Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 22 June 2022.

Italy’s defense and political support for Ukraine is an investment in its own security and the common free future of both countries. This was stated by Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak in an interview with the TV project Porta a Porta of the Italian TV channel Rai 1.

“We are very grateful to the Italians, to the Italian government, to all of you for what you are doing for Ukraine. We will never forget that. We are grateful for the weapons and the loud voice in support of granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for EU membership. But please understand: this is not a charity, but an investment in your own security, in our common peace, in our common free future,” Andriy Yermak said.

The Head of the President’s Office noted that today the Russian aggressor is trying to occupy the entire territory of Ukraine, as happened with Crimea and part of Donbas.

Commenting on the impact of the war in Ukraine on the economic situation in Italy, Andriy Yermak stressed that today Ukrainians are giving their lives for the future of Europe.

“Sometimes you pay with money, and Ukrainians pay with their lives. And not just for themselves. One of the hits of the very popular Italian singer Mina has the following lines: Non cambi mai. These words can be addressed to Russia: “You never change.” So if they succeed in Ukraine now, Russia will not stop. And the Italians will have to pay more. And it will be good, if only with money,” Andriy Yermak said.

The Head of the President’s Office stressed that Ukraine will fight the Russian aggressor as long as it takes to win.

“We are not afraid of anyone, we are fighting for our country, for our land. We don’t need someone else’s property. We are fighting for what is ours,” Andriy Yermak said.

According to him, for more than three months Ukraine has been proving on the battlefield that the truth is on its side, and that is why the support for our country by European partners is very important today.

“If we receive all the support we have agreed upon and which was confirmed by our partners in time, our victory will be faster. And the risks for the whole of Europe that this war will engulf other countries will be reduced,” the Head of the President’s Office stressed.

Andriy Yermak noted the importance of the visits of European leaders to Ukraine, in particular the visit of the Prime Minister of Italy Mario Draghi, which took place last week. According to the Head of the Office of the President, the Italian Prime Minister had an opportunity to see the consequences of the crimes of the Russian occupiers during his visit to the suburbs of Kyiv.

“There is only one way out (of the situation related to Russian aggression – ed.) – our victory. And our victory will be yours as well,” the Head of the President’s Office emphasized.

He noted that he has special respect for the history of Italy and the traditions of this country, so he delivered part of his speech on the air in Italian.

“I want to say that I have been to Italy many times, and each time it impressed me with something. Nature. Culture. History. People. But most of all – your sincerity and hospitality. And, probably, these features are what unite our peoples the most,” Andriy Yermak said.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 21 June 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in Kyiv with Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel, who is on a visit to our country.

“This visit is very important for us, for me personally. It confirms: to be in Ukraine now, to be with Ukraine now is to be on the bright side of history, no matter how difficult it may be,” the Ukrainian President said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the Prime Minister of Luxembourg for the assistance provided by his country and him personally to Ukraine since the first days of Russia’s full-scale war against our state.

“We have been in constant contact, and Luxembourg has always helped us… I am very grateful on behalf of our people, and I will say in detail: Luxembourg has allocated 15% of its defense budget to our defenders,” the President said.

According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during the meeting in Kyiv, the parties discussed issues of assistance to Ukrainians who took refuge in Luxembourg after the start of the war.

“We discussed the lives of our children, families and students, whom Luxembourg welcomes very warmly. I am grateful that they feel at home, but temporarily at home, because it is very important for us that all citizens of Ukraine return home, as our state must be restored after the war,” he said.

The leaders discussed the restoration of Ukraine. The issue of reconstruction will be discussed in more detail at a conference in Lugano, Switzerland, in July this year, and Luxembourg will be involved.

“We also discussed in detail the sanctions policy against the Russian state. Challenges related to the blockade of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov by the Russian fleet, which leads and will lead to a shortage of food in the world, especially in Asia, Africa and some European countries. We also discussed ways out of this collapse, out of this impudence,” the Ukrainian President said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the Prime Minister of Luxembourg began his visit to Ukraine by visiting the occupied towns of the Kyiv region and shared his feelings about what he saw.

“I would like to express gratitude for the humanitarian, armed and, first of all, humane assistance to our citizens provided by Luxembourg and personally the Prime Minister. You are always our welcome guest,” said the President of Ukraine.

For his part, Xavier Bettel stressed that his visit was a confirmation of Luxembourg’s solidarity with Ukraine. He stated that the Duchy would support our state both in the fight against Russian aggression and in the post-war recovery.

“Luxembourg is doing everything it can to help Ukraine. At the humanitarian and financial levels. Moral support is also important. I want to tell Ukrainians that their future is with us, and it will be built together, jointly,” said Xavier Bettel.

