Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 14 September 2022.

First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska arrived in Strasbourg at the invitation of President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen to participate in the announcement of the Report on the State of the European Union.

Every year in September, the President of the European Commission delivers such a Report at the plenary session of the European Parliament. Until now, there was no practice of inviting foreign guests or delegations to the announcement of the Report. The wife of the President of Ukraine became the first guest of honor at such a session of the European Parliament.

This year’s Report is devoted, among other things, to the EU’s response to the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine (sanctions against Russia, financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, support for displaced persons, increased investment in the defense of EU countries), as well as energy security issues (implementation of the REPowerEU plan to gradually abandon Russian energy carriers).

During the speech, Ursula von der Leyen announced the decision of the European Commission to allocate 100 million euros for the reconstruction of 74 Ukrainian schools in the framework of the Fast Recovery Plan. Institutions should be restored before the beginning of winter. Separate plans have been prepared for each school.

Olena Zelenska also personally met with the President of the European Commission. The First Lady thanked her for the invitation and solidarity with Ukraine in the fight against the Russian invaders.

“Millions of Ukrainians were forced to leave their homes and go abroad in order to save the lives of their children. We are grateful to European countries for sheltering our citizens and creating conditions for their temporary residence. We have to solve a large number of problems, and today I hope to discuss with you the needs of Ukrainians both abroad and inside the country in the fields of health care, education and culture,” said Olena Zelenska at the beginning of the meeting.

The interlocutors paid attention to the topic of medical assistance to Ukrainians, in particular to wounded servicemen and civilians. Assistance from the EU in solving problems with certain categories of special care medical institutions, implementing programs for psychological support of the population, and building Ukraine’s capacity in the field of prosthetics was also discussed. In addition, they discussed the urgent educational needs of Ukrainians abroad and at home, support from the EU in protecting and preserving Ukrainian cultural heritage.

“Ukraine must win, and we will do everything for it. This victory is not just a victory of Ukraine over Russia in the war, it is a matter of survival and the future of democracy. We will stand by your side until the end, no matter how long it takes,” said Ursula von der Leyen.

Olena Zelenska noted the role of the European Union in evacuating wounded Ukrainian servicemen and civilians abroad. On March 11, the European Commission introduced a standard medical evacuation procedure (MEDEVAC). Over this time, 1,187 people were transported from Ukraine to medical facilities in European countries.

The First Lady called on the EU to support the National Program of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, which is being implemented to help the population affected by hostilities, as well as the development of Ukraine’s capabilities in the field of prosthetics, facial reconstruction and treatment of post-traumatic disorders.

In addition, Olena Zelenska emphasized that the Ukrainian authorities are implementing the recommendations of the European Commission, which are necessary for the start of the negotiation process on our country’s acquisition of EU membership.

“Russia’s war is also aimed at hindering Ukraine’s European integration processes. However, these efforts of Russia turned into a fiasco. I want to assure you that the authorities of Ukraine are determined to make every effort to speed up our country’s path to full membership in the EU. Ukraine is ready to do all the necessary work in order to bring the start of negotiations closer,” the First Lady assured.

During the visit, Olena Zelenska plans to discuss these and other issues also with President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić, Vice-President of the European Commission for Promoting the European Way of Life Margaritis Schinas, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 14 September 2022.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that the residents of all temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, including Crimea, should know that Ukraine will definitely return there, and with it, a full-fledged life will return. The Head of State said this while talking to journalists in de-occupied Izyum during a working trip to the Kharkiv region.

“We should send signals to our people who, unfortunately, are still under occupation. And my signal to the people in Crimea: we know that these are our people, and it is a terrible tragedy that they have been under occupation for more than eight years. We will return there. I don’t know when exactly. But we have plans, and we will return there, because this is our land and our people,” said the President.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the residents of the temporarily occupied Crimea have been under the pressure of the propaganda of the Russian Federation all these years, but when Ukraine returns to the peninsula, Crimeans will see the falsehood of Russian television and propaganda.

