Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 27 May 2022.

Partner countries are providing significant support to Ukraine in the fight against the Russian invasion, and the G20 must demonstrate its clear stance on the aggressor country’s policy at the autumn summit. This was stated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy during an online meeting at the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia think tank.

He noted that due to the war, Ukraine’s state budget deficit is $ 5 billion a month. The United States and partner countries provide significant financial assistance to our country.

“Today our partners help us cover (budget deficit): the European Union, separately at the bilateral level – non-EU countries, the United States, Canada, Australia and many other partners. Also financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund. And this is a big job,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The Head of State added that funds have been set up in a number of countries to help IDPs from Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said that he had accepted an invitation from Indonesian President Joko Widodo to take part in the G20 summit to be held in the autumn.

He expressed confidence that only partner states, not occupiers, would be represented at the G20 summit.

The President stressed that in order to end the war in Ukraine, all democratic forces in the world must unite their efforts to put pressure on Russia.

“The ongoing war in the center of Europe must end. And this is where the unification of all forces is needed. It is a unification of more than just weapons – all politicians, diplomacy and the world’s major economies. In order not to support the Russian Federation, its business, not to support trade with it, any relations with it until they stop their aggressive policy,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The Head of State is convinced that the G20 should give a clear assessment of Russia’s aggressive policy.

I think the G20 should put an end to this. At least to express its clear position in support of Ukraine,” the President summed up.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 26 May 2022.

Ukraine has enough stored grain to meet domestic and international demand until at least the end of 2022, perhaps into 2023, but for this, all military actions in the Black Sea must be stopped. This was stated by Oleg Ustenko, an economic adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a comment to Newsweek.

As the media notes, the blockade of Ukrainian seaports by Russian troops, doesn’t allow Ukraine to sell the country’s excess produce abroad. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine exported more than 6 million tons of grain via the Black Sea each month. Ukraine now has moved its exports to railways and roads, but these do not have the capacity of seaports. In April, for example, only 617,000 tons of produce were exported by rail.

The adviser to the President emphasizes that Russia planned the blockade of Ukrainian seaports from the very beginning of its aggression to create a food crisis in the world and put as much pressure as possible on the West.

“Russia wanted to weaponize food as well,” Oleg Ustenko noted.

“They are playing different cards at one time on the same table: energy, food, plus they have their “military operation” on our land and they’re destroying infrastructure, all our food storage,” he explained.

According to the President’s adviser, Russia is currently firing at any ships that appear in the Black Sea. But if a ceasefire is declared in the region, Ukraine will react quickly and ships with grain will leave seaports.

“If the fighting stopped, we could do that almost immediately because we have access to the main ports,” Oleg Ustenko said.

“My view is that the only way to move this grain to supply international markets is to stop the war, or at least to stop all military actions in the Black Sea,” he emphasized.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 26 May 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with Prime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin, who is visiting Ukraine for the first time.

The Head of State noted the importance of visits of foreign high-ranking officials to our country.

“These are very important direct signals of support, first of all for the Ukrainian people, our people, who see that they are not left alone with today’s ordeals,” he said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the government and people of Finland for their support. In particular, for five packages of defense aid, sanctions against the Russian Federation, as well as for financial and humanitarian aid.

The Head of State stressed the need to impose the next, sixth package of sanctions against Russia by the EU as soon as possible. The key elements of the development of the democratic community’s sanctions policy against the aggressor were discussed separately.

The President noted the importance of Finland’s support for Ukraine’s future membership in the European Union and for the EU decisions to achieve this goal that are needed now already.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted the importance of Sanna Marin’s visit to Irpin and Bucha.

“It was extremely difficult to look at everything that Russia has done to these cities. Many people died. At the same time, the heroic spirit of the Ukrainian people, who are fighting for their freedom and for the whole of Europe, is admirable,” said the Prime Minister of Finland.

Sanna Marin stressed that her country and people today understand Ukrainians very well, given their historical experience.

The President of Ukraine also informed the Prime Minister of Finland about the started comprehensive work on planning the reconstruction of our state after the victory. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the people of Ukraine count on the active participation of Finland in this process and invited them to take a Ukrainian region, city or industry under their patronage for post-war reconstruction.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 25 May 2022.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva held video consultations with Minister for European Union Affairs of the Chancellery of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Poland Konrad Szymański.

Ihor Zhovkva expressed deep gratitude to the leadership of Poland and the Polish people for the unprecedented comprehensive support of Ukraine, significant political and practical assistance given the full-scale invasion of Russia.

