Tag: President of Ukraine

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 27 September 2022.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France Catherine Colonna, who is in Ukraine on a visit.

The Head of State thanked French President Emmanuel Macron for the support of Ukraine expressed during his speech at the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, as well as for his personal efforts in the negotiations regarding the visit of the IAEA mission to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

“In these days of various cynical provocations by the Russian Federation, sham “referenda”, etc., such clear signals from France, our reliable partner, are very important for us,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The Head of State emphasized that Ukraine expects the toughest reaction from international partners to the sham referenda held by Russia in the occupied territories.

The President emphasized: “We expect both powerful sanctions in the EU’s eighth sanctions package against Russia and separate clear signals about what will happen if the Russian Federation recognizes these artificial “referenda”.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is convinced that NATO countries should show the whole world that they guarantee the security of any state on the European continent.

The President emphasized the importance of strengthening defense support for Ukraine.

“This is a priority for us today. Progress in restoring our territorial integrity is impossible without modern weapons. Therefore, I would like to personally thank the French government for the help that has been provided all these months,” the Head of State said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted France’s leadership in granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for joining the European Union and expressed confidence in our country’s further progress on this path.

For her part, Catherine Colonna conveyed greetings from President of France Emmanuel Macron to the President of Ukraine.

“The French people admire the courage of the Ukrainian people. France will stand by Ukraine’s side for as long as it takes,” she said.

The Head of State also thanked First Lady of France Brigitte Macron for humanitarian support to Ukraine and noted the important meeting of the first ladies of the two countries on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 26 September 2022.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Smyrnov and Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anton Korynevych held a meeting with the ambassadors of 30 countries, during which the project of creating a special tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine was presented.

The special tribunal should have jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute Russia’s top political and military leadership for committing the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

At the meeting with the ambassadors, Andriy Smyrnov, who, according to the President’s decree, is the coordinator of the working group on the creation of a special international tribunal, emphasized that Russia and its leadership are responsible for the war in Ukraine that began in 2014.

“Russian soldiers and their commanders who committed war crimes will be brought to justice. The crime of aggression is often called the “mother of all crimes” – the highest international crime. We are talking specifically about the President and other top officials of the Russian Federation, in particular the members of the National Security Council, who authorized military aggression against Ukraine,” said the Deputy Head of the Office of the President.

Over the past six months, Ukrainian law enforcement officers and international partners have registered and are investigating tens of thousands of criminal cases related to Russia’s war against Ukraine. Among them are hundreds of criminal proceedings in partner countries, but none of them is for the crime of aggression, the main crime from which other war crimes and crimes against humanity are derived.

However, as Andriy Smyrnov pointed out, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, which investigates the crimes of the Russian military in Ukraine, can prosecute for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. But it is quite difficult to establish a legal connection between specific crimes and the instructions of the Russian authorities, therefore it is important to prove the direct guilt of the President of the Russian Federation and other political leaders.

“Since the first day of the invasion – February 24 – we have been searching for an answer to the question of how to bring to justice those who unleashed aggression against Ukraine. We considered all available mechanisms, including UN resolutions, held consultations with the most famous international lawyers from around the world, and came to the conclusion that a special international tribunal should be established to hold to account for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, and the mandate of this tribunal will be limited exclusively to the investigation of the crime of aggression against Ukraine,” said the Deputy Head of the President’s Office.

According to him, the leadership of Russia must be held accountable for the crime of aggression in order to prevent future wars unleashed at the will of certain dictators. So this is a strategic necessity.

“Any evil must be punished, and international law, among other things, has a preventive function – prevention of unacceptable behavior and actions,” Andriy Smyrnov stressed.

He called on international partners to support Ukraine in establishing a special international tribunal.

“We want to create it with all the countries willing to give a legal assessment to the barbaric and cruel military policy of the Russian President and his regime. We really hope that, while Ukraine is fighting day and night for its right to exist, international law will also work,” said Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anton Korynevych.

Last week, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Decree № 661/2022, by which he established a working group on the creation of a special international tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. The head of the working group is Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak, and the coordinator is his deputy Andriy Smyrnov.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 26 September 2022.

Ukraine has the right to defend its territory and wants to restore peace, and this requires the support of partners, including the provision of modern weapons. Mykhailo Podolyak, Adviser to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, stated this in an interview with Tagesschau.de.

