Tag: 2022

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 29 September 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone call with President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda.

The key attention was paid to the international reaction to the sham “referenda” held by Russia in the temporarily occupied territories of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Andrzej Duda for the strong support for Ukraine expressed during his speech at the opening of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, as well as for Poland’s clear position on non-recognition of the so-called referenda.

The interlocutors agreed on the need for a powerful consolidated reaction of the world to the illegal actions of the Russian Federation, which undermine the foundations of international law. Specific steps and measures that the parties will work on in this context were discussed.

The heads of state also discussed the issue of military and defense cooperation. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted Poland’s invaluable contribution to strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities and the importance of further increased support for our country.

The President of Ukraine congratulated Poland on the official opening of the Baltic Pipeline. “This is a significant event for building up security and strengthening the energy independence of the entire region,” he noted.

The Presidents of Ukraine and Poland exchanged views on topical issues of bilateral relations. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted the decrease in queues at the Ukrainian-Polish border and emphasized the importance of further efforts to increase the throughput capacity of the relevant points.

The Ukrainian President also emphasized the interest of the Ukrainian side in introducing joint border and customs control at all checkpoints and speeding up work on a bilateral agreement in this area.

The leaders separately praised the launch of a new format of cooperation between the first ladies – within the Lublin Triangle – on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 29 September 2022.

Ukraine is determined to return all territories temporarily occupied by Russia, despite sham referenda held there and threats by the Russian military-political leadership to use nuclear weapons. This was stated by Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President Mykhailo Podolyak in an interview with the Associated Press.

According to him, if Russia announces the annexation of the occupied territories of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine in the coming days, nothing will change on the battlefield.

“We will liberate our territory by military means. And our actions depend not so much on what the Russian Federation thinks or wants, but on the military potential Ukraine has,” said Mykhailo Podolyak.

He emphasized that it is vital for Ukraine to return all lands captured by Russia. And this is important not only for our country, but also for Ukraine’s European neighbors.

“Otherwise, Russia will feel that it has the right to blackmail the world, raise the stakes, escalate the conflict, and consider itself the winner in the brutal war against Europe,” the Advisor to the Head of the President’s Office is convinced.

Therefore, according to him, in order to ensure stability in Europe, it is necessary to completely liberate Ukrainian territory.

“This is the only safeguard against the further spread of the war,” Mykhailo Podolyak stressed.

Commenting on threats by Russian officials to use nuclear weapons, the Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President said: “Of course, Ukraine takes it seriously, because we understand what kind of state we are dealing with.”

As Mykhailo Podolyak noted, threats from Russia cause concern not only in Ukraine, as a preventive nuclear strike could set a precedent for other countries in the world.

“If nuclear weapons are used now, in the XXI century, we will not close this Pandora’s box again. Because there are many unstable political regimes that will take advantage of this situation and start speculating on nuclear weapons and try to use them in one form or another, as they will think that this is permissible,” said the Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President.

As a member of the Ukrainian negotiating team during the previous rounds of negotiations with Russia, Mykhailo Podolyak has low hopes for the possibility of meaningful negotiations with the Russian Federation in the near future. He doubts that Moscow is ready to adhere to its promises, and believes that Russian officials only want to buy time to regroup and strengthen their positions on the battlefield.

“Russia constantly talks about negotiations in an ultimatum style, but it only speaks to an external audience, as it wants to ensure pressure on Ukraine from the side of our partners,” summarized the Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 29 September 2022.

On the 81st anniversary of the Babyn Yar tragedy, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy honored the memory of all the victims of the mass executions of civilians by the Nazis in occupied Kyiv during World War II.

The Head of State laid flowers at the monument to the victims of the tragedy on the territory of the Babyn Yar National Historical and Memorial Reserve.

The President also honored the memory of the Jews shot by the Nazis in Babyn Yar by putting an icon lamp next to the Menorah memorial sign.

Baskets of flowers from the Head of State were placed at the monuments of the Ukrainian writer Olena Teliha and the Roma executed by the Nazis.

