Tag: President of Ukraine

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 30 August 2022.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with US Senator, co-chair of the Ukrainian Support Group in the Senate Robert Portman and US Senator, member of the Ukrainian Support Group Amy Klobuchar.

Greeting the guests who are once again visiting our country, the Ukrainian Head of State noted: “This is an important signal of support for Ukraine and its territorial integrity. I would like to express gratitude for the bipartisan and bicameral support in the US Congress. I would like to personally thank President Biden and his administration for their constant work.”

Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed the Senators in detail about the situation at the front. In this regard, the President of Ukraine noted the importance of security assistance coming from the United States and the need for its continuation and increase. The President also emphasized that Ukraine provides reliable control over weapons and military equipment received from foreign partners.

Noting the leadership positions of the US in the comprehensive support of Ukraine during the counteraction to the Russian armed aggression, Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of intensifying financial assistance to our state. The President expressed his belief that the United States of America will continue to support Ukraine as a leader among all states that provide assistance to our country.

Separately, the President emphasized the need to strengthen the sanctions policy against Russia.

“These are big joint efforts. They yield results. Although they have not yet fully worked. There is a lot of work ahead. I expect that the sanctions pressure will increase. One of the elements of such pressure should be the introduction of visa restrictions for the citizens of the Russian Federation. So that the Russians feel the consequences of their own support for aggression against Ukraine,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

During the meeting, particular attention was paid to the situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP. The President of Ukraine emphasized that Russia’s actions are a manifestation of nuclear terrorism and pose a global threat. First of all, it concerns the European continent.

“The Zaporizhzhia NPP must be demilitarized and returned under the control of Ukraine,” the Head of State noted, adding that in this regard, high hopes are placed on the IAEA mission.

During the meeting, the work carried out by our state was separately discussed, in particular in the format of the Group on International Security Guarantees for Ukraine, which is co-chaired by Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak and former Secretary General of NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

“Developing effective security guarantees is crucially important for our state today,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.

The interlocutors also noted the importance of the recent visit to Washington by First Lady Olena Zelenska, which contributed to raising the awareness of American society and politicians about the consequences of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, as well as increasing support for our state.

The President separately emphasized the importance and effectiveness of ongoing cooperation between Ukraine and the United States at the level of Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov and United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak and US National Security Advisor to the President Jacob Sullivan.

At the end of the meeting, Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented the Order of Merit of the 1st degree to the Senators, with which they were awarded by the Decree of the Head of State of August 23, 2022 for significant personal merits in strengthening interstate cooperation, support of the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, significant contribution to the popularization of the Ukrainian state in the world.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 30 August 2022.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development should become one of the key participants in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, and our country’s membership in the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions will play an important role in strengthening anti-corruption policy. This was said by Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak during an event dedicated to cooperation with the OECD.

The event is held in the context of strengthening cooperation between Ukraine and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the desire of our country to become a member of the OECD. During the Ukraine Recovery Conference, which took place on July 4-5 in Lugano (Switzerland), the Prime Minister of Ukraine handed over to Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Mathias Cormann our country’s application for membership in the OECD.

A prerequisite for this is joining the Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions as a full member. The government of Ukraine submitted an application for joining this group on August 2 of this year.

Andriy Yermak, who heads the group on approaching membership in the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions, emphasized that the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is a unique intergovernmental center of knowledge and a powerful player on the international arena, whose opinions and conclusions are listened to by the European Union, the IMF, the World Bank, the EBRD, the USA and the G20.

The Head of the President’s Office noted that the OECD is participating in the development of the Recovery Plan for Ukraine.

“The experience and capabilities of the Organization are extremely valuable, even unique for post-war reconstruction. Therefore, the OECD should be one of the key international players during the reconstruction of Ukraine,” he said.

According to Andriy Yermak, today Ukraine is fighting for its future, and therefore transparency in relations with other states, which is the basis of trust, is of particular importance.

“We are doing everything to increase trust in Ukraine. Every Ukrainian is fighting on his own front: the Armed Forces, volunteers, doctors, rescuers, civil servants. The entire Ukrainian nation. But we understand that trust is a phenomenon that must be nurtured all the time. And we are working on it,” said the Head of the Office of the President.

He emphasized that post-war Ukraine should become attractive for investments, and that is why our state institutions should inspire confidence among investors.

