Tag: President of Ukraine

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

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the founder of Virgin Group, billionaire Richard Branson, who arrived in Ukraine.

The British entrepreneur said that he had come to see for himself the situation in Ukraine and discuss how big international business can help our country.

“We came to see what we can do to help in this difficult time. Today we saw Kyiv and surrounding cities. We visited Bucha, Irpin and Hostomel,” said Richard Branson.

The Head of State thanked the entrepreneur for visiting Ukrainian towns affected by the Russian invasion, and noted that what he saw in these settlements was only a small part of the crimes that Russia had committed in Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Richard Branson also discussed the issue of maintaining the high level of the world’s attention to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The billionaire noted that he constantly supports our state, sovereignty, territorial integrity and the introduction of the toughest sanctions against Russia and those who support and finance the war.

In this context, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that in addition to fighting the enemy on the battlefield, our state has focused its efforts on two areas: imposing sanctions against the aggressor and providing security guarantees for Ukraine. To this end, the International Advisory Group chaired by Head of the President’s Office Andriy Yermak and former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has been set up to develop proposals for security guarantees for Ukraine, as well as the Yermak-McFaul International Working Group on Sanctions against Russia has been established.

The parties also discussed energy efficiency projects and prospects for cooperation in the postwar reconstruction of Ukraine.

Richard Branson expressed willingness to help with everything he can. The founder of Virgin Group noted that he was impressed with the optimism of Ukrainians and the fact that even in such difficult moments they think about rebuilding the country.

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

Good afternoon, dear Christoph!

Dear forum participants!

I would like to start with the most painful.

Russia is increasingly convinced that it cannot defeat Ukraine on the battlefield. That is why bloody terror is increasingly being resorted to – the killings of civilians and the destruction of civilian infrastructure. In recent days, hundreds of missiles have been fired at dozens of Ukrainian cities. Every day, tens of thousands of munitions of various types hit our residential neighborhoods, kindergartens, hospitals and power plants. This is done deliberately.

The whole world now knows about the Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk, where the day before yesterday a Russian missile hit a regular shopping mall. There were about a thousand people inside. They were going shopping – women, children and the elderly.

What is this if not a classic terrorism of an incredible scale unprecedented since World War II?

Russia uses all terrorist methods: mass murder, torture and destruction. Energy and food crises, which are already beginning to negatively affect all people on the planet, were planned in advance. And all this is aimed to break the resistance of individual states and put pressure on the world community. Finally, the last argument is blackmail with nuclear weapons.

However, Russia sees any talks of concessions or even negotiations as a weakness. Unfortunately, blackmail, bloodshed and destruction are the backbone of Russia’s foreign policy.

They seek to destroy the Ukrainian state and erase from textbooks even mentions of the Ukrainian people. But we know for sure: if we give in today, they will go further tomorrow. After 2014, Ukrainians paid with their own blood to prove the axiom: Russia always violates the agreements it signs.

We are dealing with ideologies and practices reminiscent of the worst dictatorships of the previous century. History has taught us that the aggressor’s appetites grow with each concession.

That is why the security of not only Europe, but also the whole of humanity is threatened. And we believe that if Russia is not stopped in Ukraine, NATO will inevitably be drawn into the war. In addition, the unpunished aggressor gives grounds for other criminals to build their own plans of aggression.

More and more politicians around the world believe that Russia should not win the war it has started against Ukraine. This is good. But the thing is not everyone realizes that Ukraine must win this war. This is a guarantee that Russia will not “be able to repeat” the same thing with any other country.

To destroy the military and economic potential of the aggressor the maximum joint efforts of most states in several areas are required.

The first is the supply of effective weapons and munitions to Ukraine. In sufficient quantities and as soon as possible. To save as many people as possible who are being killed in our country every day. These are women, children, the elderly.

The second is the relentless increase in sanctions pressure. Without any hesitation and pauses. To reduce the aggressor’s resources as soon as possible. Last week, an international expert group led by me and Ambassador Michael McFaul released a fourth document with recommendations on sanctions policy. This time they concern the strengthening of financial sanctions.

The third is building a fair world order that will ensure compliance with universal norms and international law. I agree with your public arguments, Christoph, that the world is no longer divided into a communist East and a capitalist West. There are those who seek to abide by civilized rules, and there are aggressors who disregard any laws and break any rules.

The war in Ukraine accelerated all processes in the world. Life will never be the same again. We are witnessing a real crisis in the world security system. Therefore, we must build a new one together.

