Tag: 2022

Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Speech at the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly
The speech made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 22 September 2022.
Greetings to all people of the world who value peace and unity between different and equal nations!

I wish you all peace!

I thank you that we are united in our striving to restore peace and to guarantee peace for any nation that has become a victim of the armed aggression.

A crime has been committed against Ukraine, and we demand just punishment.

The crime was committed against our state borders. The crime was committed against the lives of our people. The crime was committed against the dignity of our women and men.

The crime was committed against the values that make you and me a community of the united nations.

And Ukraine demands punishment for trying to steal our territory. Punishment for the murders of thousands of people. Punishment for tortures and humiliations of women and men.

Punishment for the catastrophic turbulence that Russia provoked with its illegal war and not only for us, Ukrainians, but for the whole world. For every nation that is represented in this Hall of the UN General Assembly.

I am speaking on behalf of the state, which is forced to defend itself, but has the formula for peace. I am speaking to everyone who wants to hear how to achieve peace.

I will present a formula that can work not only for us, but for anyone who may find themselves in similar circumstances as we did. It is a formula that punishes crime, protects life, restores security and territorial integrity, guarantees security, and provides determination.

There are five preconditions for peace.

Dear Mr. President of the General Assembly!

Dear Secretary-General of the United Nations!

Dear heads of states and governments!

Dear journalists!

Nations of the world!

Ukraine wants peace. Europe wants peace. The world wants peace. And we have seen who is the only one who wants war.

There is only one Entity among all UN Member States who would say now, if he could interrupt my speech, that he is happy with this war – with his war. But we will not let this Entity prevail over us, even though it is the largest state in the world.

Ukraine showed strength on the battlefield, using its right to self-defense in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter. And no one will reproach us now or in the future with weakness or inability to fight for ourselves, for our independence.

We are achieving a result in this fight and we see what the end of this war will be, and what will be the guarantees of a stable peace.

The UN Charter proclaims the equality of nations – and we proved that Ukraine is equal among the equals.

The UN Charter protects the inviolability of borders – and we confirm our state borderline by expelling the occupiers outside.

The UN Charter stipulates the value of human rights, dignity and life, and we also stipulate them – with every Ukrainian city freed from Russian occupation.

We did not provoke this war. We held 88 rounds of talks in various formats to prevent this war, just from the beginning of my presidency until February 24 this year.

But Russia – instead of stopping the crime of aggression, which it started back in 2014 – turned it into a full-scale invasion. And we have no choice but to defend ourselves. We do it. We push the aggressor beyond the internationally recognized border of the Ukrainian state.

And this is the first item of our peace formula. Comprehensive item. Punishment.

Punishment for the crime of aggression. Punishment for violation of borders and territorial integrity. Punishment that must be in place until the internationally recognized border is restored. Until the aggression stops. And until the damages and losses for the war are fully compensated.

Therefore, sanctions against the aggressor are part of the peace formula. Blocking the trade and relations with the aggressor is part of the peace formula. All this is a punishment.

So long as the aggressor is a party to decision-making in the international organizations, he must be isolated from them – at least until aggression lasts. Reject the right to vote. Deprive delegation rights. Remove the right of veto – if it is a Member of the UN Security Council. In order to punish the aggressor within the institutions.

We should not turn a blind eye to propagandists who justify aggression, but apply a full package of personal restrictions against them. That is a punishment for lying.

Citizens of the aggressor state should not be allowed to enjoy tourism or shopping in the territory of those who value peace, but should be encouraged through visa restrictions to fight against the aggression of their own state. Punish for abetting the evil.

A Special Tribunal should be created to punish Russia for the crime of aggression against our state. This will become signal to all “would-be” aggressors, that they must value peace or be brought to responsibility by the world.

We have prepared precise steps to establish such Tribunal. They will be presented to all states.

Ukraine will appeal to the UN General Assembly to support an international compensation mechanism.

We count on your support.

Russia should pay for this war with its assets. It is also a punishment. This is one of the most terrible punishments for Russian officials, who value money above everything else.

The second item of the peace formula is the protection of life. The most concrete item.

Now, while the sessions of the General Assembly continue, in the Ukrainian town of Izyum, Kharkiv region, the exhumation is under way… of bodies from a mass burial, which happened when the territory was controlled by Russian troops. The bodies of women and men, children and adults, civilians and soldiers were found there. 445 graves.

There is a family that died under the rubble of a house after a Russian airstrike – father, mother, 6- and 8-year-old girls, grandparents. There is a man who was strangled with a rope. There is a woman with broken ribs and wounds on her body. There is a man who was castrated before the murder, and this is not the first case.

Ask, please, the representatives of Russia why the Russian military are so obsessed with castration. What was done to them so that they want to do this to others?

The only thing that differs the mass burial in Izyum from what the world saw in Bucha is, in fact, the burial. The Russian army was in Izyum for a longer time, and therefore the bodies of the killed people were buried, and not scattered on the streets.

So, how can we allow the Russian army somewhere on Ukrainian soil, knowing that they are committing such mass murders everywhere? We cannot.

We must protect life. The world must protect life. Every state suffering the armed aggression needs the opportunity to protect its citizens and liberate its territory.

If it requires help with weapons or shells – they should be provided. If you need financial help for this, it should be given. If for this, it is necessary to help with the intelligence data – just do it. But what is not needed is lies.

We can return the Ukrainian flag to our entire territory. We can do it with the force of arms.

But we need time.

We tried to speed it up. We tried to implement the basic provisions of the UN Charter for Ukraine through negotiations.

But Russia is afraid of real negotiations and does not want to fulfill any fair international obligations. It lies to everyone. As it is typical for aggressors, for terrorists.

Even now, when Russia talks about negotiations, it only wants to slow down its retreat. Russia wants to spend the winter on the occupied territory of Ukraine and prepare forces to attempt a new offensive. New Buchas, new Izyums… Or at least it wants to prepare fortifications on occupied land and carry out military mobilization at home.

We cannot agree to a delayed war. Because it will be even hotter than the war now.

For us, this is a war for life. That is why we need defense support – weapons, military equipment and shells. Offensive weapons, a long-range one is enough to liberate our land, and defensive systems, above all, air defense. And we need financial support – to keep internal stability and fulfill social obligations to our people.

Physical and social protection are two elements of any nation’s life. So, the second item of our peace formula is the protection of life. By all available means – allowed by the UN Charter.

The third item of our peace formula is restoring security and territorial integrity.

Look at how many elements of global security Russia has undermined with its war – maritime safety, food safety, radiation safety, energy safety and safety from weapons of mass destruction.