In addition, Volodymyr Zelenskyy watched the Black Cube installation dedicated to the 81st anniversary of the Babyn Yar tragedy. A model of Babyn Yar is installed inside the cube, on which a visual projection takes place; excerpts from the works of Ukrainian writers devoted to the tragedy are also voiced, and images symbolizing the tragic events of Babyn Yar are shown on multimedia screens.

The Head of State was told about how the Babyn Yar National Historical and Memorial Reserve was working to preserve the memory of this tragedy for current and future generations of Ukrainians.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that the world should do everything to prevent similar tragedies and crimes against humanity, which, unfortunately, still happen today, particularly on Ukrainian soil.

“Any inhumane regimes pose a threat to all humanity. Criminals who cause such tragedies must be punished. So that dictators and tyrants are reluctant to repeat something similar in the future,” the President noted.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 29 September 2022.

The International Working Group on Russian Sanctions has developed the fifth Paper of the Working Group on the topic “The Case for Designating the Russian Federation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism”. The document explains in detail the essence and features of the status of a State Sponsor of Terrorism envisaged by American law, and the need to include Russia in the list of countries with SST (State Sponsor of Terrorism) status.

The consequences of the official designation of Russia as a State Sponsor of Terrorism for Russia itself and for the US or Canada were assessed. Working group experts assessed the risks and suggested potential mitigation strategies for many of them.

The document provides factual data confirming the compliance of the actions of the Russian Federation with the definition of “terrorism”. In practice, Russia’s crimes in Ukraine are actually worse than “sponsoring terrorism”, since the main perpetrator of these acts of terrorism is the Russian armed forces, a key institution of the Russian state. The type, scale and purpose of the deliberate, politically motivated violence that the Russian state uses against Ukrainian non-combatants is appalling. The U.S. Department of State should designate the Russian Federation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism. A similar designation should be made by the Canadian government.

Experts describe in detail the main consequences: restrictions on transactions, loss of sovereign immunity, secondary sanctions, individual sanctions, symbolic impact.

This designation would increase pressure to add Russia to the blacklist of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). It would also restrict foreign assistance from the United States and from organizations in which the U.S. is a member; ban all arms-related exports and sales; strengthen even further the controls over exports, re-export, and transfer of dual-use items; and put in place additional financial restrictions.

The designation of such status for Russia would make it easier and more likely for the U.S. to impose secondary sanctions on third parties transacting with the Russian state and private sector entities. With the SST designation in place, the U.S. and its allies could impose financial and trade sanctions on any country that continues to cooperate with the Russian state. This threat of secondary sanctions would increase the probability of compliance with sanctions already in place, thus enhancing their credibility and enforceability.

The designation would also greatly increase the scrutiny of many Russian private sector entities and individuals by international counterparties. Potential business partners would need to take extra care in their due diligence and Know-Your-Customer (KYC) research.

The complicated diplomatic, legal, and economic implications for the U.S. and potentially for other members of the sanctions coalition in imposing this designation on the Russian Federation were noted.

However, the paper argues, the laws that allow designation of such status in the United States provide sufficient flexibility to develop effective mitigation strategies for most of these problems.

The designation would bring more global attention to the nature of the Russian regime and the atrocities and terror that it has committed against innocent Ukrainian civilians. It would substantially increase the scale, scope, and effectiveness of the sanctions imposed on the Putin regime.

As for mitigating the risks, first of all, the legislation provides for the possibility of cooperation with Russian entities in joint humanitarian efforts.

It is noted that a waiver could be added to the SST designation that would allow contacts with Russian diplomats when American national interests were being advanced. For example, even while Iran was designated as a state sponsor of terrorism, officials negotiated directly with Iranian diplomats to conclude the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

To reduce fears that American claimants in the U.S. might drain some Russian government assets currently being held in the United States and other banks in the democratic world, the U.S. government could stipulate that these assets are exempt from potential lawsuits and instead will be used for Ukrainian reconstruction.

