Tag: 2022

  • Nadhim Zahawi – 2022 Comments on Boris Johnson Returning as Prime Minister

    Nadhim Zahawi – 2022 Comments on Boris Johnson Returning as Prime Minister

    The comments made by Nadhim Zahawi, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on Twitter on 23 October 2022.

    I’m backing Boris. He got the big calls right, whether it was ordering more vaccines ahead of more waves of covid, arming Ukraine early against the advice of some, or stepping down for the sake of unity. But now, Britain needs him back. We need to unite to deliver on our manifesto.

    When I was Chancellor, I saw a preview of what Boris 2.0 would look like. He was contrite and honest about his mistakes. He’d learned from those mistakes how he could run No 10 & the country better.

    With a unified team behind him, he is the one to lead us to victory and prosperity.

  • Rishi Sunak – 2022 Statement Confirming Standing as Leader of the Conservative Party

    Rishi Sunak – 2022 Statement Confirming Standing as Leader of the Conservative Party

    The statement made by Rishi Sunak, the Conservative MP for Richmond, on 23 October 2022.

    The United Kingdom is a great country but we face a profound economic crisis.

    The choice our Party makes now will decide whether the next generation of British people will have more opportunities than the last.

    That’s why I am standing to be your next Prime Minister and Leader of the Conservative Party. I want to fix our economy, unite our Party and deliver for our country.

    I served as your Chancellor, helping to steer our economy through the toughest of times.

    The challenges we face now are even greater. But the opportunities – if we make the right choice – are phenomenal.

    I have the track record of delivery, a clear plan to fix the biggest problems we face and I will deliver on the promise of the 2019 manifesto.

    There will be integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level of the government I lead and I will work day in and day out to get the job done.

    I am asking you for the opportunity to help fix our problems. To lead our Party and country forward towards the next General Election, confident in our record, firm in our convictions and ready to lead again.

  • PRESS RELEASE : New vaccine marketing campaign urges millions to boost their immunity this winter [October 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : New vaccine marketing campaign urges millions to boost their immunity this winter [October 2022]

    The press release issued by the UK Health Security Agency on 23 October 2022.

    A new country-wide marketing campaign urging millions of eligible people to get their flu and COVID-19 booster vaccines to top up their immunity will launch on Monday (24 October), as almost 10 million people in England have already received their boosters.

    Adverts will air across television, radio, social and digital media, stressing the importance of people getting both vaccines to increase their protection this winter.

    Targeted communications for individuals with long term health conditions, pregnant women and ethnic minority communities, with a particular focus on those with low vaccine confidence, will also appear, and will include examples of where vaccine uptake rates have been low in the past.

    More than 10 million people are expected to have received their COVID-19 autumn booster in England by Monday, with 49.5% of those 65 and over getting their flu jab, helping protect against serious illness throughout the winter.

    Latest COVID-19 data has shown continued high rates of cases and hospitalisations in recent weeks.

    Cases of flu have climbed quickly in the past week, indicating that the season has started earlier than normal. This is leading to increased pressure on emergency departments, with rates of hospitalisations and ICU admissions rising fastest in children under 5.

    Deputy Prime Minister and Health and Social Care Secretary, Thérèse Coffey received her autumn booster this week and urges those eligible to take up the offer as soon as possible, saying:

    Our COVID autumn booster and flu vaccination programmes are in full swing. Vaccines are our best line of defence against both viruses and will help keep people out of hospital this winter.

    While we have made great progress with almost 10 million people already boosted, including me, we are actively encouraging, through our new marketing campaign, everybody eligible to come forward for both jabs as soon as possible.

    Vaccination for flu is currently behind last season for pre-schoolers (12.1% in all 2 year olds and 12.8% in all 3 year olds), pregnant women (12.4%) and under 65s in a clinical risk group (18.2%).

    Vaccines are the best defence against both viruses and will help reduce the amount of people requiring hospital treatment, reducing pressure on the NHS.

    Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, Dr Thomas Waite said:

    The restrictions we had in place to curb the spread of COVID and protect the NHS last year also prevented the flu virus from spreading as we would normally expect to see, so levels of immunity in the population are likely quite low.

    Flu has started circulating at low levels, mainly in children and younger people at the moment. As winter approaches, we can expect flu and COVID cases to rise in all age groups. Getting vaccinated against both viruses is the most important thing you can do to reduce your chances of getting seriously ill. If eligible please come forward for your jabs as soon as you can – it is important to be protected before any winter surges begin.

    Dr Mary Ramsay, Director of Immunisations at UK Health Security Agency, said:

    “The latest data follows the pattern we predicted, and a difficult winter is expected.

