Tag: 2022

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 1 August 2022.

Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!

The implementation of the Initiative on the export of Ukrainian grain and other agricultural products from our ports in the Black Sea began today. The first vessel carrying 26,000 tons of corn left the port of Odesa.

As of now, it is too early to draw any conclusions and predict further events. But the port started working, the export traffic started, and this can be called the first positive signal that there is a chance to stop the spread of the food crisis in the world.

Currently, everything depends on the implementation of the security parameters of the Initiative, which is the responsibility of the partners, primarily the United Nations and Turkey.

We cannot have the illusions that Russia will simply refrain from trying to disrupt Ukrainian exports. Russia consistently provoked famine in the countries of Africa and Asia, which traditionally imported large volumes of Ukrainian food. And now – in conditions of extreme heat, as this year in Europe, the threat of a price crisis and a certain food shortage is also possible for some European countries.

So, we’ll see how the agreements will work and whether there will really be security. 16 vessels are already waiting their turn for departure, and we are ready to make a proper contribution to the stabilization of the world food market.

For our state, this is also of great benefit – and this is not only about billions of dollars in foreign exchange revenue. About half a million Ukrainians are involved in the cultivation of agricultural export crops, and if we add related industries, then this is plus a million jobs. That is why there is the appropriate state attention to the implementation of the export Initiative. Our people really need it.

Today I spoke with President of France Emmanuel Macron, in particular about the restoration of our agricultural exports by sea. In general, the negotiations lasted one and a half hours and were very meaningful: relations in the defense sphere, first of all. A wide range of security issues – thank you for the assistance already given to Ukraine, which effectively protects us on the battlefield.

We also discussed macro-financial support for our state – I asked Mr. President to help us unblock macro-financial aid, which has stalled in Europe. I want to remind all the leaders that it is 9 billion euros. These are not trifles for us, but important social things – these are our pensions, these are our salaries, support for IDPs, and therefore we expect appropriate decisions from specific government officials.

Mr. President of France informed me about the results of his African tour – we are now strengthening this direction of our foreign policy. I invited President Macron to participate in the online summit of the Crimea Platform, which will take place shortly.

Last year, we created the Crimea Platform and are developing this format – despite all the threats and tangible diplomatic opposition from Russia.

During the years of occupation, Russia turned Crimea into a large military prison camp – and tens of thousands of people became its victims. Crimea became a bridgehead for attacks on the free territory of our country… The weak and insufficiently principled reaction to the occupation of Crimea in 2014 and in the following years became one of the prerequisites for the fact that Russian aggression managed to grow to such a scale. We will gradually restore justice regarding our Crimea.

The situation on the battlefield has not undergone significant changes over the past day. Fierce battles continue in Donbas, in the Kharkiv region, the struggle for the south of our country continues…

Ukrainian artillery and intelligence have already done a lot to reduce the fire potential of the occupiers – and it is tangible. Today I want to thank all our warriors who destroy Russian logistics, who destroy the occupiers’ ammunition and who do not leave the occupiers a single safe place on our land.

And I also want to thank our partners now – everyone who supplies Ukraine with modern and effective artillery and MLRS. The power of the democratic world is well felt on the battlefield in Ukraine these weeks.

And today, another conversation took place in the format Ukraine – United States – three on three – Andriy Yermak and Jacob Sullivan, Dmytro Kuleba and Antony Blinken, Valerii Zaluzhny and Mark Milley. This is our continuous format, which has already allowed us to make a fundamental contribution to the protection of the entire free world. We’ve coordinated next steps in support of Ukraine.

Eternal glory to everyone who fights for freedom!

Glory to Ukraine!

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 31 July 2022.

Ukrainians!

Today, one of the most brutal shellings of Mykolaiv and the region over the entire period of the full-scale war took place. Dozens of missiles and rockets… The occupiers hit residential buildings, schools, other social infrastructure, and industrial facilities.