We are already restoring maritime safety and food security. And I thank Mr. António Guterres for his personal involvement. Algeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Libya, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Bangladesh, Israel, India, Iran, Yemen, Cyprus, China, Korea, Lebanon, Türkiye, Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, Romania and France have already received Ukrainian agricultural products.

And we have to increase the supply by sea. Both under market conditions and within the UN Food Program, for which Ukraine is always a reliable partner.

By the way, despite all the difficulties caused by the war, we decided to provide humanitarian aid to Ethiopia and Somalia, so we will send them an additional amount of our wheat.

But it is more difficult with other security elements.

On the eve of the General Assembly meeting, Russia fired missiles at the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant. The explosion hit the station buildings – windows were broken, walls were damaged. The rockets exploded only three hundred meters from the walls of the reactors!

And this is after the IAEA’s clear appeal to Russia to stop any hostile activity against any nuclear facilities of Ukraine and, in particular, against the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station – the largest one in Europe, which Russia has turned into a target.

And that makes all of you a target.

Russian radiation blackmailing is something that should concern each and every one of you, because none of you will find a vaccine against radiation sickness.

The cost of living crisis continues in dozens of countries, it roots in the destabilization of the energy market. It is necessary to remove the main factor of global price turbulence, namely: Russian energy blackmailing.

It is necessary to cap the prices at which Russia exports its energy resources. It is necessary to make Russian oil and gas – just ordinary goods again. Currently, oil and gas are Russia’s energy weapons. And that is why it manipulates the markets so that electricity, gas, petrol and diesel become the privilege of few instead of being a common good available to all.

Limiting prices is safeguarding the world. This is the way to restore energy and price security.

But will the world go for it? Or will it be scared? Will it be scared of Russian threats?

It is necessary to take only one strong step, after which everything will become clear. The time has come for this.

This step will put everything in place. After the Russian missile terror. After the massacres. After Mariupol. After the burning of Ukrainian prisoners in Olenivka by the Russian military. After blocking the ports. After the strikes of Russian tanks and missiles on nuclear power plants. And after threats to use nuclear weapons, which have become the rule, not the exception, for Russian propagandists…

We must finally recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. At all levels. In all countries that confess the values of peace and protection of human life. Legally. Politically.

If you don’t have a legal mechanism, you can make a political decision – in the parliaments. This is the foundation for restoring global security. If this strong step is taken, doubts will disappear – whether to take other important steps.

And what is very sensitive – is the border, the territorial integrity.

When one country tries to steal the territory of another state, it puts all world nations under attack.

Global security cannot be restored without restoring the territorial integrity of the nation which suffered the armed aggression.

So, the third item of the Ukrainian peace formula is the restoration of security and territorial integrity. The fourth item is security guarantees.

Every nation has the right to security guarantees. Not only the largest nations. Not only the most fortunate ones.

We have proposals to upgrade the security architecture for Ukraine, and for Europe and the world, which will not allow any more aggression against us. We are already presenting them to partners.

Proposals for legally binding multilateral and bilateral treaties. These are the conditions for the guarantors to act, and the timeline for their actions to bring results – results on land, at sea and in the air; in diplomacy and politics, in economy and finance, in providing weapons and intelligence. Each of you, who will receive the text of our peace formula will also see the details of what we offer as security guarantees.

I do not want to compare our offers with the guarantees of any alliances that exist on the planet now. I want to stress that it is always much better to guarantee the security of a nation, preventively, rather than to stop a war after it has already begun.

And the fifth item of the Ukrainian peace formula is determination. Something without which the other four items will not work.

This is our determination to fight. This is the determination of the partners to help us, and also themselves. And this is the determination of the world to unite around the one who fights against armed aggression and to call to order the one who threatens all.

So, all five items of our formula:
- punishment for aggression;
- protection of life;
- restoration of security and territorial integrity;
- security guarantees;
- and determination to defend oneself.
This is the formula of crime and punishment, which is already well known to Russia. And this is the formula of justice and law and order that Russia has yet to learn. As well as any other potential aggressors.

What is not in our formula? Neutrality.

Those who speak of neutrality, when human values and peace are under attack, mean something else. They talk about indifference – everyone for themselves. Here’s what they say. They pretend to be interested in each other’s problems. They take care of each other formally. They sympathize only for protocol. And that is why they pretend to protect someone, but in reality they protect only their vested interests. This is what creates the conditions for war. This is what needs to be corrected in order to create conditions for peace.

All you need is determination.

There was a lot of talking about reforming the UN. How did it all end? No result.

If you look carefully at our peace formula, you will see that its implementation is already becoming a de-facto reform of the United Nations. Our formula is universal, and unites the North and the South of the world. It calls for the world’s majority, and encourages to expand the representation of those who remained unheard.

This is an imbalance when Africa, Latin America, most of Asia, Central and Eastern Europe comply with the right of veto, that they themselves never had.

And this is what Ukraine is talking about. And have you ever heard such words from Russia? But it is a permanent member of the Security Council. For some reason. For what reason, not Japan or Brazil, not Türkiye or India, not Germany or Ukraine. The day will come when this will be resolved.

As for the talks between Ukraine and Russia.

Probably you have happened to hear different words from Russia about the talks – as if they were ready for them. But. They talk about the talks but announce military mobilization. They talk about the talks but announce pseudo referendums in the occupied territories of Ukraine.

What is true then? The military mobilization in Russia is true. Sham referendums are also true. Russia wants war. It’s true. But Russia will not be able to stop the course of history. Mankind and the international law are stronger than one terrorist state. Russia will be forced to end this war. The war it has started.

I rule out that the settlement can happen on a different basis than the Ukrainian peace formula. The further the Russian terror reaches, the less likely it is that anyone in the world will agree to sit at one table with them.

And if my words will be followed by new Russian missiles and acts of terrorism it will only prove the weakness. Russia’s weakness. Its inability to prevail over us, its inability to prevail over the world.

It will only prove that 5 items of the Ukrainian peace formula must be implemented as soon as possible.

We are ready for peace. But true, honest and fair peace. That’s why the world is on our side.

And finally.

I want to thank one hundred and one countries that voted for my video address to take place. It was a vote not only about the format. It was the vote about principles.

Only seven countries voted against: Belarus, Cuba, North Korea, Eritrea, Nicaragua, Russia and Syria.

Seven. Seven who are afraid of the video address. Seven who respond to principles with a red button. Only seven.

One hundred and one – and seven.

Friends! If this coalition is against our determination, then I congratulate you all. Because this means that peace will prevail over any aggression, and that there is no obstacle for us to implement the peace formula.