The North Atlantic Alliance is still unarguably the world’s most reliable security umbrella. And if the false ideas “not to provoke Russia” had not prevailed in 2008, today, most likely, there would be no war in Ukraine. So we are not satisfied with the illusion of an open door. Ukraine will not deviate from its path to full NATO membership. Both the Ukrainian army and the entire Ukrainian people prove with their courage every day that our membership will only strengthen the North Atlantic Alliance.

We are very pleased that NATO is already strengthening and moving towards the accession of countries, our partners and friends, such as Sweden and Finland.

But an important step towards a new safe world will be the creation of an effective security guarantees mechanism for Ukraine. To this end, we have set up an international advisory working group with former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

We are planning a set of measures, which provides primarily:

– strengthening defense capabilities and restoring Ukraine’s military-technical potential;

– maximum integration of Ukraine into international political and economic formats;

– prolonged and effective sanctions on Russia, which will prevent new attempts at aggression.

At the same time, we must jointly strengthen international law and reform international structures. Violators of fundamental principles must not only immediately lose their right to vote in the UN Security Council, but also be expelled from the United Nations and other international organizations. A complete isolation of criminals is needed.

I would like to express huge gratitude to the United States and our other partners, true friends of Ukraine, for your support. We are also grateful to the EU countries for their high level of trust and for granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for EU membership.

We must defeat Russia together and punish the aggressor. And make the world safer for our nations and for future generations.

Thank you very much for this opportunity to address such a distinguished audience.

Glory to Ukraine and its defenders!

Thank you very much for your attention!

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

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo, who is on a visit to our country.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Joko Widodo for coming to Ukraine and noted that this was the first visit of the President of Indonesia to our country in the history of diplomatic relations.

“And this, by the way, is the first visit of the leader of the Asian state to Kyiv since the beginning of the full-scale Russian war. We really appreciate it and are thankful to you,” the President said, addressing his Indonesian counterpart during a joint statement to the media following the negotiations.

The President of Ukraine stressed the importance of Indonesia’s role and Joko Widodo’s personal authority in the international arena.

“You are now representing in Kyiv both the Group of Twenty, which Indonesia currently chairs, and one of the most powerful associations in the world, ASEAN, which your country will chair next year,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

According to him, today’s negotiations with the President of Indonesia were a step towards strengthening the global anti-war coalition of states that can restore and guarantee world stability.

“Ukraine greatly appreciates the support of the Indonesian people and your personal support, Mr. President, in this time of war for freedom and independence of our state,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, expressing confidence that Ukraine would defend its freedom in the colonialist war started by Russia.

The President of Ukraine thanked Joko Widodo for his unwavering support for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of our state.

“The facilitation of the chairman and member of the G20 is extremely important for the restoration of peace. I am grateful to you, Mr. President, for the personal invitation to take part in the G20 summit, and, of course, I accept the invitation. Ukraine’s participation will depend on the security situation in the country and on the composition of participants,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

During the talks, the leaders of Ukraine and Indonesia discussed key issues on the global agenda. First of all, attention was paid to lifting the Russian blockade of Ukrainian seaports and resuming the export of domestic agricultural products in full.

“Russia is blackmailing the world with hunger. It blocked the supply of food from Ukraine, which played a stabilizing role for the world market. Tens of millions of tons of grain from Ukraine should reach consumers, in particular the people of Indonesia,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed.

The Head of State also announced an agreement to launch a visa-free regime between Ukraine and Indonesia.

“It’s good news. This is important for our nations from all points of view – for the economy, social development, education, human relations,” said the President of Ukraine.

The leaders also discussed the prospects for post-war reconstruction of our state.

“I invite Indonesia, Indonesian companies, specialists to join the implementation of this project – the largest economic project of our time in Europe,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

For his part, Joko Widodo noted that today’s visit of the Indonesian delegation to Ukraine is an expression of concern about the situation in the Ukrainian state.

The President of Indonesia also stressed the importance of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s participation in the G20 summit to be held in Bali in November 2022.

According to Joko Widodo, the purpose of his visit is also to help resolve the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. He said that he had a message to Volodymyr Zelenskyy and would soon meet with the President of the Russian Federation.

The President of Indonesia said that the government of his country would do everything possible to provide assistance to Ukraine in the form of medications, as well as to participate in the reconstruction of the Kyiv region.

Joko Widodo also stated that Ukraine is very important for world food security. Therefore, in his opinion, everything possible should be done to ensure unimpeded exports from Ukraine. The President of Indonesia stated that he supported the relevant efforts of the UN.

Joko Widodo reminded that Ukraine and Indonesia have had diplomatic relations for 30 years, and assured of further commitment and willingness to continue them.

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

The First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska gave an interview to CNN, one of the world’s leading broadcasters. The wife of the President of Ukraine, in particular, noted that the Russian missile attack on the shopping mall in Kremenchuk is terrorism.