The Prime Minister said that after reviewing the conclusion of the European Commission on Ukraine’s application for EU candidate status, his country advised other EU members to support the decision in favor of Ukraine.

“I think there will be a decision that will become a powerful signal not only for you, but also for us. This is not only a consequence of the war against Ukraine, it is the protection of our values, for which so many people have already died,” he said.

Xavier Bettel said he was impressed by what he saw in Bucha, Borodyanka and Irpin, in particular destroyed buildings, bridges and human lives. He stressed the importance of providing Ukraine with the necessary weapons so that our state can defend itself and win the war.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 21 June 2022.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Tymoshenko met with Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Ukraine Melinda Simmons.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko thanked for the strong and consistent support of the British government to the Ukrainian people in their struggle for independence.

The Deputy Head of the Office of the President noted that today one of the key issues for the de-occupied territories of our country is demining. Accordingly, support from foreign partners in the form of equipment for the State Emergency Service of Ukraine is extremely important.

Assistance in the form of fuel and lubricants is also important today, as there is a shortage of fuel due to Russia’s constant missile strikes at Ukrainian refineries.

“Pursuant to the instruction of the President of Ukraine, we monitor all the destruction of infrastructure due to the war to have information on each destroyed or damaged object. The National Council for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, established by the President, is currently working out formal mechanisms to record the damage caused by the war,” Kyrylo Tymoshenko said.

He informed Melinda Simmons about the Plan of Recovery and Modernization of Ukraine developed pursuant to the President’s instruction, which will be implemented with the help of Western partners after the victory.

In addition, Kyrylo Tymoshenko reminded of the fast recovery plan, which provides for the restoration of housing infrastructure so that people can return home, as well as educational institutions, critical medical facilities, water, electricity and heat supply networks.

The Deputy Head of the Office of the President noted that in order to implement all these plans, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak are negotiating with partner countries and working actively to establish direct cooperation between local governments and partner countries.

“We are preparing a memorandum on practical assistance from the association of Europe’s largest cities – Eurocities. We also promote the interaction of our cities with associations of cities in different European countries. In addition, we involve international organizations such as UNICEF, etc. in the implementation of reconstruction projects,” he said.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko emphasized that Ukraine very much hopes for the support of Great Britain in the reconstruction of the city of Kyiv and the Kyiv region, which is one of the most affected by the war.

For her part, Melinda Simmons noted that such substantive meetings give a clear understanding of the preparations for the reconstruction of Ukraine after the war.

The Ambassador stressed that Great Britain will be as actively involved in the process of rebuilding Ukraine as it supports our country during the war politically, financially and militarily.

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

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Hollywood actor, director, screenwriter and producer Ben Stiller, who is visiting Ukraine as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador.

Ben Stiller and UNHCR Representative in Ukraine Karolina Lindholm Billing visited the Office of the President after a visit to the occupied settlements of the Kyiv region. Today, they visited, in particular, the ruined residential areas of Irpin, where they talked to people who survived the occupation.

“It’s one thing to see this destruction on TV or on social networks. Another thing is to see it all with your own eyes. That’s a lot more shocking,” said Ben Stiller

“What you saw in Irpin is definitely dreadful. But it is even worse to just imagine what is happening in the settlements that are still under temporary occupation in the east,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in response.

The President and the UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador discussed the needs of temporarily displaced persons in Ukraine, as well as those in Poland, which Ben Stiller visited the day before.

Separately, the Head of State emphasized the violation of the rights of Ukrainians forcibly deported to Russia, including children.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the UNHCR delegation discussed ways of further cooperation of the Ukrainian authorities with UNHCR.

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

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of the General Confederation of Italian Industry Carlo Bonomi.

The President of Ukraine expressed gratitude to Italy and personally to Prime Minister Mario Draghi for his active support of Ukraine, including the future membership of our country in the EU.

“Right now we are opening a new page in relations between our states,” the President said.

An important manifestation of such support is the establishment of a confederation’s office in Ukraine.

“The opening of the confederation’s office in Kyiv right now is a landmark event and a powerful signal to all foreign investors,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The President noted the interest of the Ukrainian side in strengthening cooperation with Italian business and well-known companies that could help restore and modernize the economy of our country.

In his opinion, Ukraine and Italy have common values and developed social contacts. This creates an atmosphere of trust as a basis for further development of bilateral cooperation.

Inviting the confederation to join the implementation of the large-scale Recovery Plan of Ukraine, the President expressed interest in the participation of Italian companies in the implementation of projects to rebuild the destroyed infrastructure, social facilities and housing.

The parties separately discussed areas of future cooperation in which the Italian side has extensive experience and world-class expertise.