The Russian attack took the lives of Oleksiy Vadaturskyi and his wife Raisa, the founder of one of the largest Ukrainian agricultural companies “Nibulon”, the Hero of Ukraine. My sincere condolences to the relatives and friends of the Vadaturskyi couple.

It is exactly such people, such companies, our Ukrainian south that have guaranteed the world’s food security. It has always been so. And it will be so again. The Russian terrorists should not even hope that they will be able to destroy the social and industrial potential of Ukraine and walk through the ruins.

Ukraine and our people, our capabilities are definitely more powerful than any Russian missiles and shells.

Now the Russian army is trying to strengthen its positions in the occupied areas of the south of our country, increasing activity in the relevant areas. Part of the Russian forces from their positions in the east are moved to the south – to the Kherson region and the Zaporizhzhia region… But this will not help them there.

None of the Russian strikes goes unanswered by our military and intelligence officers. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are ready to respond to any new activity of the occupiers.

And today I want to thank every resident of Mykolaiv for their indomitability, for protecting the city and the region. I also thank Nikopol, Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih and the entire Dnipropetrovsk region, the strong people of Zaporizhzhia and the region, all Ukrainians of the Kherson region, everyone who defends the outskirts of Odesa and the region… Thank you for your courage!

Strategically, Russia has no chance of winning this war. And it is necessary to hold on, so that even at the tactical levels, the terrorist state feels its defeat. We have to hold on in the south, in the east and everywhere. We have to hold on in defense, diplomacy and politics. To preserve our unity – and not only until the victory, but also after it, in order to qualitatively restore everything destroyed by the occupiers. I believe that we will do all this.

I signed several important laws today, in particular the law on providing additional guarantees of protection to media representatives working in the areas of hostilities. This will strengthen the protection of our journalists.

The law on ensuring the rights and freedoms of IDPs is eliminating bureaucratic barriers that limited assistance to people.

The law on the protection of the civilian population in the event of emergency situations and hostilities.

Also, the law that creates conditions for comprehensive thermal modernization of buildings and simplifies the process of restoring the residential sector damaged by the strikes of the occupiers.

Important ratification laws, some other acts as well.

We are preparing for a new week – as always, full of international activity. Already tomorrow there will be important negotiations with European partners. In a few days I will continue delivering speeches to the international community, communicating with different audiences – it is very important, in particular with the student audience.

No matter what happens and no matter what the occupiers’ plans are, we must do our job – protect our state and take care of each other.

The more effective we are in this – all of us, all citizens of Ukraine – the faster we will achieve victory.

Thank you to everyone who fights for Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 30 July 2022.

Dear Ukrainians!

During this day, our state received many signals from different countries condemning the Russian terrorist act in Olenivka. The world sees the truth. And I thank all our partners who are ready to join in establishing all the circumstances of this terrible execution of our prisoners.

All evidence of this crime committed by the occupiers will be collected. Everyone is guilty – who approved, who organized, who blasted these people, who knew about it – they all will be found. But still, this is not enough now.

There must be legal steps on the part of the world community against the terrorist state. Condemnation at the level of political rhetoric is not enough for this mass murder. What relationship can be with the terrorist after that? What kind of business can be done with such a country?

Ukrainian diplomats and all friends of Ukraine abroad will increase their activity even more to track and destroy all those connections of the terrorist state with the free world, which Russia still uses.

And formal legal recognition of Russia as a terrorist state, in particular, recognition by the United States Department of State, is needed not as a political gesture, but as an effective defense of the free world. This decision will automatically make it difficult for the terrorist state to exist, and will automatically cut various political and business ties that Russia would maintain otherwise.

And all this will happen one hundred percent. It will have to be done – it’s only a matter of time and the format of making this decision. And the sooner it happens, the less evil Russia will have time to do.

It is important to hear exactly the same motivation now for all our people who still remain in Donbas, in the areas of the fiercest fighting. There are hundreds of thousands of people, tens of thousands of children… Many of people refuse to leave… But it really needs to be done. This decision will still have to be made. Anyway! Believe me.

