Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 8 May 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau who is on a visit to our country.

During the negotiations, the parties discussed Canada’s support for our state in the struggle for independence and territorial integrity, as well as a number of bilateral issues.

“The people of Ukraine and Canada stand side by side in the struggle for freedom against tyranny that Russia is trying to spread,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a meeting with media representatives following negotiations with Justin Trudeau.

“The subject of our talks today was what we must do to liberate our territory from the occupiers as soon as possible, to return normal life to all Ukrainians. Canada’s defense support for Ukraine was discussed in detail,” the President said.

According to the President, he informed the Prime Minister of Canada about the weapons that Ukraine needs to move faster to victory.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the Canadian delegation had the opportunity to visit today the suburbs of Kyiv, which was liberated from the occupiers, and see for themselves what destruction Russia leaves on our land. In this context, he called Canada’s support for demining the de-occupied territories extremely important.

“The Russian occupiers left thousands of mines, thousands of tripwire mines and shells. They are a threat to our people, our children. And today we have agreed to establish maximum cooperation in this direction, so that there are no such “exclusion zones” left in Ukraine, which cannot be entered due to the threat of Russian mines,” the President said.

The Head of State called economic support for Ukraine no less important.

“Post-war reconstruction requires clear, bold, ambitious decisions comparable to the historic Marshall Plan. We agreed to work together to make this a reality,” he said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also noted that negotiations are underway with the Canadian side to lift trade restrictions for Ukrainian exporters, which will greatly help our economy.

In addition, the President announced his intention to continue discussions on the abolition of the visa regime for citizens of Ukraine.

“I am grateful to your team, I am grateful to each and everyone who is here with us today in words, in deeds and in personal presence. Together with us at such a difficult time,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy, addressing Justin Trudeau.

For his part, the Prime Minister of Canada reaffirmed the unwavering support for Ukraine, including financial and humanitarian support. Regarding arms assistance, he said Canada would provide anti-tank systems, satellite communications equipment and more.

“We will provide everything needed and fund demining efforts,” he added.

The Prime Minister of Canada also assured of further assistance in the abolition of customs duties on imports from Ukraine.

He noted that today he visited Irpin and saw with his own eyes the terrible consequences of the Russian occupation.

“Obviously, Vladimir Putin is responsible for his heinous war crimes, and Canada will continue to support Ukraine in this war against Russia. We will stand side by side with you in this beautiful capital, which is full of light, culture and history. We will stay with you for years, decades and centuries to fight tyranny, and Putin and his allies will see that Ukraine will win,” said Justin Trudeau.

He also announced the resumption of the work of the Canadian embassy in Kyiv.

At the end of the meeting, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in the presence of Justin Trudeau, presented state awards to Ukrainian rescuers who took part in the demining, using, in particular, Canadian equipment. Among the awarded was the dog Patron who was taught pyrotechnic work by his owner, Major of the Civil Protection Service Mykhailo Iliev. There are already 236 explosive devices found by Patron. In addition, the dog, along with pyrotechnics, is actively involved in mine security education. Children love him especially, and thanks to Patron they perceive information better.

“Today I want to award those Ukrainian heroes who are already clearing our land of mines. And together with our heroes – a wonderful little sapper Patron who helps not only to neutralize explosives, but also to teach our children the necessary safety rules in areas where there is a mine threat,” said the President of Ukraine.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 8 May 2022.

After bilateral talks in Kyiv, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau took part in a video conference of the G7 leaders.

The President of Ukraine thanked Olaf Scholz, Federal Chancellor of Germany, who chairs the G7, for organizing this summit.

“I believe that such a summit with the participation of Ukraine today proves that the free world is determined not only to defend freedom, but also to win, as it did 77 years ago. On behalf of the entire Ukrainian people, I am grateful to the leaders of the United States, Great Britain, France, Italy and Japan. I am grateful to the European Union and, of course, to the Prime Minister of Canada for this solidarity with us,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the media representatives after an online speech at the G7 summit.

