Blog

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

The world community must help Ukraine unblock seaports, otherwise the energy crisis will be followed by a food crisis and many more countries will face it, said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“Russia has blocked almost all ports and all, so to speak, maritime opportunities to export food – our grain, barley, sunflower and more. A lot of things,” the Head of State said during a meeting with media representatives following negotiations with Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa in Kyiv.

According to the President of Ukraine, currently the Russian Federation has blocked 22 million tons of food products. The aggressor country is gradually stealing it and trying to sell it.

“There will be a crisis in the world. The second crisis after the energy one, which was provoked by Russia. Now it will create a food crisis if we do not unblock the routes for Ukraine, do not help the countries of Africa, Europe, Asia, which need these food products. You can unblock them in different ways. One of the ways is a military solution. That is why we turn to our partners with inquiries regarding the relevant weapons,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy added.

For his part, the Prime Minister of Portugal noted that his country has already sent military aid to our country. These are non-lethal and lethal weapons in accordance with Ukraine’s requests. And the provision of such assistance continues.

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

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expects that the result of the second meeting of the partner countries in the composition in which they met at Ramstein Air Base, scheduled for May 23 in online format, will be the provision of Ukraine with the necessary weapons to defend its territories.

“To be honest, we have high expectations. I would call it a long-awaited process. We are grateful for the great military support provided by various states. We expect a positive result on the supply of MLRS. I have no secrets, we appeal to all countries – from the United States to every European country – regarding MLRS, thanks to which Ukraine will be able to take over the initiative and liberate its territory,” said the President, answering questions from media representatives following talks with Prime Minister of Portugal António Costa in Kyiv.

To those countries that are afraid to provide Ukraine with MLRS because they believe that our state will attack Russia, Volodymyr Zelenskyy reminded that the war is currently underway on Ukrainian territory, and Donbas has not ceased to be part of Ukraine after Russian passports were issued there.

“These are our territories, and we are going step by step to liberate them. We cannot pay the price of tens, hundreds of thousands of people. So we ask you to help us. In some countries it is just stored (this weaponry – ed.), and for us it is survival, I mean these MLRS,” the Head of State stressed.

According to him, the Ukrainian side knows that the Russian Federation at various levels threatens certain states, trying to prevent the transfer of these systems to Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the countries not to be afraid and to unite, because that is what Russia is really afraid of.

“It is afraid of a strong union, that the EU and the United States will act as one organism. This is very important for us as well, because Ukraine is a fist in this single organism today. That is why we really need your material help,” the Head of State concluded.

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

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Prime Minister of the Portuguese Republic António Costa, who is on a visit to our country.

The Head of State noted that this was the first visit of the Portuguese Prime Minister to Ukraine. He called it symbolic that António Costa visited our country on Europe Day, because today the Ukrainian people are defending the independence and freedom that are common to all Europeans.

“Today, during the meeting, I once again felt such a closeness of values ​​and a common understanding by our nations of the future of Europe. Portugal has been helping Ukraine since the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion of our land. I am grateful to your country and to you personally, Mr. Prime Minister, for your defensive, political and humanitarian assistance, as well as for the great support for our citizens, forcibly displaced Ukrainians who fled the war and are now on the European continent in various countries, in particular in Portugal,” said the President, addressing António Costa during a joint meeting with media representatives following the talks in Kyiv.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also praised Portugal’s readiness to provide financial assistance to Ukraine.

“Relevant agreements on the provision of financial assistance by Portugal today will be formalized at the governmental level,” the President said.

In addition, according to him, a wide range of important issues related to the defense of Ukraine was discussed during the meeting, including further defense assistance. Attention was also paid to the issue of prosecuting Russian war criminals.

“We agreed to further increase the sanctions pressure on the aggressor. The key issue now is the sixth package of sanctions against Russia, which must include an embargo on Russian oil, oil blends and petroleum products. We appreciate Portugal’s understanding that Russia is using all this to put pressure on Ukraine and a united Europe,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The interlocutors also discussed Ukraine’s European integration.

“We hope that the state vote of Portugal will be in support of our country on the status of a candidate for accession to the European Union during the consideration of this issue at the European Council in June,” said the President.

Special attention was paid to the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskyy expects Portugal to be actively involved in this process.