“The help of the confederation in starting production on the territory of Ukraine, creating new jobs is extremely important for the employment of Ukrainians who lost their jobs as a result of hostilities,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.

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

During a working trip to the Odesa region, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting on the current situation in the region.

The Head of the Odesa regional military administration Maksym Marchenko informed the participants of the meeting about the measures to defend the region.

The parties also discussed ways to organize a corridor for the export of agro-industrial products from the ports of the Odesa region. According to Maksym Marchenko, due to Russian aggression, 39 civilian ships under the flags of 14 countries are blocked in the ports of the region.

The participants of the meeting discussed the issues of harvesting in the region and measures to provide agricultural machinery.

The parties touched upon the issue of the social security of internally displaced persons living in the Odesa region.

The President heard information on the consequences of missile strikes by the Russian occupiers at the Odesa region. 55 residents of the region became victims of the shelling, and a number of infrastructure facilities were destroyed.

In addition, the issues of work of industrial enterprises of the region during the Russian aggression were discussed.

The participants of the meeting heard information from the Commander of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksiy Neizhpapa on the security situation in the Black Sea and the provision of Navy units.

The Head of State also observed a residential building that was damaged on April 23 as a result of enemy missile attack. Eight people were killed then, including a three-month-old baby. Volodymyr Zelenskyy got himself acquainted with the course of restoration works.

“This is a terrible, heinous crime, the aggressor kills and maims our people. We need to restore this building so that the residents can return home,” the President said.

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

During a working trip to the Mykolaiv region, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting concerning the current situation in the region.

The state of economy of the Mykolaiv region and ways to resolve the infrastructural issues were discussed. In particular, the parties discussed the restoration of water supply to the regional center which was complicated because of damages to water supply networks due to enemy attacks.

In addition, attention was paid to the situation in agriculture, in particular the problems related to this year’s harvest, providing farms with the necessary technical equipment and fuel. The participants of the meeting also focused on solving the issue of the availability of premises for grain storage and the formation of new logistics routes.

Representatives of the military command of the region reported on the situation in the war zone on land and in the Black Sea.

The participants discussed threats from land, in particular from unrecognized Transnistria, from the sea, as well as the situation on Zmiinyi Island. Particular attention was paid to the logistics of a separate group of troops “Prymorya” and its defense needs.

In addition, Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented state awards. For significant personal contribution to the protection of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, courage and selfless actions shown during the defense of settlements from Russian invaders, the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky of the III degree was awarded to Head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration Vitaliy Kim, the Order “For Courage” was awarded to Mayor of Mykolaiv Oleksandr Sienkevych.

The Head of State also conferred the military rank of Brigadier General upon Colonel Andriy Hnatov.

The President watched the building of the Mykolaiv regional state administration which was destroyed as a result of a missile strike by the Russian troops. Head of the Mykolaiv RMA Vitaliy Kim told about the circumstances of the attack and about 37 victims of this crime.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy instructed to provide the necessary assistance to the families of those killed by the shelling of the building.

“It is important that we decide how we can help members of these families, we must not forget about them,” said the President.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 17 June 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson, who is on a visit to our country, visited St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv.

The leaders of the two states placed candles near the iconostasis.

Boris Johnson inquired about the history of the monastery and its interior decoration. The clergy presented the icon of the Mother of God of Pochayiv to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom as a gift.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Boris Johnson also laid flowers to the Wall of Remembrance for the Deceased for Ukraine. They honored the memory of the fallen heroes with a moment of silence.

The President of Ukraine and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom visited an exhibition of destroyed military equipment of the Russian occupiers.

The exhibition is located in Mykhailivs’ka Square in Kyiv. Among the exhibits are a self-propelled anti-aircraft missile and cannon complex “Pantsir-S1”, a T-72B3 tank, a BMD-2 infantry fighting vehicle, a BMD-4 turret, an electronic warfare vehicle and the remains of a Tigr SUV. The enemy used most of this equipment during the attack on Kyiv.

The leaders of the two states talked to the Ukrainian military, who took part in the battles for the capital.

“I want to thank you for your service, for protecting us, our state. Take care of yourselves!” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“I wish you success and congratulations on the destruction of this equipment,” said Boris Johnson.

The President of Ukraine and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom greeted Kyiv residents gathered near Mykhailivs’ka Square.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 17 June 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson, who is on a visit to our country.

The Ukrainian Head of State noted that this was the second visit of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to Kyiv since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation.

“I am very grateful to you for such attention to our nation, to all our people, to our state. And for Britain’s leadership and unprecedented support for Ukraine,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy, addressing Boris Johnson during a joint statement to the media following the negotiations in Kyiv.

According to the President of Ukraine, the talks were as substantive as possible, filled with important details. Among the key issues are bilateral relations and the overall situation in Europe and the world.