    This year we want people to think about COVID-19 and flu as equally important – and both vaccines will provide a ‘boost’ this winter. COVID-19 vaccine protection decreases over time and topping up immunity will help to provide better protection against new variants.

    So far, we have seen millions of people getting their vaccines, particularly older age groups who remain at risk of severe illness and deaths from both diseases. Having both vaccines will help to protect you and to protect the health service so we can continue to treat patients with other conditions.

    I urge everyone who is eligible to book your vaccine as soon as you can and not to delay – you could be in contact with flu or COVID-19 tomorrow.

    NHS director for vaccinations and screening, Steve Russell said:

    Thanks to the efforts of staff, the NHS autumn booster programme has vaccinated twice as many people as it had at this stage last year with almost 10 million people getting their COVID-19 boosters already.

    We are seeing evidence of increasing levels of COVID and flu infections in the community and care homes, and so ahead of what will be a very challenging winter, it is vital that everyone eligible gets protected; it has never been easier to get your vaccines, so book in without delay.

    Building on the success of the 2021 to 2022 COVID-19 vaccination campaign, this year’s campaign will stress that the protection provided by vaccines wanes over time, so everyone eligible should boost their immunity by getting both vaccines ahead of a difficult winter.

    The adverts use blue (flu) and yellow (COVID-19) halos to represent the protection both vaccines provide. They will run on TV, video on demand, radio, social and digital channels. Highly targeted, eye-catching information on digital channels will help to reiterate the importance of boosting your immunity ahead of a difficult winter by booking jabs early.

    The NHS Winter Vaccines chatbot will return, helping to guide those who are searching online for the right information. This instant online conversation tool was first developed to support last winter’s campaign and answers frequently asked questions with trusted NHS information in a single place.

    Multicultural community activity will see teams of campaign ambassadors engage with a range of different ethnic groups who tend to be more vaccine hesitant. This will take place across the country in high footfall places of worship and nearby community settings. Dedicated radio adverts and unique social media material will reinforce key messages.

    Around 33 million people are eligible for the flu vaccine and 26 million people are eligible for the COVID-19 booster.

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (23/10/2022)

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (23/10/2022)

    The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 23 October 2022.

    Dear Ukrainians!

    We continue eliminating the aftermath of today’s terrorist attacks on our infrastructure. The geography of this new massive strike is very wide: Volyn, Odesa, Khmelnytsky region, Kirovohrad region, Dnipropetrovsk region, Rivne region, Mykolaiv region, Zaporizhia region and other places.

    The main target of terrorists is energy. Therefore, please be even more careful than before about the need to consciously consume electricity. The stability of the power industry of our entire state depends on each city and district of Ukraine.

    Please limit the use of appliances that use a lot of electricity. And especially during peak consumption hours in the morning and in the evening. Please, pay attention to notices from local authorities and power companies about when there may be stabilization blackouts on your street or in your area. Plan your day with this information in mind.

    In part of the territory of our country, where electricity was cut off due to today’s strike, it has already been possible to restore power supply. Electricity supply has already been resumed partly in Odesa region, partly in Khmelnytsky region, most of Rivne region has resumed power supplies. There are positive reports from other regions as well. But in many cities, in many districts, recovery work is still ongoing. We are trying to return power to people as soon as possible.

    I want to thank everyone who is involved in this work: energy workers, utility and local government workers, government officials and businesses that also help. Together, we are now showing that Ukrainian life cannot be broken. Even if the enemy can leave us temporarily without power, it will still never succeed in leaving us without the desire to make things right, to mend and return them to normal.

    And even now – partially in the dark – life in our state, in our Ukraine, is still civilized. Unlike Russia that brings us this terror. They still have the same wildness with electricity there, as in ancient times. Only savages can bring such evil to the world.

    I want to emphasize: neither this strike by terrorists nor any other similar strikes by them will stop our defenders.

    Russian propagandists are lying when they say that this terror against our infrastructure and people can somehow slow down the active actions of our military or create some difficulties for our defense. Ukrainians are united and know for sure that Russia has no chance of winning this war. Our defense forces are getting everything they need to defend the country and are pushing forward every day – I emphasize: every day.

    Our Air Force also shows good results. Of course, we do not yet have the technical ability to shoot down 100% of Russian missiles and attack drones. We will gradually come to this – with the help of our partners, I’m confident of this. But we are already shooting down most of the cruise missiles, most of the drones. Only in the first half of this day, 20 missiles were shot down – Kalibr and Kh-101 missiles, as well as more than 10 Iranian Shahed UAVs.

