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

Today, the democratic world has seized the initiative in confronting the aggressor country, so it is necessary to preserve unity in order not to lose it and win the war that Russia has unleashed in Ukraine. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a conversation with media representatives following a meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Kyiv.

“Strength in the world depends primarily on our strength. The strength within our state at the very beginning of the invasion demonstrated to the whole world what it is like to be united. We are all united. I think this signal is the most important and cannot be lost. People on the battlefield see this signal – what a strong united state is, with the army, with society,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The President noted that Russia will try to influence the situation in Europe and the world with the help of information weapons and energy, using the factor of the upcoming heating season.

He noted that it is difficult for the European Union to implement the next package of sanctions, because they affect the politics within the states, primarily the EU. So it is very important to stay united in this issue.

“You can’t freeze the conflict and you can’t say: let’s wait a year, two, three… This will be our weakness. Ukraine has no right to lose the initiative and should not allow Europe to lose the initiative. Today, the whole world has taken the initiative from the Russian Federation with great efforts. And our victory in this war is unification and the inadmissibility of losing this initiative,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.

For his part, Boris Johnson expressed his belief that Ukraine’s partners will overcome difficult economic circumstances and come out of these ordeals even stronger, because they will not be vulnerable to blackmail from the Russian Federation.

“Europe must get rid of dependence on Russian gas. This will be a huge geopolitical change for Europe and a disaster for Putin,” he said.

According to the Prime Minister of Great Britain, there are difficult months ahead, politicians will need to explain to the population of their countries why this happened. “But we will overcome it and we will do it in unity,” he summed up.

The President of Ukraine also thanked the United States of America for providing perhaps the largest military assistance to Ukraine.

“They are the most powerful – both economically and in terms of political influence. And when we need weapons on the battlefield, we understand that their packages can help us faster and more. We are grateful for the help to President Biden personally, to Congress, for the bipartisan support. We are at a great distance from each other. But we have repeatedly emphasized – and the US sees it – that we are fighting for the same values,” the Head of State said.

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

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson who paid a visit to our country on the occasion of Independence Day of Ukraine.

The President noted that Boris Johnson is visiting Kyiv for the third time since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war against our country. Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine has a friend that not everyone is lucky enough to have.

“Today I thanked the Prime Minister for all the support we received from him as a leader and from the society of Britain – our reliable partner. This assistance really brings our victory closer. And we will definitely win, we are sure of that. The victory of freedom in Ukraine is the victory of freedom in Europe,” the Head of State said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his belief that the right of Ukrainians and all other nations who value freedom to live on their land will be defended.

During the meeting of the President of Ukraine with Boris Johnson, a number of important issues were discussed. In particular, the defense needs of our country, the situation around the ZNPP, the treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war. Attention was also paid to the participation of Great Britain in the reconstruction of Ukraine and to other economic issues.

“Prime Minister Johnson always said: what else can Britain do for Ukraine to win? I think this is the key meaning of relations between Great Britain and Ukraine, relations between our societies, friendly relations between us. This, in my opinion, is the most important thing that happened between our states. And this also does not give us the right to lose in this war, and we will definitely not lose with such friends,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The Head of State personally thanked Boris Johnson and Great Britain for standing with the Ukrainian people on Independence Day.

The Prime Minister, for his part, emphasized that Ukraine managed to resolutely repel the Russian invader, pushing him away from Kyiv and Kharkiv.

“We pay tribute to those who perished at the front due to Putin’s brutality. I am proud of the bravery of Ukrainians who continue to live their lives,” he said and noted that Ukrainians have demonstrated a strong desire for freedom.

Boris Johnson noted that his country will continue to support Ukraine in every possible way in the fight against the aggressor. In particular, Great Britain provides defense assistance and carries out training of Ukrainian servicemen.

“Now we must increase our support to Ukraine,” said the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister of Great Britain also emphasized the importance of preventing the mitigation of sanctions against Russia. Also, in his opinion, it is inadmissible to start negotiations with Russia as long as it violates the territorial integrity of Ukraine and kills its citizens.

“This war can end in the only way – Ukraine will win. And Great Britain will stand by your side,” Boris Johnson emphasized.

The Prime Minister also noted that Great Britain will help in the reconstruction of our country. After all, Ukrainian schoolchildren in the frontline territories continue to get an education despite the difficult conditions.

