Tag: 2022

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 9 September 2022.

The Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Oleksiy Dniprov, held an online meeting with representatives of international and Ukrainian expert organizations who are part of the International Expert Group on the implementation of the National Youth Strategy until 2030 and relevant initiatives included in the action plan for the post-war reconstruction and development of Ukraine.

Dniprov congratulated and thanked the participants of the online meeting, who expressed their desire to jointly develop effective mechanisms for the implementation of the National Youth Strategy until 2030 in the conditions of the full-scale Russian aggression.

“I am sincerely glad to welcome you all to the meeting today, because this is the beginning of a large-scale youth history with regards to involvement and extraordinary significance for our country, which, despite the active and bloody resistance to the Russian aggressor, continues implementing reforms, modernizing and changing moving towards democracy, freedom and unity with the civilized European and the world community,” the deputy head of the President’s Office said.

For their part, international experts, in particular Howard Williamson, professor of European Youth Policy at the University of South Wales, thanked for inviting them. They assured of their readiness to share their knowledge and experience so that the activities of the expert group were as positive as possible for young Ukrainians who take direct part in countering the Russian enemy or were forced to leave Ukraine, saving their lives.

At the same time, international experts emphasized that the National Youth Strategy should take into account the impact of war and hostilities on young people, because these are completely atypical challenges and experiences that young people from European countries do not have, and these challenges require appropriate and coordinated work.

The expert on long-term strategies, Yevhen Hlibovytsky, said that the process of preparing the National Youth Strategy until 2030 was based on the principle of inclusiveness, primarily for young Ukrainians. That is why one of the priorities, atypical for the strategies of other European countries, is security. It provides for the creation of a safe environment in order to strengthen the resilience of young people. For the state of Ukraine, the principles of barrier-free and accessibility during the development and implementation of regulatory acts remain a priority despite large-scale Russian aggression.

The participants in the meeting agreed on the calendar of work and on the next profile meetings, which will allow to work out each of the priorities of the strategic document, as well as to propose new modern approaches to the implementation of the state youth policy.

The international working group brought together representatives of governmental, scientific, and expert circles from such countries as the United States of America, the UK, Poland, Lithuania, Georgia, North Macedonia, Albania, and Sweden.

Representatives of the Council on Youth Affairs under the President of Ukraine, government officials, members of parliament, volunteers, youth workers and the public, which directly participates in the development and implementation of state youth policy in Ukraine joined the group from Ukraine.

The online meeting was held at the initiative of the Council on Youth Affairs under the President of Ukraine and with the support of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Office Ukraine.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 9 September 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with Haluk Bayraktar, CEO of Turkey’s Baykar.

The meeting participants focused on the further cooperation of Ukraine with the company to strengthen the defense capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The parties also discussed the details of the construction of the Baykar plant in Ukraine and the production of new goods using Ukrainian parts.

Zelenskyy highly appreciated the contribution of Haluk Bayraktar and his company to boosting the power of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the fight against the aggressor and presented him with the Order of Merit, first class.

“Everyone in Ukraine knows what Bayraktar is, knows your company. Many thanks to you, President Erdoğan for your support and the support of the citizens of Turkey in this war against Russian aggression,” the Head of State said.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 9 September 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with President of the Republic of Latvia Egils Levits and Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki, who are paying a visit to our country.

Welcoming the foreign guests, the President of Ukraine thanked Latvia and Poland for supporting our country in the struggle for freedom, independence and sovereignty.

“Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of our land, we have had these countries with us, these leaders who have demonstrated their world-class leadership qualities,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Latvia and Poland have supported Ukraine in the fight against the aggressor since the occupation of Crimea.

According to him, these countries and their peoples are stable partners of Ukraine, who provide support in various areas: political, defense, humanitarian, in particular helping forcibly displaced persons.

“These states have done their best and continue to do so, demonstrating historical support for Ukraine,” the President said.

The Head of State thanked the partners for their help in unlocking macro-financial assistance, in particular the first part of it in the amount of EUR 5 billion, as well as for promoting Ukraine’s position in the EU.

“They took ambitious steps to help Ukraine in granting us the EU’s candidate status. We will continue to work at this level and do everything so that we, on our part, meet our obligations, and they, on their part, do everything so that this year we open a working dialogue on the future realistic accession of Ukraine to the European Union,” Zelenskyy said.

The President also announced that today Ukraine won the support of Latvia and Poland regarding the sanctions policy against the Russian Federation.