    Today, I want to once again thank our soldiers – fighter pilots and anti-aircraft gunners of the West, South and Center air commands, as well as mobile fire groups of all the Defense Forces for the saved lives of our people and the preserved infrastructure of Ukraine.

    We are preparing the ground for extending the global sanctions policy to all Russian propagandists, so-called opinion leaders and show business representatives who support or justify terror. The International Working Group on Sanctions Against Russia, chaired by Michael McFaul and Andriy Yermak, has prepared an Individual Sanctions Roadmap. It prepared a basic list of all those involved in the spread of narratives without which Russian terror is impossible. We must clearly evaluate such an “informational and emotional” component of terror: the Russian army loses and retreats on the battlefield, and therefore the results of terror against our civilian population and infrastructure are presented by Russian propaganda as a substitute for military victories.

    Also, various Russian newsmen and stars are involved in justifying the criminal attempt to annex our territory and mobilize for war against us, against Ukraine. Absolutely all such persons should receive a full package of individual sanctions so that they cannot do anything in the world at all. We are working on it.

    Ukraine was very well represented this week in Frankfurt at the largest book fair in Europe and one of the largest in the world. This is not just an event for the publishing business and writers. It is one of the key European discussion platforms and an influential informational event.

    The First Lady of Ukraine presented her projects supporting education and the cultural sphere there. In particular, the Books Without Borders initiative is to provide children of our forced migrants with books in the Ukrainian language. And also the Ukrainian Bookshelf project, which is already presented in 20 countries of the world.

    In total, more than 40 Ukrainian publishing houses, famous writers, famous publicists, and historians took part in the Frankfurt fair. I thank everyone who worked in Frankfurt for making Ukraine heard and bringing the message about it there. Every contribution to the world’s support for Ukraine is vitally important.

    I thank everyone who works and helps for our victory!

    Eternal glory to all who fight for Ukraine!

    Glory to our indomitable people!

    Glory to Ukraine!

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (22/10/2022)

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (22/10/2022)

    The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 22 October 2022.

    Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!

    I held another meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief today. The main points of the agenda are quite obvious – the protection of our skies from enemy missiles and drones, the protection of infrastructure facilities, the destruction of the positions of the occupiers, the advancement of our forces and everything necessary to support the army. Military, intelligence, ministers delivered reports.

    Every day we are bringing the results Ukraine needs both on the ground and in the air. We are also working on the necessary results at sea.

    The situation around the Export Grain Initiative is becoming more and more tense these weeks. The enemy is doing everything to slow down our food exports. I believe that with these actions, Russia is deliberately inciting the food crisis so that it becomes as acute as it was in the first half of this year.

    Today, more than 150 ships are in the queue to fulfill contractual obligations for the supply of our agricultural products. This is an artificial queue. It arose only because Russia is deliberately delaying the passage of ships.

    Every day that ships with food spend in the queue means an increase in social and political tension in the countries that consume our agricultural products. Here are just some of the states to which food exports are delayed due to Russia: Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Lebanon, Iraq, China, Bangladesh, Indonesia. Our partners – the UN, Türkiye and others are fully informed about this situation.

    During the operation of our grain initiative, due to the Russian slowdown, we under-exported about 3 million tons of food. This is the annual volume of consumption for 10 million people.

    Russia is doing everything to ensure that at least hundreds of thousands of these people become forced migrants who will seek asylum in the same Türkiye or EU countries, or die of hunger. And we, together with our partners, must do everything so that the grain initiative is not only preserved, but also works at 100% capacity.

    The right to food and to life without hunger are fundamental rights for absolutely every person on earth. And that is why Russian attempts to exacerbate the food crisis are also aggression against every person on earth.

    I held a meeting today with representatives of the U.S. Congress who arrived in Kyiv. I thanked them for their continued bipartisan support and for the tremendously powerful things America is doing to help us protect freedom. We discussed the key issue for today – anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense. We also talked about financial support, about our political interaction, about what new anti-European and anti-democratic steps to expect from Russia and its accomplices in terror. We touched upon the topic of Iranian supplies for Russian terror.

    Today, this terror against our infrastructure, against our energy will be discussed by the UN Security Council. The meeting is convened at the request of our state and will take place at 10:00 p.m.

    I met with the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. I thanked her for the help and informed about our new needs that have arisen due to the Russian terror. The EBRD is already providing financial support to Ukrenergo, and has all the data on what steps we need to take to restore energy and social facilities, to build housing for Ukrainians.

    We agreed upon positions on the eve of the Conference on the reconstruction of our state, which is to be held in Germany on October 25.

    Today, during the day, an air alert was announced in most regions of Ukraine. There are new downings of drones and enemy aircraft.