“It is important for us not just to rebuild Ukraine. Our goal is to build a successful and comfortable country. With a dynamic and extensive economy according to the best world standards, with improved legislation,” he noted.

According to Andriy Yermak, our state is working on strengthening anticorruption institutions, because the fight against corruption is one of the fundamental values for Ukraine.

“That is why the status of a candidate, and then membership in the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions is extremely important for us,” he emphasized.

OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann, for his part, noted that the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development stands with Ukraine and is determined to help together with international partners in the post-war reconstruction of our country.

He emphasized that the OECD is ready to help Ukraine so that corruption risks do not stand in the way of the reconstruction process.

The Secretary-General said that the OECD has been extremely active in cooperating with our country since 2014, in particular helping build institutions. And in the last report of the Organization, which came out in May, significant progress in Ukrainian anticorruption legislation was noted.

Mathias Cormann emphasized the importance of efforts to increase transparency in the public sphere, in particular, in the issue of avoiding conflicts of interest and ensuring integrity. Also, according to him, it is extremely important to protect anticorruption bodies from attacks.

The Secretary-General of the OECD noted that he was extremely pleased to receive Ukraine’s application for participation in the OECD Working Group, the process of joining which brings our country closer to the standards of the Organization and the UN Convention against Corruption.

He emphasized that the submission of the application is a confirmation of the determination of the Ukrainian authorities to advocate anticorruption reforms and adhere to OECD standards.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 30 August 2022.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Tymoshenko held a working meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Great Britain to Ukraine Melinda Simmons.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko told the Ambassador about the online platform, which contains up-to-date data on every object in Ukraine damaged by the Russian invasion.

He emphasized that it is extremely important to rebuild social infrastructure and housing before the start of the winter period. According to him, the Fast Recovery Plan provides for the restoration of schools, kindergartens, utility networks, as well as private houses of citizens, so that they can return home as soon as possible.

According to the Deputy Head of the President’s Office, the largest number of facilities in need of reconstruction are in the de-occupied territories of the Kyiv, Chernihiv and Sumy regions.

“We divided the regions into four types: the first – occupied territories, the second – de-occupied territories, where there are the most problematic objects now, the third – territories affected by missile strikes and so on,” he said.

As Kyrylo Tymoshenko noted, Ukrainians are already returning home, and the first thing they need is housing with an undamaged roof, windows and necessary utilities.

Therefore, as he said, in parallel with the Fast Recovery Plan, a project for the construction of five-story buildings in six regions of Ukraine has been developed for people who lost their homes as a result of the Russian invasion. A square meter of such housing will cost about 700-800 US dollars.

The Deputy Head of the President’s Office noted that, according to the data of sociological studies, about 70-80% of Ukrainians are ready to return home even despite the threat of missile strikes, if they have a place to live and in the absence of ground advance of enemy troops.

He also emphasized that the reconstruction of at least part of the social infrastructure facilities in one or another community will encourage people to return, as they will see that restoration work is being carried out.

For her part, Melinda Simmons noted the importance of restoring educational institutions and providing them with shelters equipped with everything necessary.

The Ambassador also noted that Great Britain is interested in participating in the reconstruction of the rest of the housing and communal facilities and critical infrastructure of the Kyiv region that were destroyed as a result of the war.

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

The international working group on security guarantees for Ukraine, co-chaired by Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak and former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, is about to complete the work on a document with recommendations on future security guarantees for our country.

At the third meeting of the group in video conference mode, Andriy Yermak emphasized that the dream of security guarantees for Ukraine is consistently turning into a plan with clear time frames.

“We are entering a new phase of this brutal war. Against the background of the events unfolding in the frontlines, it is time for our partners to take new decisive steps to guarantee Ukraine’s further security. These guarantees should form a new security order on the European continent and prevent a new war in its heart,” he is convinced.

The Head of the Office of the President noted that due to the joint efforts of the group members, a high-quality comprehensive project of recommendations was created in less than two months of work.

According to him, this document covers a wide range of guarantees: military, economic, political, sanctions. After the preparation of the final version, the document will be submitted for consideration by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“With its publication on the Presidential Office website, our diplomacy will receive powerful assistance in the context of negotiations with the governments of allied and partner states,” Andriy Yermak emphasized.

The Head of the Presidential Office believes that future security guarantees should become part of legally binding documents, in particular, treaties between Ukraine and the guarantor countries.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that the updated (second) draft recommendations take into account key comments received from the previous group meeting.