“First of all, these are two important things – defense and security. We discussed in detail the current situation on the frontline, in our east, in the south of our state, our capabilities in defending Ukraine from the Russian occupiers. We have a common view on how to move towards victory. Because this is exactly the result that Ukraine needs – the victory of our state,” he stressed.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for understanding the armed needs of our country.

“In particular, we talked about the need to increase the supply of heavy weapons. The main thing today is to provide air defense for Ukraine as well. We started to move in this direction. Russian missiles remain a threat to our people, to the entire territory of Ukraine. The vast majority of Russian missile strikes are conducted by the Russian army against ordinary people, civilian infrastructure – housing, schools, hospitals, universities, transport. Obviously, this should be one of the priorities for all of us, for our partners – to help protect against Russian missiles. It will be a guarantee of life for people in most of our territory,” the President said.

Also, according to him, during the talks the parties touched upon the results of the third meeting in the Rammstein format, where Great Britain facilitated the interests of Ukraine.

In addition, the interlocutors discussed the need of our state for financial and economic support.

“It’s not just finances, we also have a fuel shortage due to the bombing of our refinery, our reserves by the Russian Federation. We also talked about a difficult issue – ensuring preparation for the heating season. I am grateful to Boris for his readiness to help our state,” the President said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Boris Johnson raised the issue of increasing sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation.

“I thanked Boris for his personal integrity and leadership in this direction. We also shared our suggestions. We can make sanctions tangible, so that Russia really feels that its aggression, its terrorist actions against Ukraine and against global stability will lead to losses for Russia itself – the aggressor must pay the highest price for this aggression, for this war,” the President said, adding that Russia must also compensate for all the losses of people, communities and businesses.

In addition, he believes that Russia must bear responsibility for the food crisis it provoked and the food shortage on the world market, which arose due to the Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports.

The parties also continued to work out security guarantees for Ukraine, which can bring stability not only to our country, but also to Europe and the world.

“Of course, we have to increase our cooperation for demining the territory of Ukraine. We started a detailed discussion of this issue. And we are preparing to fill the process of rebuilding our state with practical steps. We have no doubt that we will win, so we are already preparing to rebuild the country after our victory. Again, I am thankful for the patronage over Kyiv and the Kyiv region undertaken by Great Britain,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

For his part, Boris Johnson noted the heroism of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, their courage and bravery. He expressed understanding of the impossibility of any compromise between the Ukrainian people and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Ukraine is suffering, the Ukrainian military is suffering, but there are all signs and evidence that Russian troops are under significant pressure, suffering heavy losses, and spending their weapons enormously. In 114 days of the attack on Ukraine, they have not yet achieved the objectives they’ve set for themselves for the first week,” said the Prime Minister.

According to him, Great Britain wants to provide Ukraine with strategic endurance, so it will strengthen the world diplomatic coalition in support of our state and work on strengthening sanctions against the regime of Vladimir Putin.

“I understand the need to continue financial support for Ukraine, to unblock grain exports that Putin has held hostage in an attempt to deprive the world of food,” said Boris Johnson.

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom assured that his country is ready to continue providing weapons to Ukraine and organizing military training for its use.

“Due to this, the Ukrainian people and the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be able to do what Ukrainians really want to do, namely, drive the aggressor out of Ukraine,” Boris Johnson summed up.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 17 June 2022.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva had a phone conversation with European Policy Advisor to the Federal Chancellor of Germany Undine Ruge.

Ihor Zhovkva thanked the German side for the strong political support shown by Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz during his visit to Ukraine on Thursday. The Deputy Head of the Office of the President emphasized the importance of Germany’s support for granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for accession to the European Union.

Ihor Zhovkva expressed hope that such a clear leadership position of Germany will contribute to achieving unity within the EU on a positive decision in favor of Ukraine as a candidate country for membership in the European Union during the European Council session on June 23-24 this year.

“Ukraine and the Ukrainian people deserve this decision,” he said.

“The decision to grant our country candidate status will be deeply symbolic for Ukrainians as a manifestation of European solidarity. It will also be important in practice as a powerful impetus for further reforms. We understand that there is still a lot of work ahead, but we are ready to follow the recommendations and ask to treat Ukraine in view of our achievements,” Ihor Zhovkva added.

The Deputy Head of the Office of the President thanked the German side for supporting the introduction of the sixth package of EU sanctions against Russia and called for further strengthening of sanctions pressure.

“The next package should include new sanctions in the fields of energy, finance and trade, new personal sanctions against Russian oligarchs, government officials and heads of state-owned enterprises, as well as measures to close all opportunities to circumvent and evade sanctions,” he said.