“If we intensively break through the defense line of the Russian army, the next step will be the return of territories and the destruction of the armed forces of the Russian Federation. And this requires a certain amount of armored vehicles and tanks. But these should not be ineffective Soviet tanks – either T-55, or T-64, or even T-72. That’s why we’re telling our partners, especially Germany: if you want to take the lead, if you want us to have fewer casualties, and if you want this war to end sooner, give us the Leopard 2,” Mykhailo Podolyak said.

The Adviser to the Head of the Office of the President emphasized that the Ukrainian military can very quickly learn to use new weapons of any complexity, which has been proven more than once.

“There is nothing impossible for us. And we also say: open educational centers, but with a shortened program,” he said.

Mykhailo Podolyak stated that today the Ukrainian troops at the front use almost all types of artillery, which they did not even have before the start of a full-scale war.

“Are we using them effectively? Did we quickly learn to use them? Yes! We can do it right. And this is exactly what we are explaining to Germany. I want to tell the Federal Government a very simple thing: we are learning things very quickly. But we will always emphasize that we learned so quickly because the Germans were on our side,” he added.

Answering a question about whether there is a threat of escalation by Russia after holding sham referenda in captured Ukrainian territories in the event of a successful counteroffensive by Ukraine, Mykhailo Podolyak said: “What is escalation? World War III? There is a country that uses cruise missiles that take off from the Caspian Sea and attack cities like Lviv and Kyiv. A country that destroys civilian infrastructure, massively kills people in Bucha, takes the life of an entire family in Izyum. What do you mean by escalation and World War III? Only the use of nuclear weapons? But we use conventional weapons.”

The Adviser to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine is convinced that the fact that Russia is a nuclear power should not stop Ukraine from protecting its territory.

“If we stop, they will at some point drive their tanks into Dnipro, then into Kyiv and declare these cities Russia as well. This way we will completely lose Ukraine. There is no escalation. There is Ukraine, which has the right to defend its territory. We want to restore peace. This requires support with conventional weapons,” Mykhailo Podolyak noted.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 23 September 2022.

Pursuant to the instructions of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy on conveying the truth about Russia’s bloody crimes committed on Ukrainian soil to the world as much as possible, Deputy Head of the Office of the President Andriy Sybiha and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yevhen Perebyinis, together with a group of foreign ambassadors, visited the city of Izyum in the Kharkiv region de-occupied by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The delegation had the opportunity to see with their own eyes the consequences of the war crimes of the Russian invaders, the genocide of the Ukrainian population by the Russians and the crimes against humanity. In particular, the ambassadors visited a multi-story residential building destroyed by a 500-kilogram Russian bomb. 53 people died here, including seven young Ukrainians.

The heads of the diplomatic missions also visited the National Police station in Izyum, which the occupiers turned into a torture chamber, and talked with two local residents who managed to survive the torture.

Foreign diplomats saw the mass grave of Ukrainians tortured and killed by the Russian occupiers discovered in a forest strip on the outskirts of Izyum. 436 bodies were exhumed, including five children. Most of the bodies have signs of violent death.

At the scene of the tragedy, the heads of diplomatic missions talked with journalists, in particular with representatives of leading foreign media.

“The world must know the truth about the bloody crimes of the occupiers. That is why it is extremely important that today foreign diplomats were able to see with their own eyes what the Russian occupiers leave behind. We emphasize that the Russian military-political leadership must be punished for the crime of armed aggression against Ukraine,” Andriy Sybiha said.

While in Izyum, the ambassadors also met with representatives of the military-civilian leadership of the region: Head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Oleg Syniehubov, Head of the Izyum District State Administration Stepan Maselskyi, representative of the command of the Kharkiv military garrison Mykhailo Chalyi.

The delegation included: the Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine, heads of diplomatic missions of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Spain, Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Sweden, Slovakia, Switzerland, Türkiye, Poland, Slovenia, France and Denmark.

The visit was one of the steps taken under the leadership of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to hold Russia accountable for crimes of aggression, genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 23 September 2022.

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak had a telephone conversation with the new National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, former British Ambassador to Ukraine Timothy Barrow.

The adviser to the head of the British government noted the importance of the recent release of 215 people from Russian captivity, among whom were 5 citizens of Great Britain.

“This was a priority for us. Great Britain is extremely grateful for the release of its citizens. And I can imagine how important it is for you to liberate your fellow citizens and true heroes for your country,” said Timothy Barrow.

Andriy Yermak noted that these were very stressful and tense days, but everything went well.

The interlocutors discussed ways for even closer cooperation between the two countries, which are true partners and friends.