“You will also be able to see that the main focus in this draft is more focused on the first part – defense guarantees, which are the basis of our recommendations,” he noted.

At the end of the meeting, Anders Fogh Rasmussen informed the meeting participants that former Minister for European Union Affairs of Türkiye Volkan Bozkır became a new member of the group.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced the transition to the Group’s work in a co-chair format with personal bilateral consultations with some members on specific issues.

Andriy Yermak and Anders Fogh Rasmussen thanked everyone present and noted that the final version of the recommendations on security guarantees would be provided to the group members before publication.

 

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

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that today it is difficult to predict the possible dates of the expulsion of the Russian invaders from Ukraine, but the stronger Europe unites around Ukraine, the sooner the victory over the aggressor will take place. The Head of State said this during a conversation with the participants of the Strategic Forum, which is ongoing in the city of Bled (Slovenia).

“The Ukrainian people have every right to fight for their territory and land within internationally recognized borders. I believe this is a great willingness, but for us it is a great and the only fair struggle,” he said, answering questions from forum participants.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that the return of the occupied territories can take place in different ways, and Ukrainians are aware of this.

“I’m not ready to predict when it will happen. I don’t have the exact dates, but I have the exact understanding of how we will do it,” the President noted.

The Head of State emphasized that now Russia is not really determined to hold negotiations on ending the war, as it communicates only in terms of ultimatums, demanding from Ukraine recognition of the occupation of our territories.

“Both sides must strive for negotiations. All this is another public lie of the Russian authorities. They are not ready for negotiations, they do not want that. In their understanding, negotiations are an ultimatum, we must recognize that Donbas and Crimea are Russian territories. They are already saying that Ukraine must recognize the south of our state as Russian territory after they hold another pseudo-referendum there,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The President emphasizes that Russia will be ready for negotiations only after it feels the power of the world uniting in support of Ukraine.

“They (representatives of Russia – ed.) will definitely offer it to us as soon as they see a force in the world that supports Ukraine. We have already seen it in Ukraine. Now the united Europe also sees it, as it is rallying around Ukraine. So, the stronger we are and the longer we can stay together, the sooner justice will prevail,” the Head of State said.

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

Europe should not get tired of the war that Russia has unleashed against Ukraine, as today Ukrainians are fighting for a peaceful life for all Europeans, to which they have an absolute right, and need help and support. This was said by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a conversation with the participants of the annual meeting of French entrepreneurs under the auspices of the MEDEF business association.

“We are having a war, and in Ukraine there are places, trenches, where our heroic warriors die. And there are de-occupied cities where people already walk on the streets. And those people who are in the trenches do not envy those who are walking, and vice versa. Because we understand that despite the war, people still have to live, work and breathe,” said the Head of State.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the residents of European cities, in particular French ones, with an appeal to help Ukraine as much as possible, so that our defenders do not allow Russia to advance its aggression to the west, to Europe.

“Protect this peaceful atmosphere in which you are. And today, when the war is on our territory, you have the opportunity to help us so that the war does not destroy all the beautiful, warm, sunny things that you have now, that you enjoy. And this is your absolute right. And we are fighting for this right today. So please don’t get tired of the war in Ukraine. Because this is a war for the peace you have today,” the President urged.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that Russia’s criminal actions raise the question of the world’s survival strategy, and civilized countries should unite to overcome all the risks facing humanity.

“We warned that Russia would provoke an energy deficit. We warned about this even before the full-scale invasion. We said that it was necessary to introduce preventive sanctions because Russia would be claiming that it couldn’t supply, and then, as you know, somewhere on the border with Finland, they would burn millions of tons of gas in order not to supply it to Europe,” he noted.

The President of Ukraine noted that the coming winter will not be comfortable for anyone, but these inconveniences must be overcome in order not to allow Russia to dictate its terms to Europe.

“They cannot make money and have a comfortable vacation on the coast of France. Why do they hate Europe so much and at the same time buy villas in France, in Italy, go shopping, open businesses, open accounts?” he noted and added that European businesses should leave the Russian Federation.

Regarding the development of our country after the war, Volodymyr Zelenskyy recalled that during the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2022) in Lugano, Switzerland, the amount needed for post-war reconstruction was announced. But since the war is not over yet, it is impossible to tell the final figures at the moment.

He informed that the governments of Ukraine and France are preparing to hold a forum on the recovery of Ukraine in Paris in the autumn, and invited French companies to participate in it.