The interlocutors exchanged views on the expected results of the forthcoming special meeting of the European Council on May 30-31, a cross-cutting issue of which will be Ukraine. Ihor Zhovkva and Konrad Szymański spoke in detail about Ukraine’s prospects of obtaining candidate status for EU membership.

“We count on the unity of the European Union around the political decision to grant Ukraine the status of a candidate for EU membership at the next meeting of the European Council on June 23-24, 2022. This will be an important strategic decision to ensure the security of the European continent,” said the Deputy Head of the Office of the President.

Ihor Zhovkva reminded that, according to the European Union, Ukraine’s progress in implementing the Association Agreement is 65%. Therefore, granting the status of a candidate for membership in the European Union will be a logical continuation of the progress of our state on this path.

The parties agreed on the need to approve the sixth EU sanctions package as soon as possible, including an embargo on Russian oil imports, as well as the necessity of international efforts to unblock Ukrainian ports to ensure food security for more than 400 million people.

Separately, Ihor Zhovkva and Konrad Szymański discussed the practical aspects of involving Ukraine’s international partners, including Poland, in the reconstruction of our country, which should become a common success story.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 24 May 2022.

First Lady Olena Zelenska spoke at the Ukrainian House in the framework of the World Economic Forum in Davos (Switzerland) and spoke about the humanitarian situation in Ukraine. The President’s wife joined the conversation via video call from the Ukrainian House in Kyiv.

The First Lady showed the participants photos of Ukrainian cities before and after the Russian attack, as well as photos of Ukrainians wounded by the Russian shelling.

Olena Zelenska noted that today it is an image of the whole of Ukraine: wounded, the country seeks to live on and is fighting for it.

“When it became clear that the enemy was not just destroying civilian objects, but was doing so deliberately – we have more than 200 destroyed hospitals – we began to rescue the most vulnerable. We started taking children with oncology abroad. We take orphans abroad, and you can meet the children of two orphanages in Switzerland – they were hosted by the cantons of Bern and Vaud. Thank you for that,” said the First Lady.

“We are rescuing and providing those who stayed in Ukraine with essentials. Incubators for perinatal centers… Today in Ukraine there are several dozen children with limb amputations who need prosthetics and long-term rehabilitation. This is the task I am now beginning to pursue. I will turn to the world’s leading clinics. And our brand new project is the National Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Program,” the President’s wife added.

Answering the audience’s questions, Olena Zelenska commented on the role of Ukrainian women in wartime, calling their resilience outstanding.

She also spoke about how to help and support Ukraine. First of all, according to the First Lady, one should not get used to war.

“We ask on behalf of the whole of Ukraine – do not to get used to the fact that somewhere in Europe children are bombed. Talk about it. Because as soon as we all get used to it, Putin will have a psychological victory. Second – verify the information. The information warfare is also ongoing. And if you start to think that there may be some justification for attacking another country, that invasion may make some sense, it means that you are under the influence of the Russian media,” said the First Lady.

Olena Zelenska added that in order to support our state, public representatives should influence their governments, calling on them to increase sanctions on Russia.

“The sooner it feels them, the less people will die in Ukraine. And representatives of big business, people who have financial authority in the world, can influence the situation by ceasing cooperation with Russian companies,” the President’s wife is convinced.

The First Lady also told how she manages to hold on during the war: “We have a meme on this. When Russian troops attacked near Kyiv, they dropped bombs from aircraft on the small, cozy village of Borodyanka. And when our people returned, they noticed that there was a kitchen cabinet on the wall of the bombed-out high-rise building. An ordinary one, even with utensils cutlery. So now to the question “how are you?” we have the answer: like a kitchen cabinet from Borodyanka, holding on. That’s how we all are today.”

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 24 May 2022.

Dear panelists, dear guests.

Thank you for the honor of opening this meeting. It’s dedicated to one of the most pressing issues in today’s world.

The panel is focused on securing Europe. I am here as an official Ukraine’s representative. No more doubts, obviously. Ukraine is Europe. Shame, it took eight years for Europeans to realize it. In those eight years the world order shattered, the political map was illegally changed, tens of thousands of people died and millions more had to escape.

However, despite all the crimes Russian soldiers committed in Bucha, Mariupol, Chernihiv, and dozens of other locations, we keep hearing calls for capitulation for the sake of peace in Europe. Some of our partners are still suggesting us to give in to the aggressor to save lives. Negotiations on so-called territorial disputes are proposed.