“Because we know that the truth is on our side,” the Head of State emphasized.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted the warmth with which the Ukrainian warriors are greeted in the liberated territories.

“This is a very emotional moment. This means that together with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, life is coming back,” he said.

Talking about his impressions of what he saw in the de-occupied Izyum, Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that he knew this region very well even before he became the President of Ukraine, so what he saw was shocking.

“What we see is shocking, although we have already seen this in Bucha, in the first de-occupied territories. Likewise, destroyed buildings, killed people… Unfortunately, this is part of our history today. And this is part of the modern Russian nation – what they did,” the Head of State noted.

He thanked international partners for sending investigators and prosecutors to Ukraine, who help in collecting materials related to crimes committed by Russia in the de-occupied territories.

“We all understand that this process takes time. Our Office of the Prosecutor General is working, performing important tasks. They enable both journalists and investigators to come to these places and find important details,” said the President.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that the main thing for Ukraine is to remain as open as possible in these issues.

“And then, I am sure, there will be verdicts for all this, there will be a tribunal. I don’t doubt it for a second,” the Head of State summed up.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 14 September 2022.

During a working trip to the Kharkiv region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took part in the ceremony of raising the State Flag of Ukraine in the city of Izyum, which was liberated by the Ukrainian military from the Russian invaders.

The ceremony took place in the central square of the city in the presence of defenders of Ukraine. During the raising of the flag, the National Anthem of Ukraine was played.

The President thanked the servicemen who are liberating Ukrainian lands from the enemy.

“I want to thank you for saving our people, our hearts, children and future,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The Head of State wished the servicemen health and success.

“The last few months have been extremely difficult for you. Therefore, I am asking you: take care of yourself, you are the most precious we have,” he said.

The President emphasized that no occupier will manage to conquer the hearts of Ukrainians.

“Probably, it is possible to temporarily occupy the territories of our state. But it is definitely impossible to occupy our people, the Ukrainian people,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy is convinced.

The Head of State noted that today, when the defenders are liberating Ukrainian lands from the occupiers, the flag of Ukraine acquires special significance.

“Ealier, when we looked up, we always looked for the blue sky, the sun. And today, looking up, we and especially the people in the temporarily occupied territories are looking for only one thing – the flag of our state. It means that the heroes are here. It means that the enemy is gone, ran away,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Those present honored the memory of defenders who gave their lives for Ukraine with a moment of silence.

The Head of State had a brief conversation with the mayor of Izyum Valerii Marchenko regarding the situation in the city.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 13 September 2022.

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak held an online meeting of the “Kyiv Initiative” format with the participation of the foreign policy advisors to the heads of state and government of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary.

Andriy Yermak noted the importance of continuing and developing the dialogue in the new format, which was launched in Kyiv on August 22.

He informed the participants of the meeting about the package of recommendations on security guarantees for Ukraine prepared by the International Working Group under the leadership of Andriy Yermak and former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

The Head of the President’s Office emphasized that as a result of the war waged by Russia against Ukraine, our state must fully restore its territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders, the post-war recovery and reconstruction of our country must be ensured, and the accession to European and Euro-Atlantic structures must be accelerated.

“In order to successfully implement these tasks, Ukraine must get a guaranteed safety after the war. This means that we should receive reliable international security guarantees for the time period until Ukraine becomes a full member of the EU and NATO,” he said.

The Head of the Office of the President is convinced that it is important to formulate a vision of future security guarantees for Ukraine already now, and the report prepared by international experts provides answers to these questions.

Andriy Yermak emphasized that the security guarantees for Ukraine should outline a number of obligations undertaken by the group of guarantors. They should be binding on the basis of bilateral agreements, but combined in the framework of a joint document on strategic partnership called the “Kyiv Security Compact”.

The Head of the President’s Office noted that the package of recommendations on security guarantees will be used as a basis for further negotiations with international partners regarding Ukraine’s obtaining of effective and legally binding security guarantees. Andriy Yermak is convinced that this is in the interests not only of Ukraine, but also of the entire European continent, primarily Central and Eastern Europe.