    Active hostilities continue in the east and south of Ukraine. Our Armed Forces retain the initiative.

    Today I want to commend the fighters of the 25th separate airborne brigade for their skillful and thoughtful actions in destroying the enemy in the eastern direction.

    I am also thankful to the warriors of the 60th separate infantry brigade, whose units are showing good results in the Kherson region. Only since the beginning of October, the fighters of this brigade “trophied” more than 30 units of Russian armored vehicles, a thousand projectiles for tanks and three “Giatsint” cannons. All these weapons will definitely help liberate our land.

    I am also grateful to the fighters of the 59th separate motorized infantry brigade named after Yakov Handziuk. This week, the boys showed excellent results in destroying enemy equipment and ammunition.

    I also thank the warriors of the 35th separate marine brigade named after Rear-Admiral Mykhailo Ostrohradskyi for their steadfastness in the defense of the regained frontiers.

    And one more thing. Today, the government made an important decision that affects tens of thousands of Ukrainian students. Those whose home is in the temporarily occupied territory or in the areas near the front, as well as children of fallen defenders of Ukraine, family members of combatants. All of them will be transferred from the contractual form of education to the budgetary one in our universities and colleges. Details of this decision should be made public by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.

    I thank everyone who fights and works for our country!

    Thank you to everyone who brings Ukraine’s victory closer!

    Glory to our best people!

    Glory to Ukraine!

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (21/10/2022)

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (21/10/2022)

    The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 21 October 2022.

    Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!

    Today I took part in the meeting of the European Council. The topic of protection of Ukraine and our energy security was among the key issues at this summit. I informed my colleagues about the new terrorist steps of Russia and about our needs to protect ourselves from this form of terror directed against the energy system.

    Russian troops continue to strike our power plants with missiles and drones. In the end, such Russian meanness will also fail. We are doing everything to get more modern and effective air defense and missile defense systems for Ukraine.

    And there will be a day when we announce that the Ukrainian sky has become completely protected from Russian missiles, Iranian drones and any other carriers of evil.

    Russia tried to blackmail Europe with gas and oil, organizes sabotage on underwater gas pipelines and critical cables in Europe, tried and is still trying to freeze people… And what happened?

    Russia has only lost its weight in the European energy market, which it has been gaining since Brezhnev’s era, and will definitely be treated as the most reckless international criminal. This will remain with Moscow for a very long time even after this Russian leader.

    Russia is trying to destroy the energy system of Ukraine, to make our people suffer even more, but this only mobilizes the international community to help us even more and put even more pressure on the terrorist state. And all our expenses for the protection of our energy facilities and for the restoration of our infrastructure after Russian terrorist attacks will be reimbursed at the expense of Russian assets.

    Each of the terrorists will be personally responsible for what he does. Before the court. And the terrorist state will pay for its terror. With isolation, degradation and assets – both of state and quasi-private entities connected with this Russian regime.

    I informed the Europeans today, during the meeting of the European Council, about the next terrorist attack, which Russia is preparing for at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant. According to our information, the aggregates and dam of the Kakhovka HPP were mined by Russian terrorists.

    Now everyone in the world must act powerfully and quickly to prevent a new Russian terrorist attack. Destroying the dam would mean a large-scale disaster.

    Of course, we understand that the occupiers do not care what happens to the territory of Ukraine. With this terrorist attack, they can destroy, among other things, even the possibility of supplying water from the Dnipro River to Crimea. In the event of the destruction of the Kakhovka HPP dam, the North Crimean Canal will simply disappear. And if Russia is preparing such a terrorist attack, if it is seriously considering such a scenario, it means the terrorists are clearly aware that they will not be able to keep not only Kherson, but also the entire south of our country, including Crimea.

    We must now all together – all Europeans, all world leaders, all international organizations – make it clear to the terrorist state that such a terrorist attack on the Kakhovka HPP will mean exactly the same as the use of weapons of mass destruction. The consequences for Russia should be corresponding.

    The world must react preventively. This is key now. The principle of preventive response to security threats should finally become one of the basic principles of international politics.

    Today I had a productive call with the President of Germany. I thanked him and the German people for supporting Ukraine in the struggle for freedom and for the decision to provide concrete assistance to our country.

    In particular, Germany became the first country to supply us with the modern IRIS-T air defense system. We expect the delivery of other such systems both from Germany and from our other partners.

    I held talks with the President of Switzerland, who arrived in Kyiv today. This shows the whole world that Switzerland does not remain morally neutral when such a terrorist war is being waged against Ukraine and the whole of Europe. Switzerland has supported EU sanctions packages and provides us with humanitarian aid.