For his part, António Costa reaffirmed readiness to join the reconstruction of Ukraine after the war. He noted that his country could be responsible for rebuilding schools and kindergartens that were destroyed during hostilities. According to António Costa, Portugal has significant experience in designing and building educational institutions, which it will be able to use in Ukraine.

The Prime Minister of the Portuguese Republic noted the resistance of the Ukrainian people to the barbaric and completely illegal invasion of Russia and the example of courage that Ukrainians have shown to the world.

He noted the closeness of the people of Ukraine and Portugal, in particular due to the great contribution of the Ukrainian community to the development of the Portuguese economy in recent decades.

António Costa assured Ukraine of his country’s support in winning the war and establishing peace throughout Europe.

The Portuguese Prime Minister also said that his country is looking forward to the European Commission’s report on the prospects of Ukraine’s integration with the European Union and is ready to share its own experience of gaining EU membership.

António Costa spoke in favor of international sanctions and increased investment in alternative energy sources and ways to supply energy to Europe to overcome dependence on Russia.

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

A full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine could not be repulsed at once because the enemy was advancing simultaneously from several directions and used a large amount of manpower. This was stated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview with the host of the United News telethon.

The Head of State noted that Ukraine was preparing for a full-scale Russian aggression, but no one knew the methods and scope of this invasion until the end.

“It’s one thing when you realize that tanks will go from Belarus. And another thing is that Russia will go to Ukraine through Belarus, another thing is that missiles are flying from Belarus. It seems that the difference is small. There were warnings that there could be an offensive from that side. But the difference is big: you are at war with the forces and means that are on the territory of Belarus, which pass through the territory of Belarus and go to Ukraine, or you are at war with two countries,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The President stressed that Ukraine was preparing for various scenarios of invasion, and our state had sufficient information about the intentions of the enemy.

“In terms of the volume of forces used by the Russian Federation, which used everything, even the reserve, “quiet” mobilization… Concentration was in Crimea, in Belarus and in other areas… Along the borders, they concentrated a large number of forces a year before. I think that today no European country would be able to cope with such a volume,” the President said.

He noted that according to analysts, our state could not cope with the full-scale invasion of Russia, at least because Ukraine is 28 times smaller in area and still quite large territorially.

“When you are attacked by a large army, you cannot concentrate your forces around, for example, Kyiv. You need to look and provide air defense, tanks, equipment, infantry fighting vehicles, and most importantly – professional military personnel (throughout the country – ed.),” said the President.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that in order to protect such a territory, the army should have not 250,000 of servicemen, but much more. The Head of State reminded that at the beginning of the year he signed a decree to increase the number of personnel of the Armed Forces by 100,000 servicemen.

“But even 100,000 plus could not stop them (the aggressor’s troops – ed.). Today we have 700,000. You see the result of the work of 700,000 people who are at war,” the President said.

In addition, according to the President, at the beginning of the invasion, the enemy struck at the positions of the Ukrainian artillery and air defense forces. At the same time, as Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted, Ukraine was well prepared for the invasion, and there were many things that the enemy did not know about and that later worked against him.

The Head of State is convinced that now Ukraine must quickly provide its army with modern weapons that will protect the entire territory.

“NATO countries have the appropriate weapons – there are Patriots, there is powerful air defense equipment that can protect the sky from missile strikes,” he said.

The President stated that the Armed Forces of Ukraine should move from Soviet technology to the latest models of weapons used by NATO countries.

“But it’s a lot of money not only for re-equipment. We need to move from Soviet weapons to NATO models. And if you are a country that is not a member of NATO, how can you do that if you are not given licenses, you are not sold anything, as it was before the war,” said the President.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that some partners recommended that Ukraine dig trenches before the war.

“By digging trenches, it is impossible to do what we did. Because it is impossible to win a war with a shovel. They told us to dig trenches. And we told them: give us weapons,” the Head of State said.

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

Ukraine can win the war with Russia only on the battlefield, but the final dot will still be put at the negotiating table, because that is the only way to settle many difficult issues. This was stated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview with the host of the United News telethon.

The Head of State noted that even today he can repeat the words he said three years ago after his election as President of Ukraine: we did not start this war, but we have to end it. However, the meaning of these words has changed.

“I really thought that the war could end with dialogue. But, unfortunately, I thought that this was a dialogue with the appropriate timing, that it would be possible to find answers to many questions and many decisions with the Russian side. I really thought so. And now it is a hybrid. That is why the war is so difficult. And the victory will be very difficult. It will be bloody, it will be in battle, but the end will definitely be in diplomacy,” the President explained.