He asked the present advisors to the heads of state and government of the Eastern European and Baltic countries to convey the content of the Yermak-Rasmussen group’s report to their leaders.

The participants of the meeting expressed their interest in studying the prepared recommendations and further discussion in order to elaborate positions on the issue of security guarantees for Ukraine.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 13 September 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held another meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

The meeting was attended by: Minister of Defense Oleksiy Reznikov and his deputy Rostyslav Zamlynsky, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny, Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Serhiy Shaptala, Commander of the National Guard Yuriy Lebid, Acting Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Maliuk, Commander of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Viktor Khorenko, Minister of Internal Affairs Denys Monastyrsky, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba, Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov and Deputy Head of the President’s Office Roman Mashovets.

Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky, Commander of the West Operative Command Forces Serhiy Litvinov and Commander of the South Operative Command Forces Andriy Kovalchuk joined the meeting via videoconference.

The reports of the commanders of the troops of the operative directions were heard regarding the active actions of the defense forces aimed to liberate Ukraine from the Russian occupiers. It was noted that more than 4,000 square kilometers, more than 300 settlements were de-occupied as a result of the offensive operation. Stabilization measures have already been carried out in these settlements. The operation is ongoing.

The President of Ukraine instructed the State Border Service to ensure the protection of the state border in the liberated territories.

In addition, the participants considered the draft budget of the security and defense sector for 2023. As Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized, the total amount of Ukraine’s defense budget for next year is tentatively over UAH 1 trillion.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 13 September 2022.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Tymoshenko had a meeting in the format of a video conference with the Japanese parliamentary delegation.

Members of the House of Councillors of Japan Masaaki Taniai and Mitsuo Takahashi, member of the House of Representatives of Japan Koichi Kasai and representative of the Komeito ruling party secretariat Hiroyuki Kurita joined the online meeting.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko emphasized that on the eve of winter, the restoration of housing and critical infrastructure damaged as a result of the full-scale Russian invasion is an urgent issue for Ukrainian citizens.

“We have developed a Fast Recovery Plan. It covers housing, schools, kindergartens, medical facilities, gas, water and electricity supply networks in the de-occupied territories of the country,” said the Deputy Head of the Office of the President.

He reminded that data on all objects destroyed as a result of Russian aggression can be found on the online platform. Information is updated daily.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko emphasized that thanks to the successes of the Ukrainian army in the east of the country, almost the entire territory of the Kharkiv region was liberated from the invaders.

“Due to this, the number of objects that we need to restore very quickly has increased. Therefore, the first thing we are calling for is to choose a school, a kindergarten or a group of private houses in one or another settlement that were destroyed by Russian troops, and help with their restoration,” he said.

The Deputy Head of the President’s Office also said that as a result of the recent Russian bombing of Kharkiv and the region, combined heat and power plants were damaged, which must be restored before the onset of cold weather. He also suggested that the Japanese side consider the possibility of joining the restoration project of these facilities.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko reported that there are about 86,000 partially or completely destroyed infrastructure facilities in our country. The Deputy Head of the President’s Office noted that some of them are being restored at the expense of the state budget of Ukraine, but the help of partners is also needed.

In addition, Kyrylo Tymoshenko spoke about the need for school buses for Ukrainian children, as many of them were lost as a result of shelling or stolen by the Russian military during the occupation of Ukrainian territories.

“This is an extremely important humanitarian issue, because many schools have been bombed, and children have to go to educational institutions that are further away from their homes,” he noted.

Representatives of both houses of the Japanese parliament expressed their admiration for what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s team is doing to protect Ukraine. They called Russia’s actions against Ukraine and Ukrainian citizens unacceptable and noted that what is happening in our country affects not only Europe, but also Asian countries.