According to him, the G7 leaders agreed on a special summit declaration, which fixed the historical solidarity of the participating countries and their readiness to work together until security and observance of international law for Ukraine and the whole of Europe are restored.

Also, as noted by the President of Ukraine, at the G7 meeting, he proposed specific tools needed now by Ukraine and everyone in the world “who values freedom, democracy and independence.”

“The first is new steps in Ukraine’s defense support. Because it is on the battlefield that the fate of freedom in Europe is decided. Secondly, I stressed the need for new sanctions against Russia, as the war on our land continues, which means that the existing sanctions are not enough. Third, we discussed financial support for Ukraine now, when the war continues, and joint work to restore our state after the war. The scale of Russia’s current threat in Europe makes the return of concepts such as the Lend-Lease and the Marshall Plan quite natural,” he said.

In the fourth point, Volodymyr Zelenskyy invited all the G7 states to join the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, using the format of patronage over specific cities, towns, regions and industries affected by the Russian invasion.

“It is this format that can give maximum efficiency to the work on the recovery and create new economic and technological ties within the democratic world,” said the President.

The fifth point of the proposals of the President of Ukraine is to unite efforts to guarantee stability in the global food market.

“We, the grain exporters, are able to do this on the basis of respect for human rights in such a way that there are no more price crises in the food market, so that each country is confident that it is not threatened by famine,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The Prime Minister of Canada assured that his country will continue not only to provide assistance to Ukraine, but also to consolidate the efforts of international partners, including in the issue of sanctions.

“On this anniversary of the victory in the war in Europe, we stand side by side and defend freedom, independence and international law. We will continue to impose severe sanctions, reduce our dependence on energy resources from Russia, and fight disinformation from Russia. We will also be there to overcome all of Putin’s challenges, including the food threat,” said Justin Trudeau.

The President thanked the G7 leaders for their willingness to work together to protect and strengthen freedom and democracy in the world.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 8 May 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of the Norwegian Storting Masud Gharahkhani who paid a visit to Ukraine.

“I am glad to meet you. I am grateful for the support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as for the opportunity to speak in your parliament,” the Head of State addressed his interlocutor.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also thanked Norwegian society for supporting the people of Ukraine from the first day of the war for their freedom.

For his part, Masud Gharahkhani noted that it is an honor for him to visit Ukraine. He stressed that Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s speech at the Storting was historic.

“Today, my country is celebrating the day when we managed to regain our democracy and independence after World War II. Unfortunately, today your country is once again going through aggression and violence,” said the President of the Norwegian Storting.

Masud Gharahkhani said he was deeply shocked by the consequences of the Russian occupation in Irpin and Bucha in the Kyiv region.

“I want to confirm to you that Norway always stands by Ukraine,” he said.

The parties discussed the issue of increasing Norway’s security support for Ukraine. The President thanked Norway for the decision to provide defensive weapons to Ukraine and its practical implementation.

During the meeting, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Masud Gharahkhani discussed approaches to further strengthening sanctions on Russia. The parties also touched upon the possibility of cooperation in the field of energy security.

The President noted the financial support of Ukraine and humanitarian aid from Norway, and invited to join the reconstruction of our country.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 8 May 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of the Bundestag of the Federal Republic of Germany Bärbel Bas who is on a visit to Kyiv.

The Head of State noted the importance of her visit to Ukraine at this difficult time and on a special day – the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Germany for supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state. The President stressed that Ukraine expects from Germany a strong and confident leadership in helping our country in the fight against the Russian aggressor.

The parties discussed, first of all, further defense assistance to Ukraine by Germany, as well as the strengthening of sanctions against the Russian aggressor.

The Head of State noted the adoption by the Bundestag of a resolution calling on the German government to expand and speed up the provision of heavy weapons to Ukraine.