I thank you for your attention!

Once again, I wish you all peace!

Glory to Ukraine!
September 27, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Ukraine returned 215 people from Russian captivity, including defenders of “Azovstal” [September 2022]

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

Ukraine returned 215 people, including 124 officers, from Russian captivity. Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak reported this to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during an online call with the released defenders.

In particular, 108 warriors of the “Azov” regiment and other formations of the National Guard of Ukraine, as well as servicemen of the Ground and Naval Forces, the territorial defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Border Guard Service, the National Police, employees of the Security Service, the State Special Transport Service and the State Customs Service were released.

“Among those released are commander of “Azov”, Hero of Ukraine Denys Prokopenko (“Redis”), Serhiy Volynskyi (“Volyna”), acting commander of the 36th separate brigade of marines, Svyatoslav Palamar (“Azov”), Oleg Khomenko (“Azov”), Denys Shleha from the National Guard of Ukraine, Hero of Ukraine Yevheniy Bova, commander of the 1st separate marine battalion. Kateryna Polishchuk (“Ptashka”) also returns,” Andriy Yermak reported.

Defenders Maryana Mamonova, Yana Shumovetska and Anastasiya Chernenka who were captured while pregnant were also released.

“This is the most powerful result in the release of prisoners during the entire period of the full-scale invasion,” stated the Head of the President’s Office.

Acting Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Maliuk, Deputy Head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence Dmytro Usov and Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets met 200 released Ukrainians.

“Today we directly exchanged 200 citizens of Ukraine for Mr. Medvedchuk. I would like to point out that Medvedchuk is not just Putin’s close friend, but a well-documented state traitor. His guilt is fully recorded in the relevant materials,” said Vasyl Maliuk.

He noted that during the work on Viktor Medvedchuk’s cases, a number of subversive networks were neutralized, state traitors were detained and a large amount of information was obtained, which is used in counterintelligence activities.

In addition, 5 more citizens were released in exchange for 55 Russian prisoners.

Almost all of the released are already on the territory of Ukraine, except for the five Azov commanders, who, according to the agreements reached earlier with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, are in Türkiye under his personal guarantees of protection. Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov and Minister of Internal Affairs Denys Monastyrskyi are currently with five “Azov” warriors.

“Congratulations, our men, our heroes, on your return. Glad to see everyone since we’ve been speaking only by phone earlier. We are extremely proud of what you have done for our country. We are proud of each of you,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a video call with the released defenders of Azovstal.

The Head of State noted that they are now safe in Türkiye, and the next step is their return to their homeland.

“Glory to Ukraine! Mr. President, everything is fine with us, the health conditions are acceptable. I’m thankful to you and the entire team,” said Denys Prokopenko, commander of the “Azov” regiment.

The fighters expressed gratitude to the team and the Ukrainian people on behalf of all defenders of Azovstal.

Kyrylo Budanov reported to the Head of State about the completion of another stage of the exchange of prisoners of war and assured that the work on the release of all Ukrainian citizens continues.

In addition, at the request of international partners, Ukraine achieved the release of ten foreigners – defenders of Ukraine, citizens of five partner states. The released foreign defenders were sent to Saudi Arabia on September 21. Head of the State Property Fund Rustem Umerov is with them.

“This is a tremendous success and I am grateful to everyone involved in this operation – everyone who has done this titanic work. I sincerely congratulate our heroes on their return home. We will provide them with all the necessary aid – medical, social and any other. We continue to work on the release of all our citizens who are being held captive by the occupiers,” Andriy Yermak said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the preparation of this release operation was long and hard. He expressed gratitude to the President of Türkiye, as well as to all those who dealt with this issue from the Ukrainian side, in particular to Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak, Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Maliuk, Head of the State Property Fund Rustem Umerov, Minister of Internal Affairs Denys Monastyrskyi, as well as Dmytro Usov and Dmytro Lubinets.

“Thank you guys. I believe that this is truly a great victory for our state, for our entire society. And most importantly – for the families of our defenders, who will be able to see their loved ones in safety,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The President noted that, according to the information available to him, many of the prisoners were sentenced to death, so the release saved their lives.

The Head of State also emphasized that Ukraine remembers all its citizens and will try to save every Ukrainian.

“We will do everything to save everyone who is in Russian captivity. We value every life! This is what distinguishes us from the enemy,” the President noted.

September 27, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Olena Zelenska held a number of important international meetings on the margins of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly [September 2022]

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

First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska arrived in New York for the 77th session of the UN General Assembly. The wife of the President of Ukraine began her visit with a series of meetings with the first ladies and gentlemen of the countries of the world. The meetings were dedicated to the expansion of cooperation between the states.

In particular, she met with First Lady of Poland Agata Kornhauser-Duda and First Lady of Lithuania Diana Nausėdienė within the Lublin Triangle.

The Lublin Triangle is a platform for tripartite cooperation between the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Poland and Ukraine aimed at deepening regional cooperation in the security, economic, social and humanitarian spheres. The decision to establish the format was made on July 28, 2020 by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Jacek Czaputowicz who signed a declaration on the launch of a new regional association.

“Today, we are starting the format of dialogue of the first ladies within the Lublin Triangle,” the wife of the President of Ukraine emphasized.

She also noted that this year’s session of the General Assembly is special, because the security situation in Ukraine as a result of Russia’s war against our country should not leave anyone indifferent.

“The high-level segment of the UN General Assembly is a unique opportunity to draw additional attention to the threats caused by Russian aggression against Ukraine, to emphasize its global dimension,” said the First Lady.

Olena Zelenska thanked Poland and Lithuania for their solidarity and invaluable support for temporarily displaced citizens of Ukraine who were forced to seek refuge abroad due to hostilities and received it from fraternal Poland and Lithuania.

For her part, Diana Nausėdienė initiated the unification of the efforts of the first ladies and international non-governmental organizations for the joint development of projects and initiatives.

The wives of the leaders of Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland also discussed the issue of helping children as a priority of tripartite cooperation, issues of health care, education, implementation of projects on social protection and children’s rehabilitation.

“An important direction is the humanitarian projects implemented in Poland and Lithuania, for which I am especially grateful to you, dear first ladies. Together with Mrs. Agata, we patronize the “Books Without Borders” project. In its framework, 120,000 copies of books in the Ukrainian language have been published. I also observe with great pleasure the work of the Ukrainian Center, which has been operating in Vilnius for more than three months and has become a real corner of Ukraine in Lithuania,” said Olena Zelenska.

She also appealed to her colleagues to introduce the Ukrainian language as a modern foreign language into the curriculum of primary and secondary schools in their countries.