Andriy Yermak reminded that weekly briefings are held in the President’s Office with the participation of Ukrainian servicemen for military representatives from the US and Great Britain, where they are informed about the latest developments at the front.

Also, the Head of the Presidential Office talked about the successful practice of online meetings with members of the US Congress and suggested organizing similar communication with British parliamentarians.

“It is very important that the members of the British Parliament be informed about the current situation, the success of the Ukrainian army and our needs. This will allow us to continue moving forward and liberate Ukrainian territories,” Andriy Yermak believes.

The Head of the President’s Office also told Timothy Barrow about the recommendations developed by the Yermak-Rasmussen international working group regarding future security guarantees for Ukraine, which were sent to the British side.

Timothy Barrow noted that Great Britain is impressed by the success of the Ukrainian military and will continue to support Ukraine and its Armed Forces.

“Rest assured that every day when we talk with the Prime Minister, we talk about Ukraine,” he said.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 23 September 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy commissioned the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to respond to the facts of the use of Iranian-made weapons by the troops of the Russian Federation on the Ukrainian territory.

Despite the fact that the leadership of Iran has repeatedly publicly declared its neutrality and readiness to mediate in stopping Russian aggression against Ukraine, samples collected on the battlefield confirmed that Russia is using Iranian-made weapons in Ukraine.

“Such actions of Iran are considered as a step against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as against the life and health of Ukrainian citizens,” spokesman of the President Serhiy Nykyforov emphasized.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 23 September 2022.

The nuclear powers have to publicly warn Russia about the tough measures that will be applied to it if the Russian Federation decides to launch a nuclear attack on the territory of Ukraine. This was stated by Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President Mykhailo Podolyak in an interview with The Guardian.

According to him, Russian President Vladimir Putin must clearly understand that any attempt to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine will lead to catastrophic consequences for the Russian Federation.

“The other nuclear states need to say very firmly that as soon as Russia even thinks of carrying out nuclear strikes on foreign territory – in this case the territory of Ukraine – there will be swift retaliatory nuclear strikes to destroy the nuclear launch sites in Russia,” said Mykhailo Podolyak.

In his opinion, the analytical capacity of the Russian President’s circle is very low now, and the state leadership does not understand all the risks of its actions and consequences for the Russian Federation itself.

“It’s hard to make predictions when a person is completely irrational,” he added.

According to Mykhailo Podoliak, Russia’s impunity for nuclear threats would erode the long-standing principle that nuclear weapons can only be used defensively when the survival of a country is at stake.

“We have a big country that enters Ukrainian territory, starts a war, seizes some territory, and then says this territory is now ours and if you try to take it back we’ll use nuclear weapons. It looks absolutely absurd, and furthermore it destroys the whole global system of nuclear deterrence,” said Mykhailo Podolyak.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 23 September 2022.

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak notes that many influential states and international partners are involved in the process of freeing Ukrainian and foreign citizens from Russian captivity. He stated this at a briefing dedicated to the exchange and return of defenders of Ukraine from captivity.

According to Andriy Yermak, the work to liberate the defenders of Mariupol involved a large number of negotiations and consultations at various levels. In particular, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia played an important role in this process.

“There was a telephone conversation between President Zelenskyy and the Crown Prince, in which the President thanked for the help and highly appreciated the participation of Saudi Arabia in this process,” he noted.

Andriy Yermak also reported that the Presidents of Ukraine and Türkiye had a conversation a few days ago, and they personally reached relevant important agreements.

“I would like to note the personal participation of President Erdoğan in what happened. He provided these guarantees for the safe stay of our citizens on the territory of Türkiye,” emphasized the Head of the Presidential Office.

He also added that he regularly communicates with Adviser to the President of Türkiye İbrahim Kalın.

“I would also like to note the role of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, with whom we were in contact almost every day. He also helped a lot,” Andriy Yermak said.

The Head of the President’s Office emphasized that the Ukrainian side is in constant contact with partners from the United States of America and Great Britain, and they were aware of the details of this operation. Representatives of the countries whose citizens Ukraine planned to liberate were also informed.

Andriy Yermak reminded that, in addition to 205 citizens of Ukraine, ten foreigners were freed from Russian captivity, including five citizens of Great Britain, two citizens of the United States, a citizen of Morocco, a citizen of Sweden and a citizen of Croatia.

Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Ukraine Melinda Simmons thanked the President of Ukraine and his team, the heads of the security and intelligence agencies for their role in the release of five British citizens.