At the same time, Volodymyr Zelenskyy is convinced that the end of the war will still lie in the diplomatic sphere, because there are a number of issues that can be resolved only at the negotiating table.

“We want everything back. And the Russian Federation doesn’t want to return anything. That’s why the ending will be at the negotiating table,” he said.

The Head of State also noted that the specific purpose and agenda of his future meeting with the Russian President, which is inevitable for registration of the end of the war, will depend on the moment when it will take place.

“Everything changes. There is a hybrid war, honestly, there will be a hybrid peace as well. And hybrid meetings. For example, if we met today, the issue of Mariupol would also be on the agenda. If we meet in two or three months, maybe this issue will not be on the agenda, or maybe it will. We don’t know,” he said.

At the same time, the President of Ukraine stressed that in any case the issues of the end of the war and the establishment of peace, deoccupation of Ukrainian territories, exchange and return home of Ukrainian military and civilians should be resolved at the negotiating table.

“A lot depends on us, but a lot depends on Russia, too. Without talking to them, we must then state the result we have. We want the territories back and this war to be over. But how and when it will happen depends on the time when the conversation with Putin will take place. I think that the conversation between Ukraine and Russia will definitely take place. But we don’t know in what format: with or without intermediaries, in a wide circle or in the format of bilateral conversation,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

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

Ladies and Gentlemen

Thank you for having the time for this very important meeting for me.

I would like to start my speech today with a short video – a documentary footage of the prehistory of current events in Ukraine, what is happening now, and where we are going.

Recently, it has become very popular to look for analogies to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the events surrounding this war. Historical parallels are always inaccurate. This is rather “yes, but…” than “exactly so”. But they allow us to imagine a possible future in the light of past experience.

Well, we are very pleased that the world has gone the path from the “second Munich” to the “second Lend-Lease” and the second frontline – this time the sanctions one – in a matter of months. However, today the attempts to turn today’s Ukraine, which successfully opposes one of the world’s largest armies, into the second Czechoslovakia look very strange. All this time we are emphasizing, and I will emphasize this again: it will not work. We will never give up.

More than anyone in the world, we seek peace. But fair peace is crucial for us. Peace at any cost is not an option for us. We did not start this war. We did not seize foreign territories. But we have to return and will return ours. Ukraine is Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk and Sevastopol. Our sovereignty and territorial integrity are not a compromise for us. This approach did not work in 1938, and now it will not work even more so. Russia’s political culture does not provide for a regime of dialogue. Its basis, as we all see, is terror, blackmail and coercion. And the language of power. Therefore, there is only one way to prevent the war in Ukraine from escalating into a war in the region and even a world war: to help Ukraine win. And as soon as possible.

First of all, weapons. I would like to take this opportunity to thank President Biden, both parties and the people of the United States for their military assistance. For unprecedented historical support and an inspiring example for others. America has reaffirmed its leadership in the free world by uniting democracies to resist Russian aggression against Ukraine.

We truly thank you for the Lend-Lease. Your weaponry saves thousands of lives today, every minute, every second. Not just our soldiers, but also civilians. Because for Russian terrorists who call themselves military, civilians are also perfectly legitimate goals. Just as infrastructure facilities. This means that any weapon for Ukraine is a defensive weapon. Our allies in America, Europe and elsewhere are well aware of this. But I must also tell you that we still lack heavy weapons. We still need high-precision missiles, we need drones, air defense systems, ammunition and much more. And very importantly, we are still waiting for the MLRS. I learned this word, like many Ukrainians, for life. We are still waiting for them.

That should not be the case. In the first, critical stage of the war, we spent too much time negotiating supplies, searching for these weapons. Meanwhile, people stopped tanks with bare hands in our cities. Now that we have a chance to completely liberate Ukraine from the aggressor, it is inadmissible to delay. We have very different potentials with Russia. Therefore, the liberation war of Ukraine, the war for freedom, should not turn into a war until the last Ukrainian. After all, it will not end there.

If successful, the Kremlin’s circle of historical reconstruction will continue to build its empire. Ukraine stands between it and the free world. It protects not only itself. Not only democratic values. It protects the way of life common to the West. Because, despite the hopes of short-sighted politicians, it will not be preserved. It will vanish if we do not win. Then voters will start asking them awkward questions. In particular, about betrayed heroes.