    The issues of reconstruction of Ukraine and the possibilities of Switzerland to invest in the development of our economy and infrastructure were discussed substantively today with Mr. President.

    We also discussed the issue of compensation for damages caused to Ukraine by Russian terror. I am grateful that Russian assets worth $6.5 billion have already been frozen. This work must be continued. And this is something in which Switzerland must not remain morally neutral either.

    The possibilities of Switzerland to help with digitization in Ukraine and restoration of telecommunications systems in the liberated territories were discussed separately and substantively.

    The situation on the frontline remains difficult. Especially in Donbas – the same Bakhmut direction – and in some directions in the south. But we stand our ground. We defend our land. We move gradually, ousting the enemy. And we will definitely ensure victory for Ukraine.

    In the evening, I signed another decree on awarding our warriors. 148 defenders of Ukraine were awarded orders and medals.

    Today, at the request of our military command, I would like to celebrate warriors from the 7th anti-aircraft self-propelled artillery battery of the 3rd anti-aircraft missile division of the 1039th anti-aircraft missile regiment. During another Russian missile strike, the battery provided protection in the north of our country and destroyed an enemy missile in the Vyshhorod district of the Kyiv region. Thank you guys for the excellent service and consistently good results! Every downed Russian missile means saved lives of our people.

    Today we have both downed missiles and downed Iranian drones. Unfortunately, we do not shoot down all of them yet. There are also hits, there is destruction. But we will do everything to provide full protection to our sky.

    Terrorists always lose. Freedom always wins.

    Thank you to everyone who fights and works for Ukraine!

    Eternal glory to our strong people!

    Glory to Ukraine!

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (20/10/2022)

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (20/10/2022)

    The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 20 October 2022.

    Dear Ukrainians!

    Today was quite a fruitful day.

    I met with the European Commissioner for Crisis Management. I thanked Mr. Lenarčič for all the assistance that was provided during the full-scale war. We discussed what other humanitarian needs of our people could be met with the help of our European friends. Of course, we touched on the situation with energy.

    I spoke today with the President of Turkey. I thanked him for supporting our territorial integrity. We discussed the key security issues currently Ukraine and our entire region are facing. The key topics are efforts to further release our people from Russian captivity, defense cooperation, export of Ukrainian food.

    I held negotiations with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece – he arrived on a visit to Kyiv for the third time since February 24. I thanked Greece for its support in the defense sector. We agreed to strengthen our cooperation in bilateral relations and at the level of the European Union, as well as at the level of NATO.

    Tomorrow I will participate in the European Summit – I will contact my partners. The key topic, of course, is challenges to our energy, both Ukrainian and European. We will respond to the terrorist threat together.

    Today, Andriy Yermak met with representatives of the embassies of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain at the Office and discussed the strengthening of our anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense.

    We are working to guarantee the complete safety of the Ukrainian sky. We already have significant results: 233 Shahed UAVs and dozens of missiles were shot down during the month. Ten Iranian drones were destroyed today and this is only in the Kyiv direction. Another 11 Shahed UAVs were shot down thanks to the soldiers of the Pivden air command. Thanks guys for the great job!

    There are results in other areas as well. But, unfortunately, there are also impacts. We have new damage to critical infrastructure. Today, three energy facilities were destroyed by the enemy.

    Of course, we will do everything possible to restore the normal energy capabilities of our country. But it takes time. And this requires our joint efforts. Tomorrow they are needed even more than before.

    There will be clarifications from the heads of regional administrations and government officials, but in general, it is necessary to be especially conscious of electricity consumption from 7 am tomorrow.

    Please do not turn on unnecessary electrical appliances. Please limit your electricity consumption and use those appliances that consume a lot of energy. Tomorrow, it is very important that the consumption is as conscious as possible, and thus the schedules of stabilization blackouts will be shorter.

    I held a general meeting on energy issues today – the Office, government, energy companies.

    We are preparing for all possible scenarios in view of the winter season. We assume that Russian terror will be directed at energy facilities until, with the help of partners, we ensure the ability to shoot down 100% of enemy missiles and drones.

    Separately, today I want to address our people in the temporarily occupied areas of southern and eastern Ukraine. In the near future, the occupiers will try to recruit men into their army. Everywhere is the same as in Donetsk and Luhansk. Please avoid it as much as you can. Try to leave the occupied territory.

    If you cannot do this and find yourself in Russian military structures, at the first opportunity try to lay down your arms and come to Ukrainian positions. And most importantly, protect your life. And be sure to help our other people who are close to you. Our common task is to persevere. Stand against these weirdoes…

    Russia avoided even the word “war” for six months, punished its own people with criminal cases for it, and now it declares martial law in the occupied territory.