The wife of the President of Ukraine suggested that these and other joint projects be implemented in the framework of the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen.

“I am sure that the Summit shouldn’t function one day only. Therefore, I would be grateful for the opportunity to conduct, with your participation and assistance, appropriate measures to support not only Ukraine in different parts of the world,” said Olena Zelenska.

The First Lady of Ukraine also held a meeting in the format of a brunch, which was joined by a wider circle of participants: First Lady of Latvia Andra Levite, First Lady of Poland Agata Kornhauser-Duda, First Lady of Lithuania Diana Nausėdienė, First Lady of Estonia Sirje Karis, First Lady of Suriname Mellisa Santokhi-Seenacherry, wife of the President of the European Council Amélie Derbaudrenghien, wife of the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga Fiona Sovaleni, husband of the Prime Minister of Luxembourg Gauthier Destenay, wife of the Prime Minister of Malta Dr. Lydia Abela.

The brunch was held at the initiative of Olena Zelenska in the framework of the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen and was intended to bring together the spouses of heads of state and government to discuss the global agenda. The first ladies and gentlemen talked about how their countries live today and what issues concern their peoples.

“I sincerely believe that the power of first ladies and gentlemen can improve the world. It may not find a way out of crises, but it can facilitate and mitigate the processes that these crises cause. Or even more – prevent them. We can and do this thanks to our social, educational, humanitarian and cultural projects. We are able to do it softly, not with the strength of our muscles,” said the wife of the President of Ukraine.

In addition, at the meeting, Olena Zelenska spoke about her plans to create a permanent online platform based on the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen. According to her, the platform will help unite to find joint solutions and create projects.

“This year, in the framework of the Summit, 23 first ladies united around drawing the world’s attention to the events taking place in Ukraine and finding solutions that will positively affect our common future. In a format that will operate continuously, the first ladies and gentlemen will be able to discuss the current challenges of today, important for them and their countries, and share their own experience of implementing projects. The Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen is intended to become an international platform for sharing experience and implementing joint projects for the well-being of people in the world,” concluded the wife of the President of Ukraine.

September 27, 2022
Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Speech at the Global Food Security Summit

The speech made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 21 September 2022.

Dear colleagues!

Ladies and Gentlemen!

I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in this meeting.

Given the meeting is taking place on the margins of the UN General Assembly, I will mention one of the fundamental documents of the modern international legal system.

This is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 30 articles about the most urgent things for every person out of the billions of people who have lived, live and will live on our planet. I will now quote Article 25:

“Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.”

This is a very important definition – the definition of the right, not the privilege, the right, not the fortune, the right, not the vagaries of climate. The right to food. The right to protection against hunger. The right!

Ukraine considers this right inalienable for all people, for all countries. Every person in the world should be free from hunger and even the threat of it. Every country in the world should be reliably protected from famine.

And any state that provokes famine, that tries to make access to food a privilege, that tries to make the protection of nations from famine dependent on the smile of fortune or the mercy of some dictator – such a state must get the toughest reaction from the world. Reaction as for the use of weapons of mass destruction – chemical, biological or nuclear. Because the spread of famine is the same immoral and inhumane weapon of mass destruction as the spread of deadly bacteria or radiation.

This is Ukraine’s position. This is the position of a nation that has lost millions of people to Holodomors. Therefore, we particularly feel what the words “food security” really mean. What the right to protection against hunger is. What the right to food is.

We feel why this is not a privilege, why it should not be an accident and why anyone who destroys this right should face a tough response.

That is why we are making so much effort to restore our agricultural exports. This is not only an economic issue for us. This is a question of basic values and respect for life as such.

In 8 months of last year, Ukraine exported almost 38 million tons of agricultural products. In 8 months of this year, the world market has received almost 10 million tons less already.

Minus 10 million tons of our agricultural exports is plus tens of millions of people who found themselves on the brink of starvation or are starving. And these are only the initial consequences of the Russian blockade of our ports, Russian attempts with missile strikes to prevent us from building new export logistics, and the immoral political game with fluctuations in food prices.

Russia must bear responsibility for this.

Why did it need all this? To supposedly graciously give food in exchange for sovereignty. In exchange for political submission. In exchange for vulnerability. Vulnerability of many African, Asian and European countries.

That is why Russia wants to make protection from hunger not a right, but a privilege, and wants to make food – not an inalienable right, but something to beg for.

We categorically do not accept that. We consistently fight against that. Even in the conditions of a full-scale war, we help those who cannot provide agricultural products for themselves with our agricultural products. And I want to assure the UN that Ukraine will continue to be a guarantor of the UN World Food Programme.

In particular, we are already helping Somalia and Ethiopia. Africa, Asia, Europe, the American continent… Wherever food is needed, we are ready to export and help.

And we call for your solidarity.

Stand in solidarity with us in holding Russia to account. Stand in solidarity with us in guaranteeing the right of any person and any country to protection from hunger, the right to food.

This is a right, not a privilege. It should be so. I believe that we will be able to guarantee it.

I am grateful to UN Secretary-General Guterres. I am grateful to Türkiye and President Erdoğan. Our grain export initiative is working steadily. And I am grateful to all Ukrainians – each and every one who turns our ability to guarantee global food security into an objective reality.

I thank all of you for your support and attention!

Glory to Ukraine!

September 27, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Andriy Yermak and Members of the US House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence discussed further support for Ukraine in the war with the Russian Federation [September 2022]

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

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak held a video conference meeting with the Members of the US House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

The event was also attended by: Deputy Heads of the Office of the President Roman Mashovets and Andriy Smyrnov, Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine Oleksandr Lytvynenko.

Andriy Yermak informed the congressmen about the situation at the front. He emphasized that in more than six months of a full-scale war against Ukraine, Russia was unable to achieve its goal of conquering our country and suffered heavy losses. And this happened thanks to the courage of the Ukrainian nation and the help of international partners.

The Head of the President’s Office emphasized that Ukraine not only repelled the onslaught of the aggressor, but also began to conduct successful counteroffensive operations, which made it possible to liberate almost 8.5 thousand square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in the east of the country.

“And I want to sincerely thank the American people, members of Congress, the White House Administration and President Biden for helping Ukraine from the first day of the war. This success is our common victory, a victory of freedom and democracy. And our goal is and always will be the complete liberation of the entire Ukrainian territory from the occupiers as soon as possible and the restoration of the full sovereignty of Ukraine within internationally recognized borders,” he emphasized.