The Japanese parliamentarians emphasized that their country is willing to continue supporting the sanctions policy against the Russian Federation. They also emphasized that Japan is ready to intensify efforts to help Ukraine.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko invited the parliamentary delegation of Japan to visit Ukraine in order to see with their own eyes the consequences of Russian aggression and the progress of reconstruction in the de-occupied territories.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 13 September 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with Minister of Defense of Denmark Morten Bødskov and Minister of Defense of Estonia Hanno Pevkur.

The Head of State expressed gratitude to Denmark and Estonia for consistent financial, humanitarian and defense aid to our country since the first days of the full-scale war with Russia.

“Your countries supported and continue to support Ukraine at all difficult stages of our resistance to Russian aggression and occupation,” noted Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

He separately thanked Estonia for allocating aid to Ukraine in the amount of 0.8% of the country’s GDP.

“You have supported us very powerfully. This is an example of a small country that is a great state. The Ukrainian people and I are extremely grateful for this,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The President also noted Denmark’s significant contribution to strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities by providing the necessary assistance and creating a new effective format – the conference of allies in support of Ukraine in Copenhagen.

The Head of State emphasized the importance of further assistance to the Ukrainian army from Estonia and Denmark: “Strengthening our army directly with weapons has become our biggest priority. The resilience and endurance of our state, security in Europe depend on this. It is extremely important that you strengthen Ukraine in the security and military dimensions, supplying us with the weapons we need right now to de-occupy our territories.”

During the meeting, it was emphasized that today Ukraine is fighting not only for its freedom, but also for the future of the whole of Europe.

The President also separately thanked the leadership of Denmark and Estonia for the hospitable attitude and assistance to Ukrainians who were forced to leave the country due to the war.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 13 September 2022.

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak notes that our state seeks the conclusion of an agreement on security guarantees, which would contain clear legal obligations and specific terms of response in the event of a new potential aggression against Ukraine.

He said this during a meeting with media representatives dedicated to the presentation of recommendations on security guarantees for Ukraine developed by the Yermak-Rasmussen International Working Group.

“The document we are presenting today is recommendations. It is not the final text of the future security treaty. But I would like to emphasize the importance for us that this document is legally binding,” Andriy Yermak emphasized.

According to him, the future security structure for Ukraine should include not only a large framework agreement, but also the possibility of signing more detailed bilateral agreements, as well as agreements that may be aimed at solving certain issues. For example, agreements on air security to protect Ukrainian skies, or on security in the Black Sea region.

“It is important that all these agreements be ratified by the parliaments of the countries, which would give them a legally binding character,” he is convinced.

Andriy Yermak noted that Ukraine will insist that the future compact contain clear terms.

“Today, the whole world saw its mistake that such powerful tools as, for example, sanctions, were not used before the start of the war. Therefore, it is extremely important for any potential aggressor to see in this document: if he does something, this and that will happen within 24, 48, 72 hours. And directly in the text of the compact, of course, these terms will be specified,” he said.

For his part, former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen explained that the name of the future document is compact. This allows avoiding the association with the Budapest Memorandum, which is ineffective, and this term is much more powerful.

He emphasized the importance of undertaking political commitments so that the defense aid to Ukraine in the event of a new aggression is provided urgently.

“If Ukraine is attacked again in the future, then at its request, the guarantors will have to gather for collective consultations within a very short time, for example 24 hours. And on the basis of these consultations, the guarantor countries, together or individually, can take measures within, for example, 72 hours,” said Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

Andriy Yermak concluded that from now on Ukraine’s task is to work out basic proposals with all partner states capable of becoming guarantors of its security, to build such political and legal mechanisms that will not give the aggressor a single chance.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 13 September 2022.

Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak and his deputy Kyrylo Tymoshenko presented the project of the Ukraine Recovery Fund to the ambassadors of foreign states accredited in our country. The event, held in the format of a video conference, involved more than 80 participants.