“Our common goal is to ensure that these pupils, when they grow up, acquire all the qualifications necessary for life in a successful Ukraine. We will heal your cities and villages from the scars of this terrible war. We will make the country a flower noticeable by the whole world,” he said.

“I want people in my country to clearly understand what is at stake in Ukraine. This concerns your right to live in peace and freedom. But in fact, this concerns all of us when it comes to freedom and democracy,” Boris Johnson summed up.

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

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal João Gomes Cravinho as part of his visit to Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy highly appreciated the fact that the Head of the Foreign Ministry of Portugal arrived in Ukraine precisely on the day of the 31st anniversary of the restoration of independence of our state.

“We are grateful that you arrived without paying attention to the sirens. I am glad that there are more and more people and states around Ukraine that are also not afraid of Russian aggression,” the President emphasized.

During the meeting, the parties exchanged views regarding the further support for our country by Portugal in strengthening the defense capabilities and increasing the sanctions pressure on Russia. In particular, the Head of State called for the introduction of visa restrictions against citizens of the Russian Federation.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Portugal for its participation in the Second Summit of the Crimea Platform and noted the importance of keeping the issue of deoccupation of Crimea on the international agenda.

Special attention was paid to the participation of Portugal in the restoration of the educational infrastructure of Zhytomyr, as well as educational institutions of the cities of Irpin and Bucha with the support of the municipality of the Portuguese city of Cascais. In this context, the President highly appreciated the humanitarian mission of the Portuguese Foreign Minister to the Zhytomyr region.

“The restoration of educational institutions that return our schoolchildren to school, students to universities and children to kindergartens is a priority for us. This is the first step towards the restoration of our state,” he said during the conversation.

“You are one of the first states that actually already join the program of recovery of Ukraine. We are grateful for that,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.

He expressed hope that Portugal will join the recovery of Ukraine at the global level.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, for his part, noted that it is an honor for him to be in Ukraine on the 31st anniversary of its independence and to represent his country.

João Gomes Cravinho emphasized that he came to convey the words of solidarity and support – political, security and humanitarian – from the President, Prime Minister, government and people of Portugal.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 23 August 2022.

Ukraine is ready to provide a corridor for the arrival of the UN and IAEA mission to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is under the occupation of Russian troops. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a press conference following the Second Summit of the Crimea Platform in Kyiv.

“Our specialists are at the plant. Thank God, we managed to leave them there. Thanks to this, the nuclear power plant is working, there were no emissions there as of today. The danger is one hundred percent, because we do not control what is happening there,” the President said.

In particular, according to him, there is information that the occupiers were bringing something into the territory of the Zaporizhzhia NPP. The safety of this cannot be established.

“That is, anything can happen: mining, explosions or dangerous disconnection from our networks and switching the flow to another direction. This can lead to a tragedy for the whole world,” emphasized Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The President noted that the issue of ZNPP security is raised at all levels. In particular, the Head of State discussed it with the Presidents of France, Turkey, other leaders, as well as with representatives of the UN and the IAEA. It was agreed that the occupiers should leave the territory of the plant, because this is no longer a matter of war, but of security for the whole world.

“We need to put pressure on Russia, give them an ultimatum from the international community that they should leave (the territory of ZNPP – ed.), withdraw equipment, bombs, weapons and people who definitely do not understand what is happening there and have no relation to atomic energy,” the Head of State emphasized.

According to him, Ukraine proposed that experts from the IAEA and the UN come to our country and, in compliance with Ukrainian legislation, arrive at the occupied part of the Ukrainian territory – the ZNPP.

“We are glad that all the civilized people have heard us, and now we are waiting for their arrival. We are ready to provide a safe corridor for them to go to the temporarily occupied territory,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The President also noted that Ukraine is aware of the attempts of the occupiers to disconnect the ZNPP, but they were not implemented.

“Let’s believe that they heard that this is dangerous for the whole world,” added the Head of State.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 23 August 2022.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasizes that Crimea is an integral part of Ukraine, and our state will return the peninsula occupied by Russia by any available means. The Head of State said this during a press conference following the Second Summit of the Crimea Platform.

“We will return Crimea, because it is our territory. In any way we decide. We will decide it on our own, without consulting any other state,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The President recalled that Ukraine had for a long time demonstrated its desire to end the conflict over the occupied territories, in particular Crimea, through diplomatic means, but Russia had not accepted such an approach.

“We were doing it, there was a long process when the ceasefire was in effect. But you see how it all ended. There was a full-scale invasion,” he noted.