At the same time, Andriy Yermak noted that the war continues, the Russian army still has large forces, so Ukraine needs further support and strengthening. He noted that the list of needs of our country and the Armed Forces is well known to the military-political leadership of the United States, fruitful cooperation and coordination on these issues has been established.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President Roman Mashovets informed the congressmen about the urgent needs of Ukraine.

For his part, Deputy Head of the Office of the President Andriy Smyrnov focused on the initiative of the Ukrainian side regarding the establishment of a special tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine. In his opinion, this is no longer an issue of war in our country, but an issue for the entire civilized world, and the support for this process by the US as a key democracy is extremely important.

“It’s a matter of courage to call a spade a spade, to call international criminals international criminals,” noted Andriy Smyrnov.

Chairman of the US House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Adam Schiff expressed support for the President of Ukraine and all Ukrainians who bravely defend their country, and congratulated them on a significant success in certain areas of the front. He noted the importance of the received information regarding the situation on the battlefield and the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

September 27, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : In order to defeat the aggressor, it is very important that the US remain a leader in supporting Ukraine – Volodymyr Zelenskyy during The Clinton Global Initiative [September 2022]

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

The leadership of the United States of America in supporting Ukraine in the fight against the Russian aggressor will contribute to the further strengthening of the defense capabilities of the Ukrainian army and victory. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his online participation in the meeting of The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), a separate panel of which was devoted to Ukraine.

During a conversation with the 42nd US President Bill Clinton, Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the United States of America is an indicator of democracy for the entire civilized world, to which other countries are compared. Therefore, it is important that they remain leaders in supporting Ukraine and exerting pressure on Russia.

“When the US gives Ukraine artillery, then other countries support us and also provide it. When the US designates (the country – ed.) a sponsor of terrorism, the democracies of Europe will also support this initiative. Therefore, when you ask me how the United States can help, it is to be a leader,” the Head of State said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that the world and, in particular, the US, has already done a lot to support Ukraine and strengthen our army, which resulted in the de-occupation of a number of Ukrainian territories.

“Our troops have internal resilience – it is their love and respect for their homeland, for Ukraine. But on the battlefield, hands and eyes are not enough. Weapons are also very important. And here I want to thank both President Biden and the US Congress for the bipartisan support of Ukraine,” he said.

The Head of State also called on the US to encourage other democratic countries to provide more assistance to Ukraine, in particular to provide the necessary weapons.

“They have the artillery we need, the appropriate weapons. And here, politically, the United States could put pressure,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted and added that this issue was repeatedly discussed with congressmen, senators, as well as at the level of presidents.

He expressed his belief that in the issue of fighting the aggressor, one cannot stand aside and not express a position clearly.

“You cannot balance between good and evil, light and darkness. You have to choose a side. Every subject, every state is open, free. So they can choose a side, but they can’t be in the middle,” said the President and emphasized that Ukraine is fighting precisely for values – for freedom.

The Head of State noted that the US and the world community should force Russia to sit down at the negotiating table after its troops leave the territory of Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of preserving the unity of the free world in matters of sanction pressure on the aggressor. This especially applies to those countries where there is Russian lobbying.

“It is very important not to lose a united Europe, and then the combined volume of these sanctions will definitely hit both Russia’s military-industrial complex and the economy. And they will definitely feel it. But the main thing is that it should be felt not by the leaders of the Russian Federation, but by their society. And society feels it when citizens’ wallets are affected, when their rights and freedoms are restricted. And here it is very important to introduce visa restrictions for the Russian Federation. Russian society will know that it must also bear responsibility for this war. Because they elected these leaders. And they should feel the tangible price of this war,” the President said.

According to the Head of State, the most important sanction measure that must be applied to Russia is to designate it a state – sponsor of terrorism.

He also reminded that the Ukrainian side recently presented recommendations on security guarantees for Ukraine prepared by the international working group led by Andriy Yermak and former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. These recommendations should become the basis of the future compact on security guarantees for Ukraine, which, according to the President, could be an example of security for all states that are not members of NATO.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke in favor of such partners as the United States, Great Britain and EU countries joining the circle of guarantors of the security of our state.

“I think it is very important that the USA become the first country to sign these security guarantees with the Ukrainian side,” he summarized.

Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to create and implement solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. This September, CGI will convene alongside the United Nations General Assembly. During this meeting, more than 1,000 attendees will come together to drive action on climate change, inclusive economic growth, health equity, the refugee crisis, and more.

September 27, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : President during a video meeting with the leadership of Goldman Sachs – Support Ukraine’s economy now, and you will win in the future [September 2022]

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

As Ukraine demonstrates resilience on the battlefield in the fight against the Russian aggressor, representatives of global business should demonstrate resilience in supporting the Ukrainian economy. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting in the format of a video conference with members of the Management Committee of one of the largest investment companies in the United States and the world, Goldman Sachs.

The Head of State emphasized that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion by Russia, Ukrainians have demonstrated unity in society and resilience on the battlefield. The state institutions of Ukraine also withstood – the National Bank, the financial sphere did not stop working, wages and pensions were paid, other transactions were carried out, etc.

As Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted, thanks to the reforms that took place in our country before the war, Ukraine was able to repel large-scale cyberattacks by the Russian Federation, and digital state services remained available to all citizens.

According to the President, demonstrating this resilience to partners, the Ukrainian authorities are calling to support the economy of our country, invest and create new jobs.

“We are real partners, and therefore we expect resilience from you as well. We ask businesses that were on the territory of Ukraine before the full-scale invasion to stay and continue to invest,” said the President.

“Support us now – we really need it. Support our economy now, and you will win in the future,” urged the Head of State.

According to him, despite the fact that investments during the war are risky, after the victory of Ukraine, investors will enjoy the benefits, as Ukrainians will receive a strong motivation to rebuild the country.

“If you support our economy today, Ukraine will be very grateful to you tomorrow, and you will definitely feel it,” added Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The President of Ukraine emphasized that the world is more powerful than any aggressor state when it unites.

“And we showed it. We showed that when the world is united, helps us with weapons, helps us with finances, we can oppose any colonialist power,” he emphasized.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed the importance of preserving unity in Europe, in particular on the eve of the winter period.

The Head of State reminded that Russia provoked the energy crisis in the world long before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and during the war it created a food crisis by blocking the export of food through Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea. But it was thanks to the unity of the world community that the issue of grain export was resolved.

“We united, we put pressure and ensured a food corridor. Many countries in Africa, Asia and Europe received agricultural products from us. This is what the world did when it united and exerted pressure,” the President said.

Therefore, according to him, it is now important that the world community does not give in to the energy blackmail of the Russian Federation, maintains and increases the sanctions pressure, in particular on the energy resources of the Russian Federation.