And the sooner it is done, the more people leave Donetsk region now, the fewer people the Russian army will have time to kill.

Therefore, if you have the opportunity, please talk to those who still remain in the combat zones in Donbas. Please convince them that it is necessary to leave, especially if they are families with children. If you have the opportunity to help displaced people, do it.

There is a government decision on mandatory evacuation from Donetsk region, everything is being organized. Full support, full assistance – both logistical and payments. We only need a decision from the people themselves, who have not yet made it for themselves. Go, we will help.

We are not Russia. That is why every life is important for us. And we will use all available opportunities to save as many lives as possible and to limit Russian terror as much as possible.

At this stage of the war, terror is the main weapon for Russia. And that is why the main task of every Ukrainian, every defender of freedom and humanity in the world is to do everything to isolate the terrorist state and to protect as many people as possible from Russian attacks.

I am grateful to everyone who is fighting for Ukraine! To our heroes!

Grateful to everyone who saves our people from this Russian terror!

We will defeat everyone!

Glory to Ukraine!

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 29 July 2022.

Dear Ukrainian men and women!

Dear all our defenders!

I am returning from Odesa region. In particular, today I met with our heroes – soldiers of the Special Operations Forces.

I thanked them for their service, awarded the best and emphasized that their main task is to ensure that the enemy did not have a single calm moment on this land. The land must burn under their feet.

Every occupier who abuses Ukrainians, who tortures and kills, should know that there will be punishment for this. If some of the Russian killers hope that they will not be brought to justice, that they will hide somewhere, let them know – they will answer in any case. Geography, time, borders, walls will not stop a just retribution.

I heard reports today about the attack of the occupiers on Olenivka, Donetsk region. It was a deliberate Russian war crime, a deliberate mass murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war. More than 50 dead…

When the defenders of Azovstal left the plant, the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross acted as guarantors of the life and health of our soldiers. The Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Security Service, the Main Intelligence Directorate and the representative of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine issued a joint statement addressing to the UN and the Red Cross as guarantors of those agreements regarding the defenders of Azovstal. I support this statement. Now the guarantors must react. They must protect the lives of hundreds of Ukrainian prisoners of war.

And I add on my own: there should be a clear legal recognition of Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. I am especially appealing to the United States of America – a solution is needed, needed now.

Russia has proven with numerous terrorist attacks that it is the biggest source of terrorism in the world today. It’s a fact.

Ukrainian diplomats brought the information about the Russian attack on Olenivka to the highest international level. The UN Security Council has been informed. All participants in international relations will know what really happened. Russia won’t be able to lie to anyone.

The international community is also informed about all the details of our resistance to Russian hunger terror.

Concrete work on the restoration of Ukrainian grain exports began today in Odesa. It’s important. It’s important not only from the point of view of the economic strength of our state, which is needed to withstand this war. It’s important for the world to withstand the pressure of the food crisis. The more Ukrainian grain is on the global market, the more stable the situation with our partners will be, and therefore our joint countermeasures against the terrorist state will be more effective. I emphasize – a terrorist state.

I don’t want to make any forecast now – let’s see how the agreements on grain export will be implemented. The UN, Turkey and other international partners are responsible for the security side of this process.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine do everything necessary to protect our coast.

I want to say one more thing today. Russian terror is primarily aimed at breaking our inner strength. Russia cannot do anything to us on the battlefield. Our defenders are very strong. You and I should be just as strong.

Our emotions, our common will to fight must be strong until our very victory. No matter what the occupiers do, no matter how they try to break our spirit, we must hold on, be mobilized and fully focused on what is necessary for our victory.

If any of you feel that you cannot stand the evil that you see, think about how else you can personally help the defense of Ukraine.

Help the Armed Forces! Tell the world the facts about Russian terror! And convince everyone you know in partner countries to increase aid to Ukraine.

We will definitely win. But we have to come to that. We are all together.

Eternal memory to all victims of Russian terror!

Eternal glory to each and every one who destroys these occupiers!

Glory to Ukraine!