Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 4 April 2022.

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak is convinced that today no one has any doubts that the Ukrainian state is a full-fledged part of Europe and deserves to be at the center of an effective European security system. He said this in an interview for Natalia Moseichuk on 1+1 TV channel.

“I believe that there is no adequate person who is not convinced that Ukraine is part of Europe, a democratic world and today is actually a fortress, which protects not only itself but all the values of the democratic world,” said Andriy Yermak.

He noted that today tens of thousands of people take to the streets of Berlin, Paris and other cities in Europe and the world having already made their choice regarding their attitude towards our country.

The Head of the President’s Office is convinced that 14 years ago at the NATO summit in Bucharest, a very big historical mistake was made when specific Allied countries and specific leaders started a game with Russia.

“Then it was possible to make a historic decision that could have prevented this heinous war, but it did not happen,” he said.

Andriy Yermak is convinced that today Ukraine, which has been directly holding back one of the world’s largest armies for more than a month, could strengthen any alliance.

“But we need it today – not tomorrow. There is no time. Otherwise we will build a new system. Today we are not just knocking on the door. Today we simply demand, we deserve it – to be at the center of the security system of our region, Europe,” said the Head of the President’s Office.

He noted that now the priority for Ukraine is to end the war and create a new security system in the world, because the effectiveness of the existing one is doubted.

Andriy Yermak noted that Ukraine will never consider any compromises concerning independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty.

“It is unacceptable for us. And there is a position of the state that today Ukraine must return to internationally recognized borders,” he said.

According to the Head of the President’s Office, there are issues that need to be resolved in the negotiations now: the withdrawal of Russian troops and the return to the situation as of February 23, 2022, so that these are truly full-fledged talks – not under the gun.

At the same time, the issues with the temporarily occupied territories of Donbas and Crimea also need to be resolved.

“These are separate issues that should also be the subject of negotiations today, and they are the subject of negotiations,” Andriy Yermak said.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 4 April 2022.

The crimes committed by the Russian military against civilians in the Ukrainian cities of Bucha, Irpin, Hostomel and other settlements in the Kyiv region are genocide of the Ukrainian people. This was emphasized by Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak in an interview for Natalia Moseichuk on 1+1 TV channel.

According to him, the true scale of the crimes of Russian troops in the occupied suburbs of the capital can be estimated when full information is available. But it is clear that this cannot be compared to the massacre in Srebrenica, one of the largest war crimes in modern European history committed during the 1995 Bosnian war.

“It’s a completely different story. One nuclear power attacked a non-nuclear power. This is Russia’s war against Ukraine, so I would not make such comparisons. But in terms of horror and absolutely inhuman treatment it’s real genocide, one hundred percent,” he said.

Andriy Yermak said that every day he communicates with his colleagues – political advisers in the United States, Germany, Great Britain and other countries and informs them in detail and provides photo evidence of the crimes of the Russian occupiers against Ukrainians.

“Shock reaction. I am convinced that they should feel what all Ukrainians feel today. Because the decisions we expect depend on many of them,” he said.

Answering the question whether he has received calls from any Russians apologizing for what their country is doing to Ukraine, the Head of the President’s Office said: “They must apologize to the entire Ukrainian people. But I don’t think it will be accepted today. And this is for many, many years. There is no excuse for what we see today, what we feel. And, unfortunately, all this continues – we have not stopped this war yet.”

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 4 April 2022.

Peace in Ukraine is impossible without victory, and victory can be achieved through diplomacy in parallel with the fighting of the Ukrainian army. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a conversation with international and Ukrainian journalists in Bucha, Kyiv region.

The Head of State noted that the Foreign Ministers of Ukraine and Russia met in Turkey, but the meeting ended in vain. He stressed that the delay in the negotiation process by Russia will have negative consequences for this country.

“Every day, when our troops come in and deoccupy certain territories, you see what is happening. It’s very difficult to talk when you see what they’ve done here. Every day people are found there in barrels, in cellars, strangled, tortured. Therefore, we believe that if they have something to think with, they need to think faster,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed.

The President expressed conviction that peace would be established in Ukraine in any case, because our modern European country cannot live in war.

“We strive for peace, we deserve it. And these people showed it, and the Armed Forces showed it. Peace is impossible without victory. Victory can be achieved in a diplomatic format in parallel with the fighting steps of our army. Our army demonstrates its fighting steps on a daily basis, but it is not easy. We do not want to lose millions of people. That is why there should be dialogue,” the Head of State said.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 4 April 2022.

The restoration of Ukrainian cities will begin immediately after their liberation from the Russian occupiers. A plan for Ukraine’s economic revival has already been prepared. This was announced byHead of the President’s Office Andriy Yermak in an interview for Natalia Moseichuk on 1+1 TV channel.

“The President already has a plan for economic revival on the table. We do not waste a single day, we are thinking and getting ready as regards how we can start today. I think that the reconstruction of cities will begin immediately after their release,” Andriy Yermak said.