She also described how the country feels in the fifth month of resistance to the Russian invasion.

“In the first weeks of the war, all of us – and me too, fur sure – felt like sprinters. It was necessary to repel all attacks, all challenges as quickly as possible. Emotions, forces and adrenaline were on the verge. Now, in the fifth month of the war, we are all long-distance runners. It is necessary to distribute forces and resources correctly to overcome the whole distance and to win. We must have enough strength to win. And we will have enough,” the First Lady is convinced.

Olena Zelenska informed about a large-scale national program of psychological support for Ukrainians, which will help overcome the post-traumatic stress syndrome caused by the war.

“We want our people to survive the war and find the strength to live on. We will not let the war break their morale,” said the President’s wife.

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

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasizes that the military-political leadership of the Russian Federation has started a war not only with Ukraine, but also with the entire democratic world, so in the event of our defeat, all countries that declare democratic values will lose. He stated this in an interview with the American TV channel NBC.

The Head of State said that daily hostilities in Ukraine inflict heavy losses, including on Russia.

“Where we lose one person, Russia loses five. Where we lose one tank, they lose five. Yes, we are struggling. But we have to be fair and say that it is really difficult for us. Because for one of our tanks they have ten of their own, for one of our fighters they have ten of their own. No matter how strong we are, there are ten times more of them. It is difficult for us, but we are holding on,” he said.

The President added that in some areas the Ukrainian defense forces were pushing back the enemy, and in some areas they were forced to withdraw due to the numerical superiority of the enemy.

“It is difficult for us to resist Russia alone. And we probably won’t withstand it alone, so the support of Europe and the United States is very important… Everyone should understand that this is not our war. Not just Russia’s war with Ukraine, this is the war of the entire civilized world with Russia, with its military-political leadership, with its army. We won’t cope with it alone, and thank God they help us,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

According to the Head of State, if the world gets tired of this war, democracy will lose as well. But the victory will be common as well.

“If we lose, democracy will lose. It means that the United States, the European states, which declare these values, about which we all talk so much, will lose. I know that it is not easy for everyone, and I understand that what is happening in our country is very far away, and it is difficult for some states to fully understand it in detail,” he said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that there is no distance for war, its consequences will affect everyone on the planet in one way or another.

The President stressed that Ukraine needs more weapons in order to balance forces and be able to resist Russia and defend its territories.

“The United States has given us a lot. I am grateful to them, I am grateful to the President. But we need much more… The war will definitely end, and I am sure it will end with the victory of Ukraine, no matter how difficult it is for us. We must oust the occupiers from our land. We will do it as much as we can. For us, this is our life and path,” the Head of State said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked members of the US Senate and President Joseph Biden for supporting the resolution on recognizing Russia as a state – sponsor of terrorism. Also, according to him, the sanctions policy is important.

“It all works. Economic isolation is the isolation of civilization from the Russian Federation. It works, but it is not a very fast process,” he said.

According to the President, it is important for all countries to adhere to sanctions, because if something does not work one hundred percent, there will be no one hundred percent result. Unity is important for the effect of restrictive measures.

“I really want the sanctions to be supported by all states, and then there will be an immediate hit,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 28 June 2022.

Under the chairmanship of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a meeting was held to prepare our country for future membership in the European Union after obtaining the status of a candidate for EU membership.

The meeting was also attended by Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak and his deputies, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, MPs and government officials, heads of law enforcement and judicial authorities.

The President congratulated the attendees on obtaining the status of a candidate for EU membership and thanked them for the work that has been done to achieve this historic decision.

“But we must not stop. Tasks were set, we gave our people important promises. We do not change this course,” the Head of State stressed.

According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the tasks for all branches of government must be clearly defined in order to move quickly towards full membership in the EU.

Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna noted that a very good sectoral base of relations between our country and the EU has already been developed, which will help pass certain procedures faster.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal reported that the implementation of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU is underway. According to him, the candidate status allows Ukraine to start sectoral negotiations, and today the work is underway in eight areas.

In particular, it concerns the accession to the Convention on the Common Transit Procedure (NCTS) – the so-called customs visa-free regime. At the end of June, the final assessment mission of Ukraine’s readiness to join the NCTS took place online, which provided a positive conclusion. The relevant law is expected to be adopted in the second reading.

Another area is preparation for the signing of the Agreement on Liberalization of Road Transport, which is to take place in the coming days. Due to this, transport permits will not be required for Ukrainian companies.

According to Denys Shmyhal, it is also important to create a common roaming space between Ukraine and the EU. This means that Ukrainians will not pay for roaming in the European Union, and EU citizens will not pay for roaming in Ukraine.