However, we do not care about their possible answers now. We need weapons. Without limits. Immediately. I would like to repeat once again: we are very, very grateful for the Lend-Lease. But I will allow myself a baseball term: this is the first base. We are not just set up for a home run. According to Wikipedia, our big goal is a grand slam. We need to move on. All bases must be reached.

So, the second thing I would like to talk about is the increase in sanctions pressure. To motivate Russia to stop the war, it is necessary to deprive it of resources – financial, technical, technological. More aggressive financial and energy sanctions are needed.

In March, the President initiated the creation of a special sanctions group. And after talking to our friend, friend of Ukraine Michael McFaul, we decided to create this group. I am happy that the Atlantic Council has joined this group as well. We have assembled a team of international and Ukrainian experts. Michael and I are co-chairs of this group, so it is often referred to as the Yermak-McFaul group. It is working on assessing and improving sanctions mechanisms. Today we can already talk about certain results of this group’s work.

We have already published two detailed documents on what sanctions are needed and how to implement them. These documents are in fact guides to sanctions policy. Due to lack of time, I will list only the key areas. I must emphasize at once that the United States, the European Union and other democracies have done a lot here. But most of the work is still ahead.

The Kremlin will be influenced only by a total ban and embargo on Russian energy. As it is both a key source of power for Russia’s imperial ambitions and a geopolitical weapon. We warned about this, by the way, at the beginning of the Nord Stream 2 project. Unfortunately, not everyone heard us then. The current situation provides a unique chance to overthrow Moscow’s energy dictatorship in the short term. In other words, the restructuring of Europe’s energy consumption today is what we believe is self-defense and investment in its development. In particular, green energy. Energy freedom and energy democracy seem to us to be the key to the future.

Full blocking sanctions are also needed against all Russian banks, starting with the largest. Payments for gas in rubles are categorically unacceptable. Sanctions should include disconnection from payment systems, freezing of assets and their subsequent confiscation.

All sanctions must be coordinated and synchronized. To achieve maximum effectiveness, secondary sanctions mechanisms against states, businesses and individuals that help Russia circumvent them are essential. This is where the United States can play a crucial role.

We move to the third base. Economic assistance to Ukraine. We are without exaggeration astonished by yesterday’s Senate decision on an additional 40 billion for Ukraine and are infinitely grateful for the strong support provided earlier. We also hope for the facilitation in the post-war reconstruction of our country as soon as possible. Obviously, we will need comprehensive resuscitation tools like the Marshall Plan. The opening of the markets of our allies and partners for Ukrainian goods would give impetus to the further recovery of our economy.

Post-war Ukraine, and we do not just believe, we are sure, will be a huge construction site, a field for innovation and investment. This is a chance to build a global showcase for the success of the community of democracies. At the infrastructural, technological, and, of course, value levels. After all, the crisis always opens up opportunities. Ukraine enjoys an unprecedented credit of confidence. We paid very dearly for it – human life. Thousands of human lives. But thanks to this the world saw that the contradiction between the politics of values ​​and realpolitik can be overcome. Those who support Ukraine today are making a value-based choice, but that choice will pay dividends. Today, even Hollywood and Silicon Valley are familiar with such things. And they are with us – at the call of the heart and with a view to the future. It is an organic union of freedom and entrepreneurship. Because Ukraine today is a frontier. The land of brave and sincere people. President Zelenskyy, our fighters and the entire Ukrainian people prove it every day.

At the same time, justice is when the aggressor pays for the restoration. And pays as much as possible. Therefore, the issue of reparations and compensation is extremely important for us. We need a legitimate international mechanism that will compensate for the losses caused by Russia and operate despite its categorical refusal to cooperate. By the decree of President of Ukraine Zelenskyy, a profile working group has already been established, which I have the honor to chair. Ukrainian and international experts, including Markian Kluczkowski, Jeremy Sharp, Amal Clooney and many others, are working on a project of such a mechanism, and we will soon present it officially.

Home base. Restored must be preserved. Ukraine will remain an outpost of democracy in Europe. Literally. So we need security. We need security guarantees. This war must be Russia’s last. And if Moscow is openly claiming that it is at war with the West in Ukraine, the West should make every effort to ensure the victory of Ukraine. So that Ukraine fully restores its territorial integrity and sovereignty, and Russia does not try to take revenge. It should be clearly understood that when we talk about security guarantees for ourselves, we are not asking. We offer to invest in our common future.