How can one believe it when Russia shows outright intention to destroy Ukraine? How can one hope for it while Russian opinion leaders are calling Ukrainians, us, the wrong Russians? How can one expect it, given the numerous testimonies of acts of genocide against Ukrainians committed by Russian troops?

Ukraine does not have any territorial disputes with Russia. Russia has simply occupied and tried to annex Ukrainian territories. Illegally. Absolutely.

More than anyone, we strive for a balanced and rational dialogue. However, Russia’s political culture does not provide for a dialogue on equal terms. Its basis is dictation. The language of brute force.

More than anyone in the world, we seek peace. But it should be just. Our sovereignty and territorial integrity are not subject to compromise. We are dealing with ideologies and practices terribly alike the worst dictatorships of the last century. History teaches us that pacifying an aggressor is futile. They always take peacefulness for weakness. They demand more with every next concession.

Therefore, there is only one way to prevent the war in Ukraine from escalating into a continental and even world war: help Ukraine win. Now, you don’t have to wage this war. Just help us do it. Otherwise, you’ll have to. You’ll have to send your troops to the battles.

Helping Ukraine is a way to resolve the contradiction between values policy and realpolitik. This is a way to send a clear signal to potential aggressors: their actions will not go unpunished.

So, Ukraine’s immediate goal is to stop Russia’s brutal aggression and ensure the complete withdrawal of its troops from our lands.

Then, we must find a reliable way to deter Russia from repeating aggression in the future. But the world order is nearly wrecked and shattered. The UN is semi-paralyzed with Russia’s presence in the Security Council. The OSCE has lost its raison d’etre. NATO is the only institution capable of providing a reliable security umbrella to its members. But some of the Allied nations still allow Russia to veto Ukraine’s accession. So, we have to take an alternative path.

Today, I’m glad to announce here in Davos that together with the former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen we’re establishing an international advisory working group. Its aim is to make some recommendations for reliable and efficient security guarantees for Ukraine. Leading figures from security, policy and diplomacy as well as scientists will be invited to join in and contribute. We look forward to involving the friends of Ukraine who can offer their expertise and experience to efficiently implement the initiative. Our goal is to stop history from repeating and prepare the future for a sovereign and free Ukraine.

Given the Budapest Memorandum experience, we assume that the future agreement should contain security guarantees, not assurances. This is very important.

No third parties’ security obligations can fully substitute for Ukraine developing and sustaining its own strong defense capabilities.

So, the first block of security guarantees is related to enhancing Ukraine’s ability to resist aggression.

To ensure Ukraine’s defense capabilities, the guarantor states should provide our Armed Forces with modern conventional weapons and military equipment. No restrictions nor politically motivated bars. We need weapons to defend. We must be able to withstand any aggression. Since February 24, nearly seven hundred Ukrainian children have been killed, tortured, raped, and wounded by the Russian troops. Those are we know of for sure. So, the toll is probably much higher. Over two hundred and thirty thousand kids were deported to Russia. We must be able to protect our children. They have the right to live in a safe country, and we are to ensure that right.

As part of their commitment, partners could help us in the fields of intelligence sharing, information security, cyber security, maritime security.

We believe that rapid recovery of defense potential of Ukraine is one of important factors in preventing the new possible aggression. Russia has badly damaged our economy. And we can’t put enough money into defense in the coming years. So, we’ll need annual financial aid. For reconstruction purposes as well as for financing the security and defense.

The next block of security guarantees is sanctions. They are an effective tool for stopping Russian aggression today and deterring it in the future. The current sanctions should last at the very least until the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. Their mitigation and lifting should be agreed with the Government of Ukraine. We should consider the risk of restoring Russia’s military-technical potential.

We also believe that guarantees of imposition of preventive sanctions should also be provided in case of a real threat to our state. And, of course, in the event of aggression immediate and coordinated sanctions should be provided.

The final bloc of security guarantees is related to political and diplomatic support of Ukraine. Embedding Ukraine in multilateral diplomatic processes would improve our integration with the international community. First of all, it’s about Ukraine’s joining the European Union as soon as possible. I need to emphasize we don’t think the so-called alternative formats of integration are acceptable here.

Ukraine also supports the establishment of a coalition of responsible states like “Friends of Ukraine” or “Anti-War Coalition U-24”, which will be ready to effectively respond to violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within 24 hours.

This means providing the necessary military and military-technical, financial and humanitarian aid, as well as imposing sanctions against the aggressor country within 24 hours.