“Our ambitious goal is to win the war, liberate all our people and all our territories. That is, to completely restore our territorial integrity. Then rebuild the destroyed country, implement all the necessary reforms and become a full member of the European Union. I am convinced that with your support we will certainly achieve the best results,” said Andriy Yermak during the presentation and emphasized the importance of the participation of various states, organizations and institutions in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.

The Head of the Presidential Office recalled that a number of meetings were held pursuant to his instruction in recent weeks with the vast majority of foreign ambassadors present today. At the meetings, the Fast Recovery Plan was presented both for the country as a whole and for individual affected regions, which was developed by the President’s team. An online system for destruction accounting and calculating the cost of renovation was also presented. Following the meetings, the ambassadors held preliminary discussions with their governments and the leadership of their countries regarding the prospects of involvement in the implementation of the ambitious project of the recovery and modernization of Ukraine.

After studying the recovery experience of various countries around the world, a decision was made about the need to create a special financial instrument – the Ukraine Recovery Fund, the Head of the President’s Office said.

As Andriy Yermak emphasized, the Fund’s activities will be based on the principles of complete openness for donors and citizens of Ukraine, clear and effective control over the use of funds with the involvement of international partners.

“Ukraine does not rely exclusively on international financial aid. We will also be full donors to this fund. Our first contribution will be the funds obtained from the legal confiscation of seized assets of Russia on the territory of Ukraine,” he said and called on other states to direct the assets of the aggressor country seized in their territory to this Fund.

The Head of the President’s Office said that 75% of the Fund’s supervisory board will consist of representatives of donors, and 100% of its management will be appointed by donors. The Fund’s reporting will be publicly accessible, in particular, it will be mandatory to publish complete information on the status of project implementation and the dynamics of funds usage. It is assumed that the Fund will receive financial assistance from governments, agencies and international organizations in the form of targeted grants based on the agreement.

The Head of the Presidential Office announced that next week President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will submit to the parliament a corresponding bill on the activities of the Ukraine Recovery Fund. Before that, the document will be submitted for consideration by the partner countries, and Ukraine will wait for the comments on it.

“It is very important for us that it is transparent, controlled and that we launch this project as soon as possible. As the President noted, there is a difficult winter ahead, and it is important that we come out of it victorious,” he said.

Andriy Yermak emphasized that the support of partners was and remains important for Ukraine, as it was thanks to them that our defense capability was strengthened. And now Ukrainian soldiers can demonstrate success on the battlefield.

As Kyrylo Tymoshenko informed the participants of the meeting, as of today, more than 86,000 objects destroyed or damaged as a result of Russian aggression have been recorded. Objects discovered after the de-occupation of the Kharkiv, Donetsk and other regions will soon be added to this list.

“Unfortunately, we have to admit that Ukraine will not have enough financial resources for such a volume of recovery. It will take us many years to rebuild thousands of destroyed schools, kindergartens, hospitals, energy and transport infrastructure facilities,” he stated.

The Deputy Head of the Office of the President reported that the list of objects whose restoration is critically necessary now has reached 38,000. According to him, due to the lack of funding, the restoration of only 11,400 objects (13%) has been started at the cost of the state budget, and 3,400 objects (4%) have been completed.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko thanked the government of the Republic of Estonia for the quick start of restoration work on selected social infrastructure facilities in the Zhytomyr region and urged the representatives of other partners of Ukraine to join the reconstruction process.

The Deputy Head of the President’s Office assured the participants of the meeting that the entire team – the President, the Parliament and the Government of Ukraine – is ready to demonstrate leadership both in the normative provision of the creation of effective and transparent tools for the implementation of the recovery plan and in the modernization of Ukraine.

“We really count on your support and will do everything in our power to return the usual peaceful life to all communities in Ukraine,” he said.

The participants of the meeting welcomed the idea of implementing the project of Ukraine’s recovery. The aspiration of the Ukrainian authorities to ensure maximum transparency of the Recovery Fund was also positively assessed.

“We really welcome the approach, which involves a supervisory board, transparency in reporting,” said Bridget Brink, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Ukraine.