At the same time, Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that our army does not strike at civilian objects and the population, in particular, in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

“We know what we are doing, we know the locations of military facilities and warehouses in the temporarily occupied territories. The Ukrainian troops can work there according to the plan,” the President said.

 

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 23 August 2022.

Currently, Ukraine is not ready for negotiations with Russia regarding a ceasefire, as it does not want to repeat the negative experience of the Minsk agreements, which led to the loss of control over our territories. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this at a press conference following the Second Summit of the Crimea Platform in Kyiv.

“At the point where we are, we are not ready for a ceasefire. We explained that there will be no Minsk-3, Minsk-5, or Minsk-7. We will not play these games, we have lost part of our territories this way. And everyone understands this very well, everyone heard it from us. Because it is a trap. We understand that,” the Head of State explained.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the ceasefire regime could drag on for years, and Ukraine would be left without part of the territories in the south and would have no access to the sea. And the Russian Federation may start hostilities again after some time, trying to seize Mykolaiv, Odesa, and even repeat the attempt to capture Kyiv.

The President emphasized that the Russian aggressor has entered the territory of Ukraine and is killing Ukrainian citizens who are defending themselves and fighting for their lives.

“Russia, with daily attacks, breakthroughs, advances and retreats accompanied by bloody murder and violence, tells us all that they do not see any negotiations. And we explain that everything they did shows that they are not thinking about any dialogue and have never thought about it,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

At the same time, as the Head of State noted, the longer the war waged by Russia against Ukraine lasts, the more expensive it will be for the whole world and for the Russian Federation itself.

“For us, the cost is the greatest, because people die. Someone in Europe already feels it. Other parts of the world don’t feel it yet, but the blockade of the Black Sea coast says there could be famine and they will feel it. Someone in Asia still doesn’t feel it either – it will be a little bit later. The highest price will be for Russia. Unfortunately, later than all, but one hundred percent. Because the price will be historic,” he said.

The President of Ukraine is convinced that the damage from this war can be reduced by speeding up its end.

“If everyone in the world is pragmatic and we move from the language of emotions and humanity to money, then it is cheaper to end this war earlier. Ending earlier means giving us weapons. This is a very simple formula,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy summed up.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 23 August 2022.

The Second Summit of the Crimea Platform initiated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy took place. Representatives of about 60 foreign countries and international organizations took part in its work. In particular, the leaders of the G7, representatives of the African continent and Latin American countries joined the event.

Due to security requirements given the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine, this year the summit was held in the format of a video conference. President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda personally came to Kyiv to participate in the event.

Opening the summit, the Ukrainian Head of State noted that Ukraine has a well-elaborated vision of how to restore our Crimean peninsula after the expulsion of the Russian invaders.

“That is why we are adding two more directions to the work of the Crimea Platform: economic and legislative directions. We have a strategy for the restoration of Crimea – today it will be presented as part of the economic panel. And we are creating a legislative foundation for Crimea – after deoccupation, as well as for all those for whom Crimea is much more than even home,” the President said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also announced that this year the Crimea Platform will have a continuation in the form of a parliamentary summit in the autumn in Croatia.

“No longer online, with the presence of parliamentary delegations of the world. We use all the power of democracies to protect our state and the international legal order,” he said.

During the event, the participants considered the issues of security and human rights on the peninsula occupied by Russia, as well as the restoration of the Autonomous Republic after liberation.

During his speech at the summit, President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda emphasized that Crimea has always remained a part of Ukraine, and it is impossible to put up with Russia’s occupation of the peninsula.

“After the crimes, after the Russian war against Ukraine, the ruins and destruction of Ukrainians, we cannot return to the line that existed before February 23 of this year. It is necessary to liberate the entire territory of Ukraine, together with Crimea, within internationally recognized borders,” said Andrzej Duda.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who joined the summit online, emphasized that the Ukrainian people have the right to defend themselves and defend their Crimea from the Russian invasion.

“Today we remind the world that Crimea is within the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine. Crimea is part of Ukraine, not Russia,” he said and added that Canada would continue to support our country.

In particular, as Justin Trudeau said, his country, together with its partners, will continue sanctions against 1,750 individuals and organizations from Russia and Belarus. Canada will also provide financial support to strengthen the fight against Russian disinformation.

Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz noted that the international community will never accept the imperialist illegal annexation of the territories of Ukraine by Russia.

“This summit demonstrates that Ukraine’s partners are more united than ever,” he is convinced.