According to the President, now it is worth focusing on the Fast Recovery Plan, which requires a smaller amount of funds, but already now.

“I would focus today on the restoration of educational, port and transport infrastructure, as well as housing for people. Because our task is to return people. People in the state mean the development of the economy,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

 

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

Ukraine will be able to defeat the aggressor with modern weapons from partners, which will significantly increase the capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but Russia will try to prevent such a development by provoking crises in Europe. Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said this in an interview with the U.S. publication The Hill.

He said that maintaining strength of Ukrainian forces on the battlefield and effective defense allows it possible to push back on Russia’s attempts to force Ukraine into so-called negotiations, which will be a “death sentence” for our country.

“President Zelenskyy is definitely against it [negotiations], and the Ukrainian society is adamant there, because we fully appreciate the risks,” the adviser to the head of the Office of the President said.

Absent negotiations, Podolyak said Vladimir Putin is likely to focus on a war of attrition to grind down international support.

“They will start to manipulate, behind the scenes, moods, activities, to profess and to deepen this war fatigue,” the adviser to the head of the President’s Office said.

Podolyak said that the Russian Federation is capable of manufacturing crises in Europe like sending an overwhelming number of migrants to Europe’s borders. Or it could also think of some terrorist attacks against infrastructural facilities in Europe, so that they can arrive at some negotiation position, or standing for their own benefits and their own plans.

The adviser to the head of the President’s Office said that the needed modern weapons can quickly turn the tide of the war, if the country can get more of them faster. This was repeatedly emphasized by the political and military leadership of our country.

Podolyak noted the importance of the new additional U.S. assistance of $3 billion for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to him, this assistance is also an important signal to encourage other, more cautious, Western powers to give more active support for Ukraine.

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

When Ukraine reaches its internationally recognized borders, then Russia will be ready to sit down at the negotiating table and sign a peace treaty. Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the head of the President’s Office, said this in an interview with the Finnish publication Helsingin Sanomat.

Podolyak said that even at the beginning of the full-scale war, and now there is no possibility of negotiating with Russia, which speaks the language of ultimatums and puts forward unacceptable demands.

“Putin’s plan is simple. He wants to restore the Soviet Union in one form or another. Ukraine here is his main enemy,” the advisor to the head of the President’s Office said.

According to him, the independence of our state contradicts the worldview of the representatives of Russia.

Podolyak said that calls for peace talks, which sometimes come from some European capitals, are based on assumptions that proved to be false back in 2008 and 2014.

“If Russia is allowed to win the war, it will be able to dictate its terms to Europe. This leads to the advance of Russia to Moldova, Georgia, Northern Kazakhstan or the Baltic states. Russia will begin to manipulate the internal politics of the European Union, provoking extreme left and extreme right forces. A chain reaction will begin in the world when other authoritarian states realize that they can achieve their goal with the help of an aggressive war,” the adviser to the head of the Office of the Head of State said.

However, in his opinion, the war between Russia and Ukraine will still end at the negotiating table, but only after the Russian Federation suffers significant tactical losses at the front.

“Russia is really ready for peace only if it has suffered significant tactical losses. Then it stops giving ultimatums and is forced to listen to the arguments of others. When Ukraine reaches the borders defined in 1991, then Russia will be ready to sit down at the negotiating table and sign a peace treaty. This is the only chance to guarantee the liberal values and freedom of Europe,” Podolyak is convinced.

In his opinion, the defeat of Russia will also give freedom of choice to Belarus, which can become a real European democracy.

However, currently, as the adviser to the head of the President’s Office said, Ukraine is conducting negotiations with the Russian Federation only regarding prisoners and other tactical issues.

“We are also talking about the defenders of Azovstal, but we are making very slow progress, because Russia wants to get as much propaganda benefit from them as possible. The Red Cross and the UN are weak in this. They should become more active,” he said.

As Podolyak said, in the war in Ukraine, Russia crossed all permissible limits and must answer for its crimes, because otherwise the entire European security system will lose its authority.

According to the adviser to the head of the President’s Office, Ukraine managed to slow Russia’s advance in Donbas, although the Russian army makes 40,000-50,000 shots from assorted artillery every day.

“The war has entered the fourth stage. Russia brought as many pieces of equipment and people as possible to Ukraine. They are waging an artillery war that they want to continue until winter,” he said.