There could be a condition that if Russia’s armed forces left Ukraine and therefore stopped terrorizing the Ukrainian population, then the designation would be lifted. The U.S. House of Representative and the Senate could commit to this trigger for lifting the designation in a joint resolution. Doing so in advance might create greater incentives for Putin to end his war.

Given the costs of witnessing terrorist acts and doing nothing in response, the Yermak-McFaul Group believes that the benefits of proceeding with SST designation for the Russian Federation outweigh the risks, which, in turn, can be mitigated.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 28 September 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone call with UN Secretary-General António Guterres to discuss the escalation of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

The Head of State expressed gratitude to the UN Secretary-General for his unwavering commitment to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine within internationally recognized borders. Evidence of this is the clear position regarding the United Nations’ non-recognition of the sham referenda held in the occupied territories of Ukraine as a gross violation of the fundamental goals and principles of the UN Charter expressed on behalf of the Secretary-General by Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo at the meeting of the UN Security Council convened by Ukraine on September 27.

The interlocutors highly assessed the implementation of the grain initiative over the past two months, which made it possible to unblock the export of Ukrainian agricultural products and mitigate the global food crisis. They believe it is necessary to continue and expand this initiative under the auspices of the United Nations.

The parties also discussed the issues of nuclear security in the context of the threatening situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP and the next visit to Ukraine by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and António Guterres paid attention to the initiatives of Ukraine proposed during the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, as well as to a number of other important issues of the global agenda.

The President thanked the Secretary-General for holding an important meeting with the First Lady and the Prime Minister of Ukraine on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 28 September 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a substantive and constructive talk with Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz.

The Ukrainian President thanked the Chancellor for his powerful statement in support of Ukraine during a speech at the opening of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The interlocutors paid the key attention to the illegal holding of sham referenda in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and the world’s reaction to it.

“Russia’s recognition of these sham referenda, the implementation of the so-called Crimean scenario and another attempt to annex Ukrainian territory will mean that there is nothing to talk about with this President of Russia,” the Head of State emphasized.

The Ukrainian party counts on the toughening of EU sanctions and ASAP approval of the eighth package of sanctions, which should be much more powerful and synchronized with the illegal decisions of the Russian Federation.

Bilateral defense cooperation was discussed in detail. The President noted the decisions made by Germany regarding the supply of weapons to Ukraine, the already provided defense aid, and expressed hope for its further enhancement. The expected delivery to Ukraine of the first German IRIS-T air defense system to protect Ukrainian skies from Russian missile terror was especially noted.

The Federal Chancellor of Germany praised the recent exchange of prisoners of war, which resulted in the release of 215 defenders of Ukraine from Russian captivity.

The interlocutors touched upon the issue of macro-financial support for our state in wartime conditions and the important role of Germany in this process, in particular as a country presiding in the G7. The President expressed gratitude for Germany’s assistance through the UN World Food Programme in the delivery of Ukraine’s humanitarian aid to Ethiopia and Somalia.

In this context, the parties agreed on the importance of proper implementation of the grain export initiative and the need for its continuation.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Olaf Scholz focused on the issue of energy security in the region.

During the discussion of the recovery of Ukraine, the Chancellor of Germany informed the President of the preparations for holding next month in Berlin the International Expert Conference on the Recovery of Ukraine as one of the activities of Germany’s G7 Presidency. The Head of State expressed willingness to address the participants of the conference in an online format and informed the Chancellor of the planned participation of the Prime Minister of Ukraine in this event.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 28 September 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had another phone call with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Liz Truss.

The Head of State thanked for the strong support of Ukraine consistently demonstrated by the government of the United Kingdom. The President noted the powerful speech of Liz Truss at the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, which spoke about the importance of supporting our country until victory.

He thanked for the principled position of the British side regarding the non-recognition of the sham referenda held by Russia in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. The Head of State emphasized that Great Britain became the first country in the democratic world to introduce sanctions against individuals and legal entities involved in the organization of disgraceful “referenda”.