The Head of State emphasized: if you give in to Russia’s blackmail and make situational concessions, this will not prevent similar situations from occurring in the future. On the contrary, Russia will try to dictate its terms whenever it does not like something.

“Today, the European Union, some states are not dealing with the issue of aid to Ukraine or the issue of the energy crisis this winter – they are dealing with the issue of their capability in the future, the independence of their children, the influence of any external entity on their territorial integrity,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy is convinced.

He also emphasized that non-compliance by individual countries with the sanctions introduced on the Russian Federation may encourage the Russian leadership to increase blackmail and resort to escalation. Therefore, according to him, it is important to designate Russia a state – sponsor of terrorism.

The President noted that the sanctions pressure affects Russia, particularly its economy and GDP, but ordinary Russian citizens still hardly feel the effect of strategic restrictions.

“It is extremely important for us that they feel this. Then they will understand the price of this war unleashed by their leader. Then the entire community within Russia will begin to put pressure on its authorities. And this is also fair, because it is inadmissible that anyone in the world feels this war, primarily Ukraine, but Russia definitely does not feel it. It cannot be so. The price of war should be tangible,” the Head of State summarized.

September 27, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Volodymyr Zelenskyy and CEO of BlackRock discussed how to drive investments into Ukraine [September 2022]

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

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Chairman and CEO of BlackRock, the world’s largest investment manager, Larry Fink discussed the possibilities of driving public and private investments into Ukraine.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Chairman and CEO of BlackRock Larry Fink met over a video conference to discuss how BlackRock Financial Markets Advisory could provide pro bono advice to the Ukrainian government on setting up a reconstruction fund in support of the recovery of the Ukrainian economy. This could include advice on the structure, investment process, governance and use of proceeds for a fund. The goal of the fund would be to create opportunity for both public and private investors to participate in reconstructing and rejuvenating the market economy in Ukraine by delivering fair and just returns to investors.

“We’ve shown that we know how to win on the battlefield. Another important task for us is to achieve victories in the economy as well, and to be an attractive country for investors,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The President emphasized that Ukraine is interested in attracting global capital that will create new jobs and facilitate the economy’s growth.

“The investment attractiveness of our country is of particular importance. It’s important to me that a structure like this be successful for all parties involved. We are capable, and we want to restore a normal investment climate,” the Head of State said.

September 27, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : UK experts drive Peru’s ongoing response to February’s oil spill in the Pacific Ocean [September 2022]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 September 2022.
- Team of experts from the United Kingdom carried out the workshop “Response to marine pollution: preparedness and best practices from the United Kingdom” with Peruvian authorities.
- More than 50 representatives from Peru’s environmental, fisheries, and coast guard sectors actively participated in the four-day workshop.
Lima, 26th September. – Between 20 and 23 September, a team of UK-based pollution response experts from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), delivered the workshop “Marine Pollution Response: preparedness and best practise from the UK”, with Peruvian Governmental authorities.

This 4-day workshop brought together over 50 representatives from Peruvian environment, fisheries and coastguard sectors, including officers from the Minister of Environment, the National Park Service and coastal municipalities. With the support of colleagues from British Embassy in Lima, the UK delegation shared lessons learned from historic UK incidents and discussed key legislation and preparedness principles to ensure an effective and timely response to marine pollution incidents.

The workshop also covered a range of topics including response options, use of satellite and drone technology, socio-economic impacts of spills, evaluating impacts to marine birds and marine mammals, post-spill monitoring and hydrocarbon analysis and fingerprinting. It also included presentations from UK Deputy to the Secretary of State’s Representative for Maritime and Salvage, and sessions from oiled wildlife response organisation Aiuka.

Bethany Graves, from the JNCC, said:

It’s a pleasure to be here, sharing UK experience and knowledge and working closely with Peruvian Governmental agencies to explore opportunities to be better prepared. We have had an excellent week of workshops with good engagement and discussions.

We’re grateful for the British Embassy Lima’s help in the organisation of the workshop and we are glad to see that all who attended found it useful.

The workshop concluded with a table-top exercise in which lessons learned from the previous days were tested and cemented. After this workshop, the UK team will prepare a ‘Recommendations for better Readiness’ report to hand over in the next few months. This will include comments on Peru’s National Contingency Plan and key gaps in preparedness as identified in the workshop (and shared from Peru agencies).

The British Ambassador to Peru, Gavin Cook added:

The oil spill off Lima was a wake-up call. But it’s one the Peruvian government is responding to, in both managing the aftermath of the disaster and thinking longer-term. The UK is proud to be supporting this alongside our broad environmental work in Peru.

British expertise has a huge amount to offer – especially in the use of technology – and we look forward to continuing to share best practice and drive change.

The workshop was delivered under the Ocean Country Partnership Programme, a UK-led programme funded through the UK government’s £500 million Blue Planet Fund, which aims to help eligible countries reduce poverty, through supporting the sustainable management of their marine environment.
September 27, 2022
Ursula von der Leyen – 2022 Speech at Princeton University

The speech made by Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, at Princeton University on 22 September 2022.

Dear Dean Jamal,

Dear Andy, Professor Moravcsik,

Thank you very much for welcoming me back to Princeton,

Distinguished members of the Princeton faculty and administration,

And most importantly, dear students,

Indeed, this is the United Nations General Assembly week right now. And you can imagine that one dominant topic was and is the war that Russia unleashed against Ukraine. It was 24 February when Russia invaded Ukraine and brought war back to Europe. I visited Kyiv for the first time since the beginning of the war round about five to six weeks after the invasion started. And I went to the town of Bucha. Before the war, Bucha was a quiet, friendly suburb on the outskirts of Kyiv. It has been occupied by Russian troops. Two days before I went to Bucha, it had been liberated by Ukrainian armed forces. When I went there, I saw mass graves; I saw the body bags lying there – men, women, children. I saw these brutal scars of missiles and bombs that had been aimed deliberately at residential areas, hospitals, schools kindergartens. So I basically saw first-hand the reality of Putin’s war.

Last week, as you said, Andy, I was again in Kyiv and I was in Irpin, also on the outskirts of Kyiv. You still see the scars of the bombing of houses and hospitals and schools. I spoke, for example, to schoolchildren. And while we were speaking, when I visited that school, there was a missile alarm so we had to go to the shelter. And they told me that it was the third time on that day that they went to the shelter. That is their daily experience. But I also saw that life has come back to Kyiv. The streets were filled with people, the shops were open. People in Kyiv try to win their life back. The Ukrainian army is making impressive advances, liberating many towns and villages, and forcing the Russian army to retreat. Of course, I know that this all needs consolidation, but the success of the last days is lifting spirits – and not only the Ukrainian ones.