    The occupiers themselves brought the war to our land under their constant false pretense of alleged negotiations, and now they are signing some decrees cementing the war.

    Well, what can I say? It’s just hysterics of the “Chekist comrades.” Hysterics, which will be greater the closer Russia’s defeat is.

    In the evening, I signed another decree on awarding our soldiers. Seventy one servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were awarded state awards today.

    I thank everyone who fights and works for Ukraine! I thank everyone who helps our defense!

    And I would like to thank separately for the fact that it was the Ukrainian people who this year became the laureate of the special honor of the European Parliament – the Sakharov Prize. This award is given annually to those who have made the greatest contribution to the defense of democracy, human rights and European values. It is really important that all Ukrainian men and women – millions of our people who so bravely defend freedom were recognized in Europe this year.

    Glory to our beautiful people!

    Glory to Ukraine!

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (19/10/2022)

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (19/10/2022)

    The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 19 October 2022.

    Ukrainians!

    Today, the battle for a normal life for our people continued.

    There were new Russian attacks against our energy system. Some of the drones and missiles were shot down. Thanks again for this to our anti-aircraft fighters, our Air Forces. In particular, the 138th Dnipro anti-aircraft missile brigade for shooting down four “Kalibrs”. Our other defenders of the sky also have good results. Today, I will also celebrate the Kherson anti-aircraft missile brigade for shooting down a Russian Su-25 attack aircraft.

    Thanks also to our partners – everyone who helps us with anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense. For example, the German “IRIS-T” has shown itself very well – it is a really effective system.

    We are working with partners to provide even more protection to the Ukrainian sky.

    Over the past day, more than 10 Ukrainian regions suffered terrorist attacks. Zhytomyr region and Kyiv region, Sumy region, Dnipro and Kryvyi Rih, Kharkiv region and Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv and other cities of the south of Ukraine, Donbas. Wherever possible, we are trying to speed up restoration work.

    But now, just like in the previous days, the overall situation still requires a very conscious consumption of electricity and limiting the use of energy-consuming appliances during peak hours.

    The more conscious our household consumption of electricity is from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., the more stable our energy system will be. Everyone who follows this simple rule for peak hours helps the entire country.

    Please explain this to your relatives, friends and neighbors to guide our national unity towards a common and much needed result.

    Today I had a lot of meetings and communication regarding infrastructure restoration. Another general meeting on the energy situation is scheduled for tomorrow. We are working out all possible scenarios. And, of course, all this is combined with our measures to strengthen defense against drones.

    We should remember that the very fact of Russia’s appeal to Iran for such assistance is the Kremlin’s recognition of its military and political bankruptcy.

    For decades, they’ve been spending billions of dollars on their military-industrial complex, and in the end they went to bow to Tehran to get rather simple drones and missiles.

    It won’t help them strategically anyway. It only further proves to the world that Russia is on the trajectory of its defeat and is trying to draw someone else into its accomplices in terror.

    We will definitely ensure an appropriate international reaction to this.

    But now, at the tactical level, the terrorists may still have certain hopes, calculations, new illusions due to Iranian drones. All this will fall apart, just as their previous calculations.

    237 days of this war prove that we are able to find an answer to any threats. If we act together – all Ukrainians and nations of the free world.

    Today we have an important decision from Estonia – its parliament designated Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. And this is another European step to ensure that the actual reality of Russian terror and the European official attitude towards Russia completely coincide. Terror must receive all types of response – on the battlefield, with sanctions and legally. I am grateful to our Estonian friends for this!

    We will continue our work at all levels so that other countries adopt similar decisions.

    I held a meeting on working out in UN structures our draft resolution on the creation of a compensation mechanism that would provide compensation at the expense of Russian assets for all the damage caused by this war. We are gradually moving in this direction as well. The terrorist state will inevitably pay for everything it has done.

    Another expansion of our United24 platform took place today. This public fundraising platform has already raised more than $200 million from people in dozens of countries.

    Oleksandr Usyk became the new ambassador of United24. I just spoke with him and thanked him for his willingness to work for Ukraine.

    Oleksandr will focus on projects devoted to the reconstruction of our country, in particular in the Kyiv region.

    Let me just remind you that Andriy Shevchenko, Elina Svitolina, Imagine Dragons, creative director of Balenciaga Demna, Liev Schreiber, Barbra Streisand and Mark Hamill are already ambassadors along with Usyk.

