will continue to support our country on the path of European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

The President briefed the interlocutor on the aftermath of missile terror by Russia, which seeks to destroy Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, primarily energy, on the eve of winter and the beginning of the heating season.

“But the enemy is not capable of destroying the will of our people,” the Head of State said and called on Greece to actively participate in the restoration of Ukraine, primarily in the energy sector.

Separately, Zelenskyy and Dendias discussed the prospects of stepping up interstate cooperation at the highest level.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 19 October 2022.

Head of the President’s Office Andriy Yermak has called on France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, which are among the leaders in providing Ukraine with weapons and military equipment, to step up actions to strengthen our country’s air defense. He said this at a briefing for representatives of the diplomatic corps of these countries in the Office of the President.

Yermak said that every day in Kyiv and other cities of Ukraine, air-raid sirens sound for hours. Russia is carrying out insidious mass attacks on critical infrastructure of Ukraine and the civilian population with the help of missile weapons and kamikaze drones.

“Certainly, given what has been happening in recent days, one of our main priorities is to create protection for our cities, civil infrastructure and create an air shield for Ukraine. And I am very glad that today it is no longer a matter for discussion, but only a matter of time. And this should be done as soon as possible,” the head of the President’s Office said.

Yermak also repeatedly emphasized that for actions during the war against Ukraine, the Russian Federation must be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism with implications.

He expressed hope that the countries represented at the meeting will support the adoption of the PACE resolution, in which the Russian Federation will be called a terrorist regime, at a sitting of the European Parliament on November 21-24.

According to him, Ukraine knows exactly how to win the war.

“Today, Ukraine – with your help and support, for which we are very grateful – but still single-handedly destroyed almost 50% of the potential of NATO’s main threat. And that is why I am convinced that Ukraine’s membership in NATO will strengthen the Alliance,” the head of the President’s Office said.

In addition, Yermak reminded that the International Working Group on Security Guarantees for Ukraine, co-chaired by the head of the Office of the President and former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, developed recommendations on security guarantees for Ukraine, which could become the basis of a document called the “Kyiv Security Compact.”

This document was sent to the leadership of Ukraine’s partner states, and the Ukrainian side is waiting for their reaction and comments on the proposals.

“We continue consultations with our partners and believe that the steps to create a special air defense can be the first in the implementation of the program of security guarantees for our country,” the head of the President’s Office said.

The commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleschuk, briefed the Western European diplomats on the air attacks that Ukraine suffered in October and the countermeasures by the Ukrainian military using the available forces and means.

Oleschuk and Deputy Head of the Office of the President Roman Mashovets told the participants of the briefing about the needs of the Ukrainian army for even better air and missile defense for the Ukrainian sky.

Diplomatic representatives noted the importance of the provided information and asked clarifying questions in order to provide relevant information to the leadership of their states.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 19 October 2022.

A strategic meeting on security at energy supply facilities chaired by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy took place.

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, Minister of Energy Herman Halushchenko, Minister of Internal Affairs Denys Monastyrskyi, Minister of Community and Territorial Development Oleksiy Chernyshov, representatives of the State Emergency Service, heads of energy enterprises, executive authorities and local governments.

The participants of the meeting discussed measures to eliminate the consequences if the energy system of Ukraine were disabled.

In addition, urgent issues related to security at critical facilities that ensure the vital activity of cities, towns and villages of Ukraine were considered, as well as the necessary steps to pass the heating season in the conditions of constant shelling of energy supply facilities by the troops of the terrorist country – Russia.

Scenarios of possible consequences and models of population support during possible threats of various degrees of danger were discussed. The participants agreed on the measures if electricity were not available in populated areas.

Separately, they focused on the issue of cooperation with international partners regarding equipment to provide it to all settlements that could be left without electricity.

The President set the task to quickly create mobile power points for the critical infrastructure of cities, towns and villages.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 18 October 2022.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Roman Mashovets held a meeting with the delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia led by Director General of the Foreign Ministry’s Department for Eastern Europe and Central Asia Marge Mardisalu-Kahar and Ambassador of Estonia to Ukraine Kaimo Kuusk.

The Estonian side was informed about the resistance to Russian aggression, in particular about air threats from the Russian Federation, the purpose and consequences of Russian missile terrorism, the ability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to protect the Ukrainian skies and the needs for its development, as well as possible threats from Belarus, where the Russian-Belarusian “regional grouping of troops” is being formed.

Roman Mashovets expressed gratitude to Estonia for the security, material and technical assistance provided to Ukraine, which is one of the largest given the capabilities of Tallinn. The needs of air defense of Ukraine, which this country can satisfy, were conveyed to the Estonian side.

For her part, Marge Mardisalu-Kahar informed that last week the Estonian government approved the decision to allocate the next, eighth package of security aid to Ukraine, the delivery of which has already begun.

The representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia assured of further comprehensive support for our country at the bilateral and international levels, primarily within the European Union and NATO.

“You are fighting for something bigger – for our shared democratic values,” Marge Mardisalu-Kahar emphasized.

She also informed of the decision approved today by the Estonian Parliament to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.

The interlocutors discussed joint actions on issues of international support for Ukraine, as well as further isolation of Russia as an aggressor and international terrorist.