I know that some are calling to stop the fighting. But I must say that the reality is as follows: If Russia stops fighting, the war is over. If Ukraine stops fighting, there will be no more Ukraine. Much is at stake. Not just for Ukraine – but also for Europe, for the international community and for the global order. Russia has invaded Ukraine with the goal to wipe the country from the map – that is what Putin says and writes. So Ukrainians are fighting for their survival, but they are also fighting for global values. This is not only a war that Russia has unleashed against Ukraine. This is a war on our values; this is a war on the rules-based international order. This is an attack on the UN Charter. I mean, Russia is a permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations, we should not forget it. This is trampling on the UN Charter. And this is a war about autocracy against democracy. And I tell you: Many, many worldwide are watching very precisely what the outcome is going to be.

From day one on, the United States and the European Union and many other friends have stood at Ukraine’s side with weapons, and it is amazing to see the bravery of the Ukrainians fighting for their survival; with funds; with hospitality, on the European Union side, for more than 8.1 million refugees in seven months; and with the toughest sanctions the world has ever seen. Let me tell you that these sanctions have only been possible because of a very, very close cooperation with our friends in the United States. As you said, I have been in politics now round about 20 years, 14 of them in the government of Angela Merkel. Never ever have I experienced such an intense, trustful and detailed cooperation with the White House. And therefore, I think the saying is right: When you face a crisis, you know who your true friends are. Since last year already – it was around Christmas or New Year when Putin had started, as you might remember, to deploy 10,000 troops to encircle Ukraine –, our teams started to work on the sanctions to align the European system with the American system. They are very different but the effect of the sanctions should be the same. And we do not want extraterritorial effects but sovereign effects from the European Union but also all the other G7 members that joined us and, of course, the United States. And this intense work over weeks then had as consequence that when the invasion started – on day two, day four, day six –, we could immediately deliver three very heavy packages of sanctions that are unfolding their effect right now. The sanctions are biting. Russia has tried everything to camouflage the effects. And as this is not a free country, you can twitch and turn around facts and figures into what you want them to be. Or you can say what you want and hide what you want. But if you look at the financial sector in Russia, it is on life support now. Russia’s industry is in tatters. It is very interesting to see the military complex, because the military complex now has a very hard time to replenish what is necessary for the armed forces. Because the updated technologies are missing, these are coming from our side and are no longer delivered, there is a ban on the exports. The spare parts are missing. So you observe now that the Russians are cannibalising their refrigerators and their dishwashers to get semiconductors they can use for the military complex. Basically, the Kremlin has put Russia’s economy on the path to oblivion. And I want to make it very clear that the sanctions are here to stay. This is the time for resolve and not for appeasement.

The same is true for our financial support to Ukraine. So far, Europeans have provided more than EUR 19 billion in financial assistance since the beginning of the war. And that is without counting our military support. The message is: We are in it for the long haul.

I grew up in a divided country. I was lucky. I was born in West Germany, in the western part of Europe, in a free and democratic country. I vividly remember the times of the Iron Curtain. When I was your age, student age, when we wanted to drive to the island of West Berlin that was surrounded by the GDR, I remember, still today, the feeling of being terrified when you were driving on the corridor through the death zone. Because you knew, one false move and there is no rule of law anymore to protect you. So I remember this feeling very well, what the Iron Curtain and the Wall, and the death zone were all about. I also remember, of course, in 1990 the jubilant days, when the Iron Curtain came down, when the Wall in Berlin came down, and when the countries behind the Iron Curtain broke free. Indeed, the Baltics, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Czechia – you name it, so many others. Today, there is the same wind of change that is once again blowing across the continent. Because Ukraine has now applied for membership in the European Union. With their decision to apply for the candidate status in order for Ukraine to join the European Union, they have very clearly chosen the path of freedom. And with our decision to grant them candidate status, we have chosen to stand by Ukraine as long as it takes.

This war will change Europe and the world fundamentally. Take energy, I want to speak a little bit about energy. At the beginning of the war, Europe was heavily dependent on Russian fossil fuels: coal, oil, gas. 60% of the Russian budgets’ revenues at that time was from fossil fuels. So you can imagine how important the fossil fuel export was and is. Putin has built very strategically, and later on used, our dependency to blackmail us, basically to suffocate us, with lowering – already in hindsight, I see it – the gas supply last year to the storage to make sure that we have not enough gas in the storages to make it through the winter, and slowly but surely cutting the gas supplies to one Member State after another. At the moment, he prefers to flare the gas – that is literally burning the gas – instead of delivering it, as he should, if you look at the contracts. I guess that he obviously thought that he could intimidate us and divide us. But let me tell you that just the opposite is the case. This blackmailing has really united us. And it is a turning point, because we have decided, as a European Union: We will end our reliance on Russian fossil fuels.

Meanwhile, Europe has banned Russian coal imports completely. We have been winding down and are winding down the oil imports from Russia, down to 10% by the end of the year. Gas is interesting. Let me give you three figures: If you look at the overall global pipeline gas demand, 75% was the demand of the European Union on global pipeline gas supplies. So we are a huge client – very important. Half of it was imports from Russia. Today, we are down, on Russian imports, to 25%. One quarter is left. How are we doing this? We are diversifying away from the Russian supply towards other suppliers that are democratic friends and trustworthy. First of all, of course, our friends in the United States. I closed an agreement with President Biden on LNG imports that really, really helped us and saved us in these difficult times. It is very successful. The second point that we are doing, besides diversifying away, is saving energy. The energy that is not being used is good energy. We save it to the storage for the coming winter.

Of course, this comes at a price. So let me tell you that we all feel that the global energy market is very tight. The whole Russian supply is missing, so we are demanding energy on the global market. Therefore, the global market is really tight. Energy prices are skyrocketing, as you will observe in Europe. This is a heavy burden on people’s and businesses’ shoulders. We are taxing now the windfall profits of electricity-producing companies to have a targeted support for vulnerable households and vulnerable businesses. We are doing all this not only because it is necessary but also because we know that this is the way to dry out Putin’s war chest. And we know that we are doing this because with energy independence and energy freedom comes greater power to defend the global rules. This is the immediate response. But there is of course a mid-term and long-term response.