    Today, 2 billion euros of macro-financial aid from the European Union were allocated to Ukraine’s accounts. This is important for us – for the social support of our people. We are very grateful. We expect other tranches under this package with a total volume of 9 billion euros.

    I am grateful to all friends of Ukraine!

    I am grateful to everyone who fights and works for our victory!

    No matter what the enemy plans and does, our perspective is clear: Ukraine will defend itself.

    Glory to Ukraine!

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (18/10/2022)

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Statement on the Situation in Ukraine (18/10/2022)

    The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 18 October 2022.

    Strong people of the indomitable country!

    Today was a difficult day. The morning of a new Russian terrorist attack. Hours of clearing debris and eliminating the consequences of strikes. The evening of battles for Ukraine and news for Ukraine.

    The next stage of the release of our people from Russian captivity took place – we managed to return 108 Ukrainian women. Officers, sergeants, privates. Army, Navy, territorial defense, National Guard, border guards.

    96 are servicemen, 37 of them are evacuees from Azovstal. 12 – civilians.

    Among those released today are those who were captured long before the full-scale war. We do not forget about any of our people – we have to return them all. And we will return them all.

    Our exchange team continues this work: Budanov, Yermak, Usov, Maliuk, Lubinets and others.

    I am grateful to all involved for this success, and I also thank all those who replenish our exchange fund, who ensure the capture of enemies.

    The more Russian prisoners we have, the sooner we will be able to free our heroes. Every Ukrainian warrior, every frontline commander should remember this.

    Throughout the day, the clearing of rubble continues in those places where the Russian terrorists managed to hit today.

    In Kyiv, they killed a young family, targeting an apartment building with an Iranian “Shahed”. A guy and a 6 months pregnant girl… Vladimir Putin can mark another “achievement” – he killed another pregnant woman.

    In total, four people were killed by this “Shahed” alone. There were other hits. More than 25 settlements of our country were attacked this night and morning.

    Eternal memory to all victims of Russian terror!

    Right now there is a new Russian drone attack – there are downings.

    The world can and must stop this terror. When we talk about Ukraine’s need for air and missile defense, we are talking about real lives that are being taken by terrorists. We manage to shoot down some of the missiles and drones. In just 12 hours from 9 p.m. Sunday, 37 Iranian “Shaheds” and several cruise missiles were destroyed.

    But in order to guarantee the protection of our skies and to reduce the capabilities of Russian terrorists to zero, we need significantly more modern air defense systems and a greater missile provision for such systems.

    And this is not only Ukrainian interest. The fewer terrorist opportunities Russia has, the sooner this war will end.

    Russia stands no chance on the battlefield. And it tries to cover up its military defeats with terror. Why does it need terror? To put pressure on us, on Europe, on the whole world.

    Terrorists must be neutralized. This rule applies equally effectively everywhere, and it will affect Russian terror in the same way.

    When Russian terror capabilities are neutralized by the joint efforts with our partners, Russia will have no choice but to think about peace.

    And I thank all our Air Force fighters, anti-aircraft fighters, other warriors who are involved in countering Russian attacks! Every Russian missile shot down and every drone destroyed is a life saved.

    I am also grateful to everyone who is involved in eliminating the consequences of terrorist attacks: our rescuers, policemen, doctors, energy workers, utility workers, heads of local self-government, government officials and business representatives who help.

    Today’s Russian missile and drone attack also caused new power outages, but this is being corrected. Restoration work is ongoing. This form of terror will not give Russia anything even now, when we still do not have a sufficient number of air defense and missile defense systems.

    But for this our unity must stay maximal. Please take the request of energy providers into account and consciously consume electricity during the hours of peak load on the power system. This will enable the whole country to go through this period more stably.

    Please help local communities eliminate the consequences of terrorist attacks, if your business has the opportunity to do so. Please take care of your acquaintances and neighbors who are alone and need attention or help, especially the elderly. And be sure to thank those who are involved in the defense of our state and in eliminating the consequences of terrorist attacks, who maintain normal life despite any attempts by Russia to break it.

    Our unity, our attention to each other, our ability to fight and work together for common interests is a guarantee of Ukrainian victory and the defeat of terrorists. There is no such weapon in Iran or elsewhere that can break a nation that is aware of what it is fighting for and what it will never forgive the enemy for.

    I spoke today with the President of the United Arab Emirates. I thanked him for supporting Ukraine, particularly at the level of the UN and other international organizations.

    We discussed the threat posed by Russia to global food security. I assured Mr. President that Ukraine can and will remain a guarantor of food security and, therefore, social stability of all our partners.

    We are preparing for important negotiations scheduled for this and next week on further defense and financial support for our country.

    We will do everything for the victory of Ukraine.