The Chancellor assured of Germany’s decisive and unwavering support for Ukraine.

“We have unprecedented sanctions, we are implementing them together with our partners. We support Ukraine financially and continue to provide weapons. We are providing a new package that also includes some air defense systems,” said Olaf Scholz and added that Germany is also actively working on the future recovery of Ukraine.

Prime Minister of Great Britain Boris Johnson emphasized that since the beginning of the annexation of Crimea by Russia, there has been a brutal violation of human rights on the peninsula, and Crimea has turned into a military bridgehead for attacks on other territories of Ukraine. In his opinion, the world community should not allow changes in the borders of states by force of arms.

“In the face of Putin’s attack, we must continue to provide our Ukrainian friends with all the military support, humanitarian, economic, and diplomatic assistance they need, until Russia stops this terrible war and withdraws its power from the entire territory of Ukraine without exception,” the Prime Minister of Great Britain urged.

President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron noted that by occupying the Ukrainian Crimea, Russia violated the fundamental norms of international law. “France defends the rules that regulate international relations and guarantee international security. That is why France has always supported the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine and will continue to do so,” he said.

“The struggle for Crimea is part of the struggle for the liberation of Ukraine. In February, Russian troops used Crimea as a springboard to attack the southern regions of Ukraine. They are using Crimea to create military pressure on other territories, in particular on Mykolaiv and Odesa,” Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi emphasized in the video.

President of the European Council Charles Michel noted that Russia’s aggression against the Ukrainian people began with Russia’s illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014. He noted that Russia has turned Crimea into a springboard for invading other regions of Ukraine, and by blocking Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, it has provoked a food crisis in the world.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, for her part, emphasized that the EU has stood with Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion and will continue to help as long as necessary.

“Putin wanted to deprive Ukraine of its independence and bright future. But something else happened. Tomorrow, Ukraine will not only celebrate the 31st anniversary of its independence – now Ukraine has become a candidate for EU membership,” she said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted the importance of the Crimea Platform Summit, whose participants must insist that Crimea is Ukraine.

“We must increase international pressure and increase the price for President Putin and his supporters until the rights of the Ukrainian people and sovereign Ukraine are restored,” he said and emphasized the importance of maintaining humanitarian, security and diplomatic support for Ukraine.

Antony Blinken also congratulated all Ukrainians on the upcoming Independence Day.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated: during the six months of Russia’s full-scale attack on Ukraine, our people demonstrated their ability to resist aggression, as well as the fact that Putin will not be able to break the Ukrainians. NATO stands in total solidarity with Ukraine, its member states support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state, the right to defend our land and choose a path in the future.

“President Putin started this unjustified war. He must stop it himself and withdraw his military power from Ukrainian soil,” said the NATO Secretary General and added that the countries of the Alliance have helped and will help Ukraine in the exercise of its sovereign right to defend itself from the enemy by providing various types of aid and equipment. NATO will be with Ukraine as long as necessary, Jens Stoltenberg said.

“The Crimea Platform is an extremely important tool that unites many countries and organizations. All of them stand for the territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine. We all stand for the return of the temporarily occupied territories to Ukraine, for the return of human rights, international law,” said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in the video, adding that his country would continue to support Ukraine and its people.

Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida emphasized that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is an outrageous act that shook the foundations of the international order not only in Europe, but also in Asia. He stated that as a person born in Hiroshima, he would never tolerate the use or threat of nuclear weapons. Fumio Kishida reminded that Japan has introduced tough sanctions against the Russian Federation, provided financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, including defense equipment.

President of Slovenia Borut Pahor, President of Finland Sauli Niinistö, Prince Alois of Liechtenstein, President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili, President of Latvia Egils Levits, President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda, President of Estonia Alar Karis, President of Slovakia Zuzana Čaputová, President of Moldova Maia Sandu, President of Guatemala Alejandro Giammattei Falla, President of Suriname Chandrikapersad Santokhi, Secretary-General of the UN António Guterres, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić, Secretary General of the OSCE Helga Schmid, Secretary General of GUAM Altai Efendiev and other world leaders also delivered video addresses to the attendees.

Following the Summit, the participants adopted a Joint Statement.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 23 August 2022.

One year ago, on 23 August 2021, we gathered in Kyiv to establish the International Crimea Platform, based on the non-recognition of Russia’s illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, which constitutes a violation of the sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine as well as a direct challenge to international security.