At the same time, as Podolyak said, the Russian Federation is trying to exhaust Europe with a shortage of energy carriers so that it gets tired of helping our country in this war.

The adviser to the head of the President’s Office said that Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the south is moving forward.

“We are trying to effectively destroy the logistics and command positions of the Russians. Our goal is to complicate their supply and force them to retreat before the onset of winter,” Podolyak said.

To gain an advantage on the battlefield, Ukraine needs modern weapons, in particular air defense systems, for which Ukrainian authorities turn to foreign governments.

“The anti-missile potential is very important because Russia attacks residential areas with cruise missiles,” the adviser to the head of the President’s Office said.

In addition to weapons, according to him, assistance is needed for the Ukrainian economy, which Russia tried to destroy by bombing factories, ports and agricultural enterprises.

Separately, Podolyak thanked Finland for the assistance provided and expressed hope for active support of Ukraine on the way to EU membership.

“We have very warm relations with Finland. Finland is one of those countries that understand that we are all in danger if Russia remains the same as it is now,” the adviser to the head of the President’s Office said.

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

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak held the second meeting of the group to develop proposals for our country’s participation in the Working Group of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on Bribery in International Business Transactions.

Yermak said that today combating corruption is of particular importance, and Ukraine’s participation in the OECD Working Group should become one of the tools for speeding up the European integration of our country.

In addition, the fight against corruption remains among the important aspects of government policy in Ukraine and the priorities of our cooperation with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

“Today, we need to make the most of our EU’s candidate status and future candidacy in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, as well as cooperation with our partners,” the head of the President’s Office said.

He noted the high level of Ukraine’s communication with partner states and international organizations, which helps our country in confronting the aggressor.

“This is a very great motivation, a great weapon – in every sense of the word, which helps us move towards our victory. Our desire to join the OECD is an absolutely logical step,” Yermak said.

The head of the President’s Office emphasized the importance of taking clear steps to achieve the criteria for membership in the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions and developing a package of legislative changes necessary for this.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President Andriy Smyrnov said that the first step on the way to full membership in the OECD Working Group is the status of a member of the group, which the country receives along with undergoing a preliminary evaluation of national legislation and receiving recommendations for its improvement.

On August 2, 2022, the Government of Ukraine sent a letter to the OECD with an application to join the Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions.

As the deputy head of the President’s Office said, the next meeting of the OECD Working Group is to take place in October. Then, as expected, a decision will be made regarding Ukraine’s approach to participation in this group.

To speed up the process of acquiring membership, the Ukrainian side decided to independently analyze the criteria and propose this analysis for our group to make an appropriate decision.

In general, according to Smyrnov, the criteria for joining the OECD Working Group can be divided into four segments: joining the OECD legal acts, criteria of economic factors for assessing “mutual interest,” criteria of the legislative framework for combating bribery of foreign public officials, as well as additional criteria for confirming the desire and ability to cooperate with the OECD Working Group.

The participants of the meeting reviewed the analysis of the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions and proposals regarding the provisions that need to be introduced into Ukrainian legislation.

“Ukraine is already sufficiently prepared for joining the OECD Working Group, but there are a number of requirements that shall be met,” Smyrnov said.

The participants also discussed the work plan for the next meeting.

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

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak had a video call with American director, screenwriter and producer Bryan Fogel.

His film “Icarus”, which tells the story of the relationship between an amateur cyclist and the head of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory Grigory Rodchenkov against the background of an international scandal caused by information about mass doping abuse in Russian sports, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2018.

Andriy Yermak emphasized that today it is extremely important to keep the focus of the world’s attention on what is happening in Ukraine, and the help of such artists as Bryan Fogel will contribute to this.

According to him, the current terrible war, which Russia unleashed against Ukraine, became at the same time the beginning of a new era, new politics, new alliances.

The Head of the President’s Office noted that the Ukrainians are a nation that will be a symbol of heroism for many years to come, as – albeit with the support of other countries – for six months, they have been standing virtually alone with dignity and determination against one of the largest armies in the world.

“And we will continue to fight because we are defending our people, our land and our country,” he said.

The Head of the President’s Office is convinced that Bryan Fogel should definitely show Ukrainians to the world, as they are exceptional people, intelligent, educated, humane, and they are the future of this world.

For his part, Bryan Fogel expressed support for Ukraine and its people.

He noted that he would like to make a large-scale film about the current events in our country, which would remain for ages.