    Eternal glory to all our warriors!

    Eternal glory to our strong people!

    Glory to Ukraine!

  • PRESS RELEASE : Olena Zelenska meets with First Lady of Federal Republic of Germany Elke Büdenbender [October 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Olena Zelenska meets with First Lady of Federal Republic of Germany Elke Büdenbender [October 2022]

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

    The first ladies of Ukraine and Germany held a working meeting within the framework of Olena Zelenska’s visit to Germany and presented the joint project Better Time Stories. The first ladies said that since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, they are in constant contact and implement many joint projects.

    Zelenska thanked her colleague, in particular, for her contribution to providing humanitarian aid for Ukraine in the field of child protection: the first lady of Germany, Elke Büdenbender, facilitated the arrival, treatment and shelter of children with cancer from Ukraine in Germany. In particular, on March 23, 2022, on the joint initiative of First Lady of Poland Agata Kornhauser-Duda and First Lady of Germany Elke Büdenbender 36 children from the orphanage in Stepove, Mykolaiv region were taken by Polish government and transport planes from Poland to the Bonn/Cologne airport. On July 7, 2022, the first ladies of Poland and Germany, Agata Kornhauser-Duda and Elke Büdenbender, jointly visited these children and got acquainted with the conditions of their living in the Christian Youth Recovery Center.

    Zelenska also thanked for caring for Ukrainian citizens who found protection in Germany from the war unleashed by Russia. According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, as of October 2022, 1,002,763 refugees from Ukraine have been registered in Germany, the vast majority of whom are women and children. Registered persons are guaranteed free medical care, social benefits, payment for housing and compensation for the costs of its arrangement, education, etc.

    “Ukraine is grateful to the Berlin Senate for supporting the pilot project to open a German-Ukrainian school in Berlin. It is important for us that such conditions of education for children are created in Germany, which would support communication and continuation of education of Ukrainian children according to the Ukrainian educational program. We hope that such an approach will be implemented in other German states as well,” Zelenska said.

    During the talks with Ms. Büdenbender, she also raised the issue of Germany providing Ukraine with anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense equipment, as well as combat weapons.

    “I am forced to raise the topic of providing weapons to Ukraine. This should not be a topic of protocol communication between first ladies. However, in the situation which Ukraine appears, we are forced to use every chance to be heard. It is about saving lives and about human rights. We must close the sky and stop this deliberate missile terror of Russia,” Zelenska added.

    Together with the First Lady of Germany, Zelenska took part in the presentation of the Better Time Stories project. This is a non-profit initiative to support Ukrainian children who were forced to leave their homes because of the war. The goal of the project is to help the youngest children (aged 3 to 7 years) overcome sadness, integrate into the environment of the new host country and keep in touch with relatives who stayed at home, thanks to books.

    As part of the book project, Ukrainian children who are forced migrants in European countries can receive a set of five illustrated books with available audio versions in the original and translated ones (in Ukrainian and the language of the host country) and with the possibility of recording an individual audio version for each child by their father or other relatives who remained in Ukraine.

    The project was initiated by the company Interactive Kids Story (iKs), founded by Ukrainian entrepreneur Andriy Shmyhelskyy, Princess of the Netherlands Laurentien’s Number 5 foundation and First Lady Olena Zelenska.

    The initiative is implemented in four countries: Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Belgium. A gift pack of 5 bilingual books for children aged from 3 to 7 can be ordered at bettertimestories.com.

    The official international presentation of the project took place on September 29 in The Hague (the Netherlands). In addition to Olena Zelenska and Elke Büdenbender, First Lady of Austria Doris Schmidauer and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands acted as patrons of the project.

    “The value of the project is that people who are separated by war, who have not seen each other for a long time and miss each other, can become closer thanks to the book and the voice. The value is to feel a loved one next to you again, to spend time with them doing a cozy family thing – reading. And the value is also in the fact that the project brings cultures together, because in it the books are translated into two languages: Ukrainian and the language of the host country,” Zelenska said.

    During the second day of her visit to Germany, Zelenska also met with the president of the Frankfurt Book Fair, Juergen Boos. Zelenska expressed her gratitude to the management of the Frankfurt Book Fair for the comprehensive support of the representation of Ukraine at this prestigious international event, in particular, for the free provision of a stand with an area of 100 square meters, information and technical support.

    “This makes it possible to familiarize the professional publishing community, and later readers from different parts of the world, with Ukrainian literature, which in the context of the Russian Federation’s war against our country and the invaders’ efforts to destroy Ukrainian culture and identity becomes of special importance and significance for Ukraine,” the first lady said.