Particular attention was paid to the movement of our country towards EU membership. Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his conviction that official Berlin supports the provision of the candidate status to Ukraine.

The Head of State thanked Germany for the financial support to Ukraine’s economy and called on Germany to play a leading role in rebuilding the Ukrainian territories destroyed by the Russian army.

For her part, Bärbel Bas thanked Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the meeting. She noted that it is very important for her to be in Ukraine on May 8 and to be able to honor the memory of the victims of World War II.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 8 May 2022.

Ukraine would like to receive from the Allies not only samples of Soviet weapons, but also modern military equipment, weapons and technology. This was stated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a conversation with media representatives following the negotiations with Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenković in Kyiv.

“Weapons must be powerful and modern, not only Soviet, although we are grateful for everything. We need technology. We need knowledge. We would like to gain this experience,” the President said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine has demonstrated success in the field of missile technology and is ready to share its experience. At the same time, it is interested in gaining access to European modern technologies in other spheres.

“So far we do not have the same access as every European or NATO member state has. We do not have such opportunities yet. But I think we will get them,” the President of Ukraine summed up.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 8 May 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenković who is on a visit to our country.

The President thanked the people and the Government of Croatia for their support of Ukraine during the difficult times of the war.

“Croatia is a principled member of our anti-war coalition. Together we defend the right not only of our citizens, not only of the citizens of Ukraine, but also of every European nation to an independent and democratic life. Together, we are defending the future of a united Europe and are doing everything we can to restore the power of international law,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during talks with media representatives following the negotiations with Andrej Plenković in Kyiv.

According to the President, the key topics of the meeting were security and steps needed to support Ukraine in the struggle for freedom.

“In particular, these are steps in the defense, economic and energy spheres, as well as cooperation at the level of the European Union,” the President said.

According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, among other things, the talks focused on increasing sanctions on Russia. He thanked Croatia for its readiness to support the EU’s sixth sanctions package.

“Until Russia stops this war against our state, against our people, until it liberates our land and begins to respect freedom in Europe, we need to raise the price of this aggression,” the President said.

The parties also discussed cooperation in restoring full life in the de-occupied areas of our country.

“Croatia has considerable experience in demining territories, and I asked to provide our state with the necessary assistance, especially in our program of Ukraine’s reconstruction,” he said, noting that during the retreat the Russian military left thousands of mines and tripwire mines on Ukrainian territory, which pose a threat to civilians.

In addition, during the meeting, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Andrej Plenković discussed Ukraine’s integration into the European Union.

“I am grateful to Croatia and personally to Prime Minister Plenković for his consistent and strong support for Ukraine on its path to the European Union. Last December, we signed a Declaration with the Prime Minister on the European perspective of our country. I want to thank you again for that,” the President said.

He expressed hope that at the European Council meeting in June this year, EU member states will support the decision on candidate status for our country.

In addition, the President of Ukraine and the Prime Minister of Croatia have devoted a lot of time to the issue of ending the war on our land.

“I told Andrej Plenković in detail what is happening in Donbas, what are the difficulties there and where Croatia could help us, etc. I would like to thank you once again for this visit,” the President said.

For his part, the Prime Minister of Croatia noted that his country highly values the resilience and resistance of the Ukrainian people and respects the heroism of the Ukrainian servicemen, who defend their homes, families and Homeland. He assured of further support for our state.

“Croatia has consistently supported Ukraine in political, diplomatic, legal, financial, humanitarian and technical matters. And we will continue to provide this assistance, clearly understanding that we are doing this as a country that has always been convinced that we are on the right side of history, on the right side of ethics,” said Andrej Plenković.

He also said Croatia would support further restrictive measures against Russia at EU level.

Andrej Plenković noted that he personally and his country support the European aspirations of Ukraine and its people. He praised the completion of our country’s application form for the EU candidate status and assured that Croatia would provide assistance to Ukraine in further steps at the level of the European Council.