We, the Participants in the International Crimea Platform, remain committed to Ukraine’s sovereignty, political independence, unity and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, extending to its territorial waters. We reiterate our resolve to maintain pressure on Russia to end the temporary occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol without delay to restore Ukraine’s control over its territory.

We condemn in the strongest terms Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion and its war of aggression against Ukraine, and notably its use of the temporarily occupied Crimean Peninsula and Ukrainian territorial waters for its war against Ukraine. We strongly condemn Russia’s extensive use of military aircraft and warships for missile strikes and attacks affecting civilians and Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. We also condemn the use of Crimea for aggression against and military invasion of southern Ukrainian regions. All perpetrators of war crimes should be brought to justice.

Recalling the resolution ES-11/1 of the UN General Assembly adopted on March 2, 2022, we call on Russia to ensure an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all its forces and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders.

We regret that against this backdrop the situation in temporarily occupied Crimea has further deteriorated.

We are deeply concerned about the increase in repressive measures by Russian occupying authorities, including abuses of human rights of the indigenous Crimean Tatars severely threatening their ability to fully enjoy their human rights, maintain and develop their culture, education and identity.

We are equally concerned with the aggressive imposition of education in the Russian language, of Russian curricula and education materials and with efforts to use the education system for the propaganda of service in the armed or auxiliary forces of the Russian Federation among children.

We call on the Russian Federation to comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law, to immediately and unconditionally release Ukrainian prisoners unjustly detained in Crimea and the territory of Russia, including Nariman Dzhelyalov, the First Deputy Head of the Mejlis of Crimean Tatar people, and to comply with the order of the International Court of Justice of April 19, 2017 to refrain from maintaining the ban on the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people and provide full and unimpeded access to Crimea for established regional and international monitoring mechanisms.

We condemn the continued practice of illegal conscription of Crimean residents into the Russian Armed Forces and their reported forced involvement in Russia’s offensive military actions against Ukraine.

We also condemn Russia’s resettlement of its citizens to the Peninsula seeking to forcibly change the demographic composition of Crimea in a blatant attempt to deepen its occupation and control.

We are also deeply concerned by numerous reports of forcible transfer by the Russian Federation of Ukrainian citizens, in particular civilians and prisoners of war, including Crimean Tatars, from the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine to Crimea and Russia.

We equally deplore Russia’s seizure of the Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov and in Kherson, which has impeded the lawful exercise of navigational rights and freedoms and maritime traffic in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, contributing to global food insecurity. We are further concerned about the massive transportation of heavy weapons and personnel through Crimea, which is aggravating the ecological consequences of Russia`s temporary occupation of Crimea since 2014.

We recognise that the increasing militarization of the Peninsula by the Russian Federation continues to have a negative impact on the security situation in the Black Sea region.

We condemn Russia’s reported attempts to trade in stolen grain and metallurgy from Ukraine.

Furthermore, we condemn Russia’s attempts to forcefully integrate parts of the Ukrainian territory currently under the control of invading Russian armed forces as a result of their illegal invasion. Any attempts to redraw Ukraine’s borders by force are a clear violation of international law, including the UN Charter and of Ukraine’s Constitution, they further undermine sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and will not be recognised.

We stand firmly with the people of Ukraine as they bravely face Russia’s military aggression and express our solidarity with those in Crimea and other Ukraine’s territories under Russia’s temporary control who continue to speak up at great personal risk against Russia’s temporary occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol and Russia`s ongoing military invasion.

In this context we express our determination to continue our support of Ukraine, including political, economic, humanitarian and/or security assistance.

We express our determination to continue working together within the International Crimea Platform on ending the Russian Federation’s temporary occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol for the full restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.

We confirm the need to continue implementing the policy of non-recognition of the illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation.

We reiterate our commitment to maintain pressure on Russia to end its temporary occupation of Crimea and to restore Ukraine’s control over the territory of the Peninsula.

This would create a solid basis for the restoration of the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, the rule of law, and freedom of navigation in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. It would also contribute to improving security and stability in the region and global food security, as well as allowing bringing perpetrators to justice.

We express our readiness to consider or to join further political diplomatic and restrictive measures towards the Russian Federation should its actions so require and in line with the respective procedures and legal jurisdiction of each Participant.

We stand by Ukraine as it defends its territorial integrity and sovereignty against the Russian aggression.

We invite other states and organizations to consider joining the International Crimea Platform.