He noted the great unity of the country that is observed now: Ukraine is no longer divided into west and east or on the basis of language.

“Today we are really making history – the history of a great nation, a great country,” said the Head of the President’s Office.

Therefore, according to him, all the negative phenomena, such as corruption, excessive bureaucracy and bloated state apparatus, should remain in the past. The Ukrainian economy must become human-centered, and the state must guarantee justice.

“We will rebuild the cities. The worst thing is that we will not bring back the people who were killed. There is nothing more precious than human life. And we will rebuild everything else, we will rebuild it quickly,” Andriy Yermak is convinced.

The Head of the President’s Office also supported the idea of creating a large memorial to honor all those whom Ukraine lost in this war with the Russian occupier.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 4 April 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the city of Bucha in the Kyiv region, where mass killings of civilians took place during the occupation by Russian troops.

The Head of State visited the humanitarian aid center and talked to local residents.

Bucha Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk told the President about the humanitarian situation in the city, the progress of the search for the bodies of the dead, the assessment of the damage caused by the occupiers to private and communal property, and the pace of reconstruction of the city.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded Anatoliy Fedoruk with the Order of Courage of the III Degree.

The Head of State also spoke with international and Ukrainian journalists who came to Bucha to document Russia’s war crimes.

“It is very important for us that journalists are here. We want you to show the world what was happening here, what the Russian military was doing, what the Russian Federation was doing in peaceful Ukraine,” the President said, addressing the media.

As Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted, what the Russian occupiers did to this modern town is genocide.

“These are war crimes and they will be recognized by the world as genocide. We are aware of thousands of people killed and tortured, with their limbs cut off. Raped women, murdered children. I believe this is genocide,” the President said.

In addition, the President watched the road with destroyed equipment of the Russian army, as well as the destroyed bridge across the Irpin River on the M-06 Kyiv – Chop highway.

The President noted that part of the bridge over the Irpin River will be repaired and opened in a few months.

Preparations for the construction of a temporary crossing have now begun. It will be opened in about two weeks, said Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov.

According to him, full-fledged movement of one passage of the bridge can be started in two months, both passages – in three or four months.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also visited the destroyed bridge over the Irpin River on the R-30 highway. It will take ten days to build a temporary crossing here, and a full-fledged repair will take two to three months.

 

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 3 April 2022.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has approved a decision to create a special mechanism of justice in Ukraine to investigate and prosecute every crime of the Russian occupiers in our country.

“The essence of this mechanism is the joint work of national and international experts: investigators, prosecutors and judges. This mechanism will help Ukraine and the world bring to concrete justice those who unleashed or in any way participated in this terrible war against the Ukrainian people and in crimes against our people,” the Head of State informed

According to the President, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of the Prosecutor General, the National Police, the Security Service, intelligence and other structures within their competence must make every effort to ensure that this mechanism works immediately.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also called on all Ukrainian citizens and friends of Ukraine in the world to join this work and help establish justice.

“The world has already seen many war crimes. At different times. On different continents. But it is time to do everything possible to make the war crimes of the Russian military the last manifestation of such evil on earth. Everyone guilty of such crimes will be included in a special Book of Torturers, will be found and punished,” the President noted.

In addition, the Head of State noted that all partners of Ukraine will be informed in detail about what was happening in the temporarily occupied territory of our state.

“War crimes in Bucha and other cities during the Russian occupation will also be considered by the UN Security Council on Tuesday,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 2 April 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with the economic blocs of the Office of the President and the Cabinet of Ministers.

The parties discussed the state of the Ukrainian economy in the second month of our country’s resistance to Russia’s military invasion, as well as considered forecasts for its development in the near future.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the Ukrainian state spends about $ 10 billion a month on hostilities. The sources of expenditure financing were discussed at the meeting, including own tax revenues and assistance from Ukraine’s international partners. In the same context, the prospects for the transition to a simplified taxation system scheduled for April were touched upon.

The participants of the meeting also discussed the sowing campaign, in particular the provision of fuel to farmers. Ways to diversify fuel imports and protect Ukraine’s energy infrastructure from Russian military bombing were discussed.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 2 April 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola who arrived in Kyiv.

The interlocutors discussed the coordination of European parliaments in support of Ukraine.

“I would like to sincerely thank you personally, Roberta, and all your team for the fact that at such an important moment for our country, when Ukrainians believe in deeds and concrete steps, you demonstrate heroism to come to Ukraine. And today it is heroism,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, adding that this visit is an important step in support of Ukrainians.

The Head of State noted that the result of his previous phone conversations with Roberta Metsola was her appeal to MEPs and the world community to support Ukraine, and this is highly appreciated by the Ukrainian people.