“Today, we discussed an important aspect regarding visa restrictions for tourists from the Russian Federation to “unfriendly,” as they say, Europe. It seems to me that this is an absolutely fair decision. Today, we talked about the fact that we should unite the circle of such countries, and it should expand so that Russia feels the price for this war,” the Head of State said.

According to him, important energy issues were raised during the meeting.

“We are interested in Ukraine being able to help Poland, and we are doing everything to find an answer to future energy risks soon,” Zelenskyy said.

For his part, Levits said that Latvia and Poland are friends of Ukraine and will always remain on the side of the Ukrainian people, who are now fighting not only for their freedom, but also for the whole of Europe and the whole free world.

“Our duty is to provide you with all the necessary help so that Ukraine wins. This is the duty of all democratic countries,” the President of the Republic of Latvia said.

He said that Latvia helps with the rehabilitation of wounded Ukrainian servicemen, organized summer camps for Ukrainian children, thereby supporting Ukraine in the struggle for freedom.

In addition, according to the President of the Republic of Latvia, his state has started a special program to rebuild a number of facilities in Chernihiv region, including educational institutions, so that children can return to school.

Levits emphasized that Latvia, together with Poland, contributes to the European integration of Ukraine in every possible way, among other things, by ensuring the acceleration of negotiations regarding our country’s accession to the EU.

“Ukraine not only politically and culturally belongs to the European family, but also should have been a member of the EU, because the European Union is a union of free democratic countries,” he said.

For his part, Morawiecki said that Poland, together with the Baltic states, is perhaps the most active in the European Union in communicating with the European Commission regarding financial support for Ukraine and the continuation of the policy of sanctions against the aggressor state.

“These sanctions will intensify and will be more painful for the Russian economy every month,” he said.

The Prime Minister of Poland noted the progress of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Kharkiv region and wished that this success would be the first swallow of Ukraine’s final victory over Russia in this unprovoked war.

“From this terrible war, from this heroic defense, a new Europe must be born – with Ukraine as a full-fledged member of the EU,” Morawiecki is convinced.

He added that Europe, the United States and the entire free world should help Ukraine in its struggle.

“Poland will always organize this assistance,” the Prime Minister said.

Morawiecki said that during the negotiations today, the issue of creating a special hub was discussed, where the repair of military equipment and the training of the Ukrainian troops would be performed. In addition, the participation of Polish companies in the reconstruction of Ukraine was discussed.

He expressed his conviction that thanks to the solidarity of partners and the heroism of the Ukrainian people, this victory will come, and the space of European values will be defended.

“I believe that Ukraine will win. That military and financial aid will be effective for the final victory,” he said.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 9 September 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented state awards for courage and self-sacrifice shown in the defense of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine to the journalists and other media representatives.

During the ceremony held in the Mariyinsky Palace in Kyiv, the Head of State thanked the media representatives for their work at this important time of the struggle for Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty.

The President noted that from the first day of the full-scale invasion of Russia, Ukrainian and foreign journalists have been telling the world the truth about what is happening in Ukraine, uniting both Ukrainians and citizens of other states around the support for our country.

“You helped unite Europe and the whole world, convince hesitant leaders of some states of our ability to win and convey what we are fighting for,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

He noted that amid Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine not only at the front, but also in the information sphere, which is overfilled with enemy propaganda, conveying the truth is quite a difficult task.

“And I want to thank all of you: we won this information war. It is not over yet, but so far we have defeated multimillion-dollar infusions of the Russian Federation into information attacks against us all over the world,” the Head of State emphasized.

The President noted that many journalists died in this war while performing their duties. The attendees honored the memory of the deceased with a moment of silence.

At the same time, he emphasized that the contribution of journalists to Ukraine’s struggle for freedom and independence is significant, regardless of where each of them worked – at the front or in the rear.

“Today, all those who are alive and who will forever remain in memory are equally heroes. Those who were and are at the front, and those who have not left their country since February 24 and reported the truth in the civilian sector,” the President noted.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented journalists and other media representatives with state awards, which were awarded to them on the occasion of Independence Day for significant merits in strengthening Ukrainian statehood, courage and self-sacrifice shown in the protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, significant personal contribution to the development of various spheres of social life, defense of national interests of our state, conscientious performance of professional duty.

Foreign journalists were also honored for significant personal merits in strengthening interstate cooperation, support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and a significant contribution to the popularization of the Ukrainian state in the world.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 9 September 2022.

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak held a meeting with President of the Parliamentary Committee for the Security of the Italian Republic, representative of the “Brothers of Italy” party Adolfo Urso.