When it comes to security guarantees for ourselves, we are not asking. We offer our partners to invest in common security. First, European. In the future, this system could become the basis of a new global security architecture.

Thanks for your time.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 24 May 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held the first meeting with the newly appointed Permanent Representative of the Head of State to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Tamila Tasheva. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Permanent Representative of the President to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Denys Chystikov, Head of the Crimea Platform Support Service Maria Tomak, First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova and Deputy Head of the Office of the President Ihor Zhovkva.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed with the participants the mood of Ukrainian citizens in the Russian-occupied Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, the prospects for the liberation of the peninsula and the issue of resistance to the occupation.

“It is important for us to understand the mood of the people in the occupied Crimea and Sevastopol. After all, we realize that active and caring citizens of Ukraine on the peninsula will be our mainstay during the liberation of Crimea from occupation. We must support them,” the President stressed.

According to him, in addition to the work aimed at increasing international political support for deoccupation, the first thing to think about is the adoption of additional laws and regulations that help ensure the rights of Ukrainian citizens in Crimea.

Tamila Tasheva spoke about the activities of the President’s Permanent Mission aimed at maintaining contact with Ukrainian citizens on the peninsula who are protesting against the war in one way or another and expressing their solidarity with the mainland of Ukraine. She mentioned some high-profile cases of persecution of activists.

“We have to keep in touch with these people. They should feel that we see and appreciate these signals of solidarity from the occupied territory,” she said.

In addition, the participants of the meeting discussed the prospects for the development of the initiative of the President of Ukraine “Crimea Platform”. In particular, holding international events in August 2022, which will bring together participants of the inaugural summit of the Crimea Platform and potentially expand the geography of states that support the declaration of the Crimea Platform.

Tamila Tasheva also handed over to Volodymyr Zelenskyy a letter from the Deputy Speaker of the Crimean Tatar People’s Mejlis Nariman Dzhelialov who was arrested after participating in the inaugural summit of the Crimea Platform in 2021. Now the occupiers are holding him captive.

In the letter, Nariman Dzhelialov, in particular, thanked the President of Ukraine for signing a law introducing social and legal protection for political prisoners, prisoners of war and civilian hostages.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 24 May 2022.

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak has announced the establishment of an international advisory group that will develop proposals on security guarantees for Ukraine. He will co-lead the group with former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. This was announced by Andriy Yermak, speaking at the Securing Europe panel in the framework of the World Economic Forum, which is taking place in Davos.

“Today, I’m glad to announce here in Davos that together with the former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen we’re establishing an international advisory working group. Its aim is to make some recommendations for reliable and efficient security guarantees for Ukraine. Leading figures from security, policy and diplomacy as well as scientists will be invited to join in and contribute,” the Head of the Office of the President noted.

He expressed confidence that the friends of Ukraine will take part in the work of the advisory group and will be able to offer their knowledge and experience for the effective implementation of this initiative.

“Our goal is to stop history from repeating and prepare the future for a sovereign and free Ukraine,” Andriy Yermak emphasized.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 24 May 2022.

The unification of Ukrainians after the beginning of the Russian invasion proves that the citizens of Ukraine, despite some differences, have common values and views of important strategic issues. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during an online conversation at the Ukrainian House in Davos.

“It wasn’t a surprise to me that our people are so united. Sometimes different parts of our country have different opinions, different views of some things, there are different people. Russian is spoken more in the east and Ukrainian is spoken more in the west. But we are so united, and I am happy that my confidence in the Ukrainian people has been confirmed. We are different, but the same. We are different in details and trifles, but we are the same in important strategic things, in human things. We have the same values,” the Head of State stressed.

The President also noted that he has always considered Ukraine the best country in the world.

“I am a fan of Ukraine, I have always been. Whenever I had the opportunity to choose where to have a vacation before the presidency, I chose one or another place in Ukraine. Even if the mountains are higher and better somewhere, for me in Ukraine they have always been the best,” he said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that he feels at home only in Ukraine, and defending our country is the same as defending your home from criminals who broke in at 4 am.

The President expressed the opinion that after this war Ukrainians will look at their land, their nature and their country differently.

According to him, the war gave an additional understanding that the most important things are very simple.

“When the children are around, everything is fine with your wife, parents and loved ones are alive. When neighbors are alive, nothing is burned, the missile did not destroy their property… Because grief is common. And this invasion of Russia is a common grief,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy explained.

The Head of State is convinced that now the greatest happiness is probably the opportunity for Ukrainian families to gather together in the evening at home.