What do we see as these guarantees? The war taught us to believe only in facts. And here they are. We live among the wreckage of a world order. Russia’s presence in the UN Security Council paralyzes the organization’s activities. The OSCE has lost its meaning of existence. NATO is the only institution today capable of providing a reliable security umbrella to its members. However, its doors are open to everyone except Ukraine.

In such circumstances, we are forced to look for other options. After all, our goal is to deter Russia from new aggression. It can be a treaty or a system of treaties that will oblige the parties to prevent it. We intend to establish an international expert discussion to develop approaches to solving this problem. I think there are experts present who are ready to join this platform. So we will be glad if you come forward and let us know.

Unfortunately, the sad experience of the Budapest Memorandum has convinced us of one thing: any agreement between Ukraine and the guarantor states must be legally binding and duly ratified by the parliaments of these countries. Obviously, we do not see Russia among the guarantors, as it has based its policy on terror and systematic violations of basic norms of international law.

Ukraine has proven its resilience on the battlefield, so providing maximum opportunities for self-defense should be one of the cornerstones of this treaty. No security guarantees from third parties can completely replace Ukraine’s strong defense potential. So we expect the guarantor states to help in this. In particular, with the removal of all politically motivated restrictions on the supply of conventional weapons to Ukraine, as well as the deepening of military-technical integration and defense cooperation.

Due to the long-standing decision of Europeans not to irritate the Kremlin, Ukraine is not a member of NATO. But it can strengthen the defense capabilities of the Alliance’s Black Sea and Baltic fronts. This is a good offer, we think. In general, Ukraine’s deep involvement in multilateral formats that improve its integration with the international community is a significant security factor. Therefore, we will not accept alternatives to EU accession, which have recently been put forward again.

A lasting and flexible sanctions policy as a safeguard against revanchism must also remain one of the key factors in the security guarantees system.

We consider this set of measures to be basic. It could become a testing ground, and the basis for the creation of a global coalition of responsible states that will be ready to respond effectively to any aggression within 24 hours. I would like to recall that President Zelenskyy proposed such a format of cooperation in March. We call it U24, United24.

At the global level, this security system can start building a new architecture of international relations, reforming institutions and restoring the Westphalian principles of equality and respect for sovereignty. Here, the United States could also play a leading role in the process, once again creating a new model of global leadership.

Finally, I will return to the not-so-precise historical parallels that are often made today. In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait under the slogans “one people” and “response to preparations for aggression.” You all know well how it ended. Here it can be said without objections. This is not about history. It’s about the future.

I thank you all very much. And availing myself of this opportunity, I would like to thank you on behalf of all Ukrainians for supporting us, for working and contributing, I am sure, to the Ukrainian victory that will take place soon. Victory not only of Ukraine, but our common victory.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 19 May 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that entrants from all territories of our state, which are currently under the temporary occupation of the Russian Federation, should be able to enter Ukrainian universities under a simplified procedure. He said this during an online meeting with students and rectors of Ukrainian higher education institutions.

The President reminded that in 2020 a simplified mechanism for admission to Ukrainian universities for graduates from the temporarily occupied territories of the Donetsk, Luhansk regions and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea was introduced. According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, entrants from the temporarily occupied territories of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions should have the same opportunities.

“The issue of the list of temporarily occupied territories needs to be worked out. I will instruct to prepare the necessary decisions,” the President stressed.

In addition, responding to the students’ appeals, the Head of State instructed Minister of Education and Science Serhiy Shkarlet to develop a mechanism for resolving the issue of payment under contracts for students from the temporarily occupied territories.

“Today we recognize the Kherson region as a temporarily occupied territory. That’s why I don’t understand why a student from the Kherson region has to pay money,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The Head of State offered to develop a solution that would help remove this urgent problem for students from the temporarily occupied districts of the Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv regions and Donbas.

The President also noted that he likes the motto “Education despite the war” and called on Ukrainian students to continue their studies, despite hostilities, because Ukraine needs smart, educated, professional people.

“Students must continue to acquire knowledge. I wish you to take all the knowledge you can. This is also a very important work for the benefit of our state. We need clever people who understand their profession. People who can really revive Ukraine, production, technology,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy summed up.