Ultimately, the best way to get rid of fossil fuels is a massive investment in renewable energy. Every kilowatt-hour that we are producing electricity from sun, from wind, from hydropower, from geothermal, from biomass, from green hydrogen – you name it – is not only good for the climate – it is also good for the climate that is the most important part – but it makes us independent. It is home-grown; it is security of energy supply; it created good jobs at home. If you look at the price today of solar and wind energy, it is cheaper by now than fossil fuels. This is why, for example, we are investing heavily in offshore wind parks. The biggest one worldwide is now starting in the North Sea. When it is ready to go, it will heath 50 million European homes throughout the whole year.

So in sum, the era of Russian fossil fuels in Europe is coming to an end. And this is a big geopolitical shift, because if you look at the map, the demand and supply from Russia is coming to an end. This demand from the European Union will now switch towards the Global South. Because if we do it right, we are not only diversifying to other gas or fossil fuel suppliers, but we massively invest now in renewable energies, in regions where the resources are in abundance. If you look at the other side of the Mediterranean, in the European Union, it is the African continent: sun, wind, partially hydropower, in abundance. And if we invest in the infrastructure, we do not only gain freedom from the blackmail that we have experienced with Russia, but we are also fighting the right cause against climate change.

The fight against climate change is the biggest one. And I want us – the Europe Union and the United States – to be allies in that fight. Global warming is the real crisis that is overshadowing everything. We know that climate change is man-made. The body of evidence is overwhelming. So it is us. The impact is tangible, you know it: floods, droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, tornados, melting glaciers, rising sea levels. I had yesterday a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Pakistan: three-quarter of the country is inundated – climate change, it is nothing but climate change. So it is very bad. But there is a glimpse of hope, because if it is true that climate change is man-made, we can do something about it. That is the good news and the bad news. And that is what the European Green Deal is all about. When I came into office in 2019, this was the first initiative I took. Our strategy, the European Green Deal, wants to transform our economy, so that we preserve and restore nature. We need to decarbonise our economy; we need to move towards the circular economy; we need to develop a way of life and work that gives our planet a real fighting chance for the next generation, for you. So we have, as the European Union, cast in law our goals for 2030 and climate neutrality for 2050. We want to be the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. And we are the first highly industrialised continent that has put a concrete plan on the table on how we want to get there. So pieces of legislation, legal acts to make this transformational change happen.

What are the principles? The first one is: CO2 needs a price, because nature cannot pay the price anymore. Those who emit CO2 must pay. Therefore, we have put in place an Emissions Trading System: If you want to emit CO2, you pay. If you want to avoid that, you go and innovate into clean technologies. Second principle: The transition has to be just, otherwise it will not happen. So we invest massively to support the regions that have to leapfrog forward, for example coal-abating regions that have to leapfrog forward into completely different industries. And we have a Social Climate Fund to support the small incomes and the vulnerable businesses that have no leeway to adapt to cleaner mobility, to insulated houses, to better heating systems and all that is necessary to change. The third principle is: We need massive investments in innovation and infrastructure. That is the point where NextGenerationEU comes into play. I called it NextGenerationEU because we raised EUR 800 billion on the capital markets to invest in projects that will serve the next generation. EUR 360 billion of these will go into projects of the European Green Deal. And I am very glad that the United States is matching that now. I was happy to hear that from this climate package, USD 369 billion, I think, are going into green projects, projects fighting climate change. The fourth principle is, and that follows from it, that the fight against global warming is a global one, a global task. Europe is responsible for 9% of the global emissions. We need everyone on board. Therefore, I very much welcome President Biden’s strong commitment to also become climate-neutral by 2050. And last but not least, the fifth and last principle is: We consider the European Green Deal as a huge business opportunity – our new growth strategy. If we master the turnaround, those who have innovated and developed the clean solutions will be the front-runners. They will have the first-mover advantage. Then the whole world will be asking for their technologies. This is the reason why we have to prepare now if we want to be competitive in the future.

This brings me to one afterthought. I have been speaking about energy, I have been speaking about dependency, the European Green Deal or fighting climate change. The green transition but also the digital transition, I must say, will massively increase our needs for raw materials. Lithium for batteries; silicon metal for chips; rare earths to produce magnets, for example for electric vehicles. Demand for those raw materials and rare earths will presumably at least double until 2030. The good news is: That shows that the European Green Deal and the green transformation overall worldwide is progressing fast. The not-so-good news is: One country dominates the market. Out of the 30 critical raw materials, today 10 are mostly sourced from China. And China basically controls the global processing industry. Almost 90% of rare earths and 60% of lithium are processed in China. We have to avoid falling into the same trap and dependency as we did with oil and gas. So we have to be very careful not to replace one old dependency with a new one.

And that brings me back to where I started: Democracy versus autocracy. Each of our democracies is very unique and different. Because ultimately, they have been shaped by our people, by our history, by our backgrounds, our cultures, our constitutions. But in the very end, democracies in all forms come down to one single point. And that is: It gives people a voice. It gives the ability to change things at the ballot box. In democracies, we even fight for the right to be against us. That is democracy. To be able to speak you mind. To change your mind, if you want to. To be free to be yourself so that if you are different from the majority, you are equal before the law. It is the accountability to all, and not only to those who have voted for you. That is democracy. A system where power is given and taken away by the citizens and framed by checks and balances. And we see what the alternative is. At the beginning of this year, Russia and China declared an ‘unlimited friendship’. And despite the fact that cracks have appeared in the last days, both continue to aim for a fundamentally different vision of the future. I believe we have to take this challenge very seriously. We need to defend the open and inclusive international order – both in the United States and the European Union, and beyond. Those who were lucky enough to be born and raised in democracies – like me – can often take the democracy just for granted. It was always there. I have always lived in a democracy. But now I realise that it is not going to be here if I do not stand up for this democracy. Those who have lived in autocracies and authoritarian regimes will know all too well how precious freedom is. In Europe, we have learnt that we must always work on improving democracy – because we know how quickly and how devastatingly history can change. We know that the opponents of democracy today are using sophisticated, new tools, modern technologies to oppress and manipulate through systematic disinformation. Disinformation is not a partisan issue, it is a societal one. Because it seeks to muddy the waters so much that truth and facts become impossible to distinguish from lies and falsehoods. So in the very end, democracy needs us – each and every one of us, explicitly. By that, I want to address you, the students, the faculty members, the administration here in this room: You have the privilege to study and work in an institution that is based on a long tradition to unveil truth through critical discourse, through evidence-based research, respect for facts and figures, the understanding of history. These are the tools and the ingredients to dismantle disinformation. You have a mission. As politicians, we have a mission, too, but you have a mission. Or in the words of Princeton’s informal motto: In the nation’s service and in the service of humanity.

Many thanks for your attention.

September 27, 2022