“You have led a country of extremely brave men and women fighting for freedom and democracy. I came to Ukraine not only to confirm our solidarity, not only to continue working on the wording of our resolutions, in which we say that Ukraine is part of our European family, because you are fighting for us, for fundamental principles that the European continent has upheld for centuries. I would also like to make sure that you have everything you need to win this war. Because if you win, the whole world will win,” said Roberta Metsola.

She also said that she would like to give Ukrainians who have fled the war and found refuge in other European countries a new perspective that they will return to beautiful Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Head of State spoke about the situation on the frontline and stressed the importance of continuing and intensifying sanctions pressure on Russia. He pointed out that some sanctions turned out to be just a formality, and “holes” were quickly found in some of them.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that new sanctions packages should appear weekly and be painful for Russia until it gives up aggressive actions. At the same time, sanctions pressure on Russia must be reinforced with the defensive support for our state.

According to the President of Ukraine, the world must put pressure on Russia to force it to sit down at the negotiating table and seek peace. But this will not happen if the Russian Federation continues to feel impunity for any of its actions.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke, in particular, about Russia’s blockade of navigation in the Black Sea. According to him, this threatens global food security and may result in high prices for the exported Ukrainian agricultural products.

Finally, the Head of State awarded Roberta Metsola the Order of Princess Olga of the I degree for a significant personal contribution to the consolidation of international support for Ukraine in countering Russian aggression.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 1 April 2022.

The European Union, the United States and its allies are already working to block Russia’s cash flow from energy exports as the Kremlin’s main source of geopolitical influence. This is stated in a joint article by Adviser to the President of Ukraine on Economic Affairs Oleh Ustenko and former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, Professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management Simon Johnson for Project Syndicate.

The authors note that Russia occupies a significant place in world energy markets. It supplies 40% of the gas consumed in the European Union and also exports about 2.85 million barrels of petroleum products such as diesel and aviation fuel.

“These fossil-fuel exports have enabled Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its extreme violence against unarmed civilians and civilian infrastructure. Russian President Vladimir Putin apparently believes that no one can stand up to him because of the naked power that he can exert through energy markets. If the Europeans resist too much, he will cut off their gas. If the rest of the world cuts back on their purchases from Russia, the price of oil will rise – causing economic difficulties everywhere,” the article reads.

But, according to the authors, Vladimir Putin underestimated the horror his invasion of Ukraine would create, especially in Europe. The European Union will certainly no longer risk its national security by importing Russian energy. Both the United States and the EU have all the tools they need to stop Russia from being a leading player in world energy markets.

“Some EU countries are already de facto boycotting Russian oil. According to TankerTrackers.com, in February, Denmark imported just over 7.5 million barrels of crude oil from Russia by ship. But in the first 27 days of March, Denmark imported no Russian crude whatsoever. Sweden, Finland, and other countries also reported big declines in Russian crude imported by tanker. And there are increasing signs that Germany and other countries will step up to lead a full and immediate embargo on imports of Russian oil by tanker into the EU,” the article reads.

Also, according to the authors, the possibility of paying for Russian gas and oil to escrow accounts, specially frozen accounts is being considered – to ensure the euro proceeds cannot be used by Russia to buy weapons anywhere in the world.

“Putin attempted to get ahead of this development by demanding payment for gas only in rubles, but the EU has rebuffed this as a breach of contract. Germany and Austria are preparing to ration the use of gas,” the authors noted.

They also point out that it will be difficult for Vladimir Putin to reorient oil exports from the European to the Asian market. After all, as the example of oil sanctions against Iran shows, if the United States, the EU, Great Britain and Norway impose sanctions banning all forms of marine insurance for tankers carrying Russian oil and refined products, most of the world’s tanker fleets will be withdrawn from the Russian market.

“The Russians have their own tankers, of course, but their fleet is too small to move more than about one million barrels per day, particularly because a lot of the crude would need to be hauled from Murmansk, the Baltic Sea, or the Black Sea all the way to Asia. Some renegade operators may attempt to enter the business, but these activities would be tracked carefully, and ship owners, charterers, and captains would most likely face personal US and EU sanctions,” the article reads.

For its part, Ukraine has already indicated it will pursue all possible remedies against anyone complicit in the financing of war crimes.

“Once the world adjusts to living with much less Russian energy, there will be no going back. No European in their right mind wants nuclear-armed Russia to have the free cash flow that its hydrocarbon exports currently provide, because that money will allow Putin (or his successors) to rearm and become even more aggressive – perhaps attacking NATO countries next time. There is no such thing as “cheap” Russian oil and gas,” Oleh Ustenko and Simon Johnson concluded.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 1 April 2022.

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak discussed with Director General of Ukroboronprom Yuriy Husyev the work of the concern under martial law.

During the meeting, they focused on key aspects of the functioning of Ukroboronprom, identified areas that need special attention.

“Today, all enterprises of the military-industrial complex must work 24/7. To repel Russia’s aggression, the Armed Forces of Ukraine need effective work of every employee in the industry,” Andriy Yermak stressed.