The Prime Minister also noted that his country is ready to share the experience of demining with Ukraine.

In addition, Andrej Plenković said that as of today, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Croatia to Ukraine is returning to Kyiv, which “is also a strong signal of support for Ukrainians.”

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 7 May 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy chaired a meeting on topical issues of the executive branch. It was attended by Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak and his deputies, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal and members of the government.

The participants of the meeting first of all considered the issues of fuel security of the country. The President stressed the need to eliminate queues at Ukrainian gas stations.

According to First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko, work is underway in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide Ukraine with a green corridor in Eastern European ports, which is currently the main bottleneck in fuel supply logistics.

The parties also stressed the need to sign long-term contracts and accumulate state fuel reserves.

Minister of Finance of Ukraine Serhiy Marchenko reported on the execution of the state budget under martial law. Thus, the country ended April with a deficit of UAH 125 billion. At the same time, revenues from tax office and customs amounted to UAH 53 billion, which exceeded expectations. UAH 57 billion of revenues are planned for May.

According to the Minister, the monthly deficit is planned to be repaid due to international grants and loans. Negotiations on international grants in the amount of 11 billion dollars are underway, of which 5 billion dollars have already been received by our state.

The parties also discussed the preparation of a Plan for the Reconstruction and Development of Ukraine after the war.

In addition, the Heads of State heard a report on the process of granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for membership in the European Union.

Attention was also paid to the issue of cooperation between public authorities and international organizations in providing medical, psychological and social rehabilitation services to citizens affected by Russian aggression.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 6 May 2022.

When the world understands that the war in Ukraine is a common war, victory will become common as well. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a video meeting at the Royal Institute of International Affairs Chatham House (UK).

“In order for the world to hear, we need to constantly talk to the world and give concrete examples. Today, Europe and the world are united around Ukraine,” the President said.

At the same time, he noted that not all countries have joined the anti-war coalition, but Ukraine continues to explain the importance of global consolidation, in particular by addressing through the media, social networks and directly to the people.

“There are enough means in the world today to make our voice be heard. The world leaders do not have enough energy,” the President added.

According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the leader of each country should powerfully help Ukraine in the fight against the invader, thus helping his or her own country avoid war.

“By defending Ukraine, the leader will defend his or her state. Just like ordinary people who just take to the streets with our flags. And this victory will be common. Victory not over Putin, but over this terror and terrorism, because he and his troops are the face of it,” the President said.

“When every leader understands this, it will not be my solo – it will be a chorus of powerful leaders who will be able to convey this energy to those societies that are still in doubt and unsure of their choice,” he said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed: it is important to unite the world around the truth. Events in Ukraine should not leave the front pages of the world media, so that people in every country know what is happening in Ukraine every day.

“Because there is a war in Ukraine. And this war is a common one. Therefore, the victory will be common as soon as we understand that this is a common war,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy added.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 6 May 2022.

The possible destruction of the Ukrainian military and civilians who currently remain on the territory of the Azovstal plant in Mariupol by the Russian occupiers can put an end to any diplomatic negotiations with the Russian side. This was stated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a video meeting at the Royal Institute of International Affairs Chatham House (UK).

“If they kill people who can now be exchanged if they are military, or released if they are civilians, or helped if they are wounded military or civilians, there will be nothing to talk about with them at the diplomatic level,” the Head of State emphasized.

According to him, today, thanks to the efforts of Ukraine, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations, we finally managed to find a format for the evacuation of civilians from the blocked Azovstal plant.

The President stated that Mariupol was completely destroyed.

According to him, the blockade of the city by the Russian occupiers is a deliberate step, a manifestation of hatred and terrorism. The information and propaganda machine of the Russian Federation is primarily responsible for such cruelty, and this problem still needs to be addressed.

“They nurtured such hatred before the full-scale war. They have been doing this for many years, and now it all results in such tortures,” the President of Ukraine summed up.