The Head of the President’s Office highly appreciated Italy’s support for our country in the defense, financial and humanitarian spheres, noting the important role of Prime Minister Mario Draghi and the Italian Parliament in making important decisions for Ukraine.

Andriy Yermak also noted the personal role of Adolfo Urso as the President of the Parliamentary Committee for the Security of the Italian Republic (COPASIR) and expressed gratitude for the committee’s firm position in support of the proposals of the Italian government regarding military-technical assistance to Ukraine and countering Russian hybrid threats.

“Italy’s support for Ukraine from the very beginning of the full-scale Russian aggression against our country has become the best manifestation of our traditional friendship and partnership,” he emphasized.

The Head of the President’s Office expressed hope for maintaining a high level of support for Ukraine from Italy even after the September 25 parliamentary elections and the formation of a new government. In this regard, the need to establish contacts at the highest level with the new Italian leadership as soon as possible after the completion of the relevant political processes was noted.

The parties separately discussed the importance of preparing a new package of defense assistance from Italy, as well as ways to overcome the negative consequences of Russian energy blackmail for this country and the whole of Europe.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 8 September 2022.

Another meeting of the International Expert Group on Sanctions against Russia chaired by Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak and Former US National Security Adviser, Ambassador Michael McFaul was held, traditionally in the format of a video conference.

Andriy Yermak thanked the members of the group for the productive work that has been ongoing for five months already and congratulated them on achieving a significant result – 70% implementation of the Action Plan presented in April this year.

“Thank you very much for all the efforts you have made since the beginning of our work in March. This is simply incredible, and is highly appreciated by our President and the entire Ukrainian people. I am sure that you can all be proud of the results of the work of our sanctions group,” he emphasized.

The Head of the Office of the President offered the members of the Yermak-McFaul group new ideas for discussion. First of all, a document on designating Russia a state sponsor of terrorism. He emphasized that this is not an easy process, but it should not be stopped, because Russia is a terrorist state, and the Ukrainian people demand this.

Another important issue, as noted by Andriy Yermak, is the ban on obtaining visas for Russian citizens. He noted that the European Commission has already proposed to suspend the visa facilitation agreement with the Russian Federation, but it is necessary to achieve more and prepare appropriate proposals.

“Russians, these savages, have no right to be among the civilized people of the West at all. Can you imagine that Russian women were calling their husbands and telling them to kill and rape Ukrainians? These are real conversations intercepted by our intelligence. And then the same Russian “women” simply come to Europe to have a rest on the beaches and go to museums. This is absolutely inappropriate,” the Head of the President’s Office is convinced.

Andriy Yermak drew attention to the fact that Ukraine is actively carrying out internal work on sanctions against the Russian Federation. In particular, these days, sanctions were applied to more than 600 people who belong to the ruling elite of Russia. An Inter-Agency Working Group on the Implementation of the State Sanctions Policy was established.

The Head of the President’s Office also offered to continue the successful practice of communication between the members of the International Expert Group on Sanctions against Russia and the parliamentarians of various countries.

The members of the group noted the progress in the work with documents and emphasized that the sanction pressure on Russia should only increase.

They discussed the need to introduce sanctions in the field of nuclear energy, to refuse to import uranium from Russia. The parties also touched upon the systematic, step-by-step implementation of the price cap on Russian oil, which will significantly reduce budget revenues of the Russian Federation and affect its oil production industry.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 8 September 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held another meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

The meeting was attended by: Minister of Defense Oleksiy Reznikov and his Deputy Rostyslav Zamlynskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhny, Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Serhiy Shaptala, Commander of the National Guard Yuriy Lebid, Commander of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Viktor Khorenko, Minister of Internal Affairs Denys Monastyrskyi, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba, Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov and Deputy Head of the Office of the President Roman Mashovets.

Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate Kyrylo Budanov, Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander of the Forces of the Operational Command “South” Andriy Kovalchuk and Commander of the Forces of the Operational Command “West” Serhiy Litvinov joined the meeting via video link.

The participants of the meeting reviewed the active actions of the defense forces to liberate the territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation and determined further operational tasks.

In addition, the state of material-technical support of the units was analyzed and the actual needs of the army were determined.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 8 September 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The Head of State emphasized that Antony Blinken’s visit is an important demonstration of US leadership positions and a sign of solidarity with Ukraine during the full-scale invasion of Russia. The President noted the tangible support of the United States for the sovereignty of our state. He emphasized that the aid that Ukraine receives will accelerate the achievement of the main goal – the restoration of the territorial integrity of the Ukrainian state.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy highly appreciated the decision announced by the President of the United States on August 24 to provide Ukraine with $6 billion in grant support: a $3 billion package of security assistance and $3 billion in financial support through the World Bank. The Head of State also thanked for the new package of defense aid to our country in the amount of $675 million approved today at the meeting at the Ramstein.