“They are worthless and do not change reality. The territorial integrity of Ukraine will be restored. Russia’s recognition of these fake referenda and another attempt to annex Ukrainian territory will mean that there is nothing to talk about with this President of Russia,” stated Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The President expressed gratitude for the defense support for our state amid full-scale Russian aggression, as well as for significant macro-financial aid, in particular, that planned for 2023.

Liz Truss noted the efforts of the leadership of Ukraine to release the citizens of Great Britain who were in Russian captivity, and expressed gratitude for their return.

The leaders discussed the preparation of bilateral events for the near future.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Liz Truss for the meeting with the First Lady and the Prime Minister of Ukraine in New York, on the margins of the UN General Assembly, and noted that this is evidence of the strong support for our country from Great Britain.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 28 September 2022.

As part of the ongoing dialogue, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had another call with Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau. The leaders constructively exchanged views on countering Russian aggression amid unprecedented pressure and blackmail by the Kremlin.

The Head of State thanked Justin Trudeau for the support of our country expressed in a speech at the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The President also expressed gratitude for the principled position of the Canadian side regarding the non-recognition of the sham “referenda” held by Russia in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

“The goal of these sham “referenda” is the annexation of new Ukrainian lands,” he said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine expects the toughest reaction from international partners to Russia’s recognition of the results of these sham “referenda”.

The Head of State separately thanked Justin Trudeau for the defense support provided by Canada and for the consistent sanctions policy against the aggressor state. He also praised the intentions of the G7 to set a price cap for Russian oil.

The parties discussed the need to provide further economic support to Ukraine, as well as specialized vehicles for demining the de-occupied territories.

The President stressed the need for a tough reaction to Russian nuclear blackmail.

“The world should not tolerate Russian nuclear blackmail. We should put an end to this. The aggressor should clearly understand all the consequences of his irresponsibility,” the Head of State emphasized.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 28 September 2022.

As part of the ongoing dialogue with partners and allies, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The Head of State thanked the Turkish side for its unwavering support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, which was confirmed, in particular, in the speech of the President of Türkiye at the opening of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy highly appreciated the personal role of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in organizing the recent exchange of prisoners of war and providing shelter on Turkish soil to Ukrainian commanders. For his part, the leader of the Republic of Türkiye assured that all necessary conditions will be created for those released, as well as for relatives who will visit them in Türkiye.

The President of Ukraine thanked official Ankara for its principled position on non-recognition of sham referenda.

“The goal of the illegal sham referenda that Russia held in the occupied territories of Ukraine is the annexation of new Ukrainian lands. The world community must give the toughest possible response to Russia’s actions,” the Head of State said.

During the conversation, Türkiye’s key role in organizing the work of the grain initiative and establishing the export of Ukrainian agricultural products through the Black Sea was noted. The parties noted that since its launch, 235 ships with 5.4 million tons of agricultural products for the countries of Asia, Europe and Africa have left Ukrainian ports. Hope was expressed for the further smooth functioning of the grain initiative to prevent a global food crisis.

Separately, the leaders of the states touched upon the situation at the ZNPP. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed readiness to contribute to international efforts to prevent the nuclear threat.

The Presidents also discussed bilateral contacts to be held in the near future.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 28 September 2022.

First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska told the Good Morning America (GMA) program on ABC channel about her newly created Olena Zelenska Foundation, which she presented on September 22 at the Metropolitan Opera in New York during her visit to the 77th session of the UN General Assembly.

“Our goal is to ensure that, when it becomes safe, as many Ukrainians as possible will be able to return to their homes. In order for them to return, it is necessary to restore hospitals, schools, and housing. The capabilities of the state are not always enough to immediately eliminate the consequences of all the destruction caused by the invader,” the President’s wife said.

Olena Zelenska emphasized that from now on, every person, company or organization in the world who wants to support the recovery of Ukraine will be able to do so through the foundation within the three areas of its activity: medicine, education, humanitarian aid.

“During the Russian invasion, we accumulated a lot of experience in aid and rescue. We know the needs of Ukrainians and can effectively meet them. We are doing this so that people, despite the war, return to a normal life and to Ukraine, which can give them this norm,” the First Lady said.