“This has put an end to many months of uncertainty and suffering, including the threat of the death penalty for them by the Russian Federation. We continue to call on Russia to adhere to international humanitarian law and not to use prisoners of war and detained civilians for political purposes,” she said.

Melinda Simmons also emphasized the unwavering commitment of Great Britain to support the Ukrainian people in their struggle for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink noted that the United States commends the release of prisoners of war, including two American citizens.

“This demonstrates how close and productive the cooperation between the US and Ukraine is. So I want to thank President Zelenskyy, Mr. Yermak, Maliuk, Budanov, Monastyrskyi, and everyone who was involved in this on behalf of myself, our country and all Americans. I congratulate you on the return of so many of your heroes,” she said.

Bridget Brink also emphasized that the United States will support Ukraine as long as it is needed.

Ambassador of Sweden to Ukraine Tobias Thyberg also congratulated the Head of State’s team on the fact that such a large number of defenders of Mariupol and other Ukrainians were able to return home.

“These were extremely difficult negotiations. And I want to sincerely thank you on behalf of the entire people of Sweden for the fact that Ukraine included a Swedish citizen, who defended Azovstal side by side with your heroes, in these difficult negotiations,” said the diplomat.

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

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak held a meeting in the format of a video conference with members of the US House of Representatives Armed Services Committee.

The event was also attended by Deputy Heads of the Office of the President Roman Mashovets, Andriy Smyrnov, Andriy Sybiha and Ihor Zhovkva, Head of the Servant of the People faction in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Davyd Arakhamia, Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine Oleksandr Lytvynenko.

At first, Andriy Yermak expressed great gratitude for all the help that Ukraine has been receiving from the United States since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion.

“We feel this support from the entire American people. And I want to thank you, as members of Congress, for making very important decisions that help us fight,” he emphasized.

He also recalled that a very important and joyful event took place on September 21, when 215 defenders of Ukraine, including two Americans, were released from Russian captivity.

“And I hope that the American citizens who fought for Ukraine will return to their families very soon,” said the Head of the President’s Office.

Andriy Yermak informed the congressmen about the situation at the front and the recent success of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which was achieved thanks to the heroism and professionalism of the Ukrainian military, as well as the armed assistance of Ukraine’s partners.

According to him, the decisions made yesterday by the leadership of the Russian Federation will not affect Ukraine’s plans in any way.

“The mobilization announced in the Russian Federation is designed to add “cannon fodder” to the group of more than 170,000 troops on the territory of Ukraine,” said the Head of the Office of the President.

Andriy Yermak emphasized that against the background of this decree of the Russian president, the urgency of continuing and strengthening aid from the US is only growing. He reminded that for the most effective coordination of these processes, a very close interaction has been established between the military and political leadership of Ukraine and the US, partners are constantly informed about the situation at the front and the use of the provided weapons.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President Roman Mashovets informed the congressmen about the urgent needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in terms of weapons and military equipment.

For his part, Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Smyrnov spoke about the initiative of the Ukrainian side regarding the creation of a special tribunal regarding the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

He believes that the support of this idea from the United States, as one of the leaders of the democratic world, and American congressmen in particular, is very important.

“The creation of such a tribunal is no longer a matter of war in Ukraine, it is a matter of the existence of the entire civilized world, democracy and global security architecture. And we really need the voice of the United States in the matter of establishing such a mechanism,” Andriy Smyrnov noted.

Chairman of the US House of Representatives Armed Services Committee Adam Smith thanked the Ukrainian party for all the information provided. He also noted the importance of holding Russia to account for the crimes committed during this war.

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

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief on Thursday.

It was attended by Minister of Defense Oleksiy Reznikov, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny, Chief of the Main Directorate of Intelligence Kyrylo Budanov, Minister of Internal Affairs Denys Monastyrskyi, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba, Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov, heads of security and law enforcement bodies, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov, Head of the President’s Office Andriy Yermak etc.

Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky, Commander of the West Operational Command Forces Serhiy Litvinov, Commander of the South Operational Command Forces Andriy Kovalchuk joined the meeting via videoconference.

The heads of the defense forces and the commanders of the operational areas reported on the operational situation in the areas of the front. The likely nature of the enemy’s actions in the near future was considered.

The members of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief also analyzed the state of providing the defense forces with weapons and ammunition.

The participants of the meeting paid special attention to the steps in response to the new challenges related to the announcement of mobilization by the aggressor country and the preparation of sham referenda in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.