“We are grateful for this signal, grateful for your great support that we feel every day. Allow me in your presence to thank President Biden’s administration, him personally, and the Congress of the United States of America for this,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The President noted that American weapons have a positive effect on the situation at the front. The Armed Forces of Ukraine especially respect the HIMARS multiple-launch rocket systems. On behalf of the Ukrainian military, the Head of State thanked the United States for these weapons.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Antony Blinken discussed in detail the prospects of increasing defense support for Ukraine from the United States. The importance of the official launch of the Lend-Lease program was noted.

Speaking about the post-war world order, the President emphasized the importance of developing effective security guarantees for Ukraine. According to him, stability in Europe is impossible without such guarantees.

He also noted the high level of trust between the leaders of Ukraine and the US, and the effective functioning of existing bilateral negotiation formats.

“It is very important that the United States of America is with us. For us, this is a guarantee that we will be able to return our lands,” the Head of State emphasized.

The parties discussed the situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP in detail. Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated the constructive position of the US and Antony Blinken personally regarding the demilitarization of the ZNPP. He noted the importance of using all available mechanisms to ensure the implementation of this goal.

The President highly appreciated the economic and financial assistance that the United States provides to Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope that the United States will play a leading role in the implementation of the Fast Recovery Plan. This is necessary to prepare Ukraine for winter, to restore residential buildings, schools, hospitals and critical infrastructure facilities destroyed by the Russian army.

Hope was also expressed for the continuation of effective cooperation in the framework of the IMF and the World Bank.

During the meeting, the importance of increasing international pressure on the aggressor state, which must be punished for crimes committed in Ukraine, was emphasized. It was noted that Russia already feels the economic consequences of its aggression, and its price will only increase. It is necessary to ensure that every citizen of the aggressor state is affected by the actions of his country. For this purpose, it is necessary to limit as much as possible the issuance of visas for Russians to the countries of the democratic world, in particular to the US.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his belief that Russia should be given the “honorary” status of a state – sponsor of terrorism.

“We have all seen the information about the body of British volunteer Paul Urey handed over to us by the aggressor. And terrible footage showing torture. This is yet another proof that we are dealing with a terrorist state,” the President said.

The parties positively noted the recovery of Ukrainian grain exports, which makes it possible to prevent the global food crisis deliberately provoked by Russia.

“The world must prevent the disruption of grain exports from Ukraine,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.

The interlocutors exchanged views on further contacts at high and highest levels.

The progress of reforms in our country and the importance of their continuation were discussed separately.

During the meeting, the President presented the Order of Yaroslav the Wise of the II degree to Antony Blinken. The Order was awarded to him for significant personal merits in strengthening interstate cooperation, support of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 8 September 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that the draft state budget for 2023 will provide more than UAH 1 trillion for the security and defense sector, as well as indexation of pensions. He announced this in a video address, commenting on the results of the meeting with the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance and the relevant Deputy Head of the Office of the President.

“It is clear that this will be the budget of a warring country. Government officials will present the parameters of the project, but I will now mention some important points – politically important points. First. More than a trillion hryvnias will be allocated to the security and defense sector next year. That will be priority number one,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed.

The second important point, according to the President, is ensuring social obligations in full.

“In particular, I want Ukrainian pensioners to hear me: next year, as well as this year, the government is tasked with indexing pensions for all our pensioners,” he said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy named the third point to be taken into account when preparing the draft state budget for 2023 as the maximum reduction of all non-critical state expenditures in order to withstand difficult times and ensure financial and social stability.

“All that does not help defense, does not help the economic development of the country, social and cultural provision of our people. Accordingly, the government should present a program to reduce expenditures on the state enterprises, on the apparatus, on the institutions that do not meet the needs of this special time. I am waiting for proposals from government officials,” the Head of State noted.

In addition, according to the President, the draft state budget for 2023 should provide for decisions on the intensification of economic relations in the country.

“The lending program “5-7-9%” is maintained. There will also be other programs and solutions that should help businesses work, save jobs and attract new employees,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed.

“And fifth. A special recovery fund will be established, which will be filled, in particular, at the expense of confiscated Russian assets,” he added.

The President expressed his belief that the draft budget will be submitted to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on time, as required by law.