In addition, preparations are underway for our country to join the single zone of payments in euros without a fee, which will be felt by our citizens both domestically and abroad.

The Prime Minister also stressed the importance of integrating Ukraine’s energy system with the energy network of continental Europe, especially in the context of expanding exports, for which a corresponding conclusion has already been obtained.

The conclusion of an agreement on the so-called industrial visa-free regime for opening mutual access to industrial markets, Ukraine’s integration into the EU digital market, joining all European “green course” initiatives are also important.

The President discussed with the participants of the meeting the draft laws for European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine identified as a priority for 2022.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba informed about the work with the EU member states to maintain support for Ukraine’s European integration.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 28 June 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with American actor, film director, screenwriter and producer, Oscar winner Sean Penn who arrived in our country to shoot a documentary.

The President thanked the famous actor and film director for the attention and support he has provided to Ukraine since the beginning of the war.

Sean Penn, for his part, expressed an intention to visit settlements in Ukraine affected by Russian aggression.

“Sean, we are very interested in showing the world what happened around Kyiv. I know you were here in the early days of this war. Much has changed in Kyiv. But there are some cities around Kyiv that are very important to show to the world – to show what Russia has done,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The American actor and film director visited Ukraine on the first day of the large-scale Russian invasion on February 24. Sean Penn aimed to record the events in our country to tell the world the truth about Russian aggression. At the same time, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Sean Penn had a brief meeting.

In June, the CORE organization founded by Sean Penn held a charity evening in support of Ukraine. During the evening, Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the attendees.

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

Any actions in the temporarily occupied territory of Moldova – in Transnistria, which will threaten Ukraine, will receive an appropriate response, however, destabilization in this region should be avoided. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting with media representatives following negotiations with Moldovan President Maia Sandu in Kyiv.

He said that at a meeting with his Moldovan counterpart, the issue of threats from the territories temporarily occupied by Russia was discussed.

“If it happens, I think it’s a global mistake. We receive certain signals, they are unpleasant. But these people in Transnistria should know: for us it will be not a strike, but a slap. And we will definitely respond with a strike,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, answering journalists’ questions about whether he has information about a possible strike from Transnistria.

At the same time, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed the need to maintain a stable situation in the region.

“I believe that first of all we should all make efforts to prevent destabilization in the region. We demonstrate this in every possible way. We are currently fighting with Russia on our land, although you have seen repeated missile strikes from Belarus as well,” he said.

The President also noted that the Belarusian people do not support the war against Ukraine, and shelling and attacks from the territory of Belarus are carried out by Russian troops.

Maia Sandu, for her part, noted that Moldova is monitoring the situation in Transnistria, and assured that in the event of threats, her country will inform its partners.

“We would like to make sure that there is no situation that could destabilize the situation. Our institutions continue to monitor the situation, and, of course, if something happens that causes concern, we will take action and inform our partners,” said the President of Moldova.

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

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu, who is on a visit to our country.

The President of Ukraine noted the significance of Maia Sandu’s visit immediately after the European Union made a historic decision to grant Ukraine and Moldova the status of EU candidates.

“I am confident that thanks to the success of European integration, our countries will become even closer. We will definitely share our experience on the way to full membership in the European Union,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed during a meeting with media representatives following talks with the President of Moldova in Kyiv.

According to him, both countries have threats based on Russian aggression and Russian policy, so the responses of Ukraine and Moldova to these threats should be common.

The President noted that Maia Sandu visited the Kyiv region today and saw the consequences of a full-scale Russian invasion.

“We must do everything possible together so that Russian aggression cannot threaten anyone in Europe anymore – neither Ukraine, nor Moldova, nor any other country,” he said.

According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine and Moldova should strengthen cooperation in the humanitarian sphere, economy, energy, politics, cross-border cooperation, as well as cooperation in the security sphere, which is now a priority.

In particular, during the negotiations the parties discussed resistance to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Transnistrian issue settlement.

“Ukraine is the guarantor of this settlement and will actively help Moldova in the future,” the Ukrainian Head of State stressed.

The Presidents also discussed the issue of Ukrainian transit through the territory of the Republic of Moldova, energy cooperation, which is extremely important for the whole of Europe to achieve independence from Russian energy resources.

“After the successful connection of the energy systems of Ukraine and Moldova to the common continental European energy system, today we have many new opportunities in the market of the so-called energy EU and in bilateral cooperation. Our common task is to make the most of these new opportunities,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

In addition, the parties agreed to create new transit routes and expand the export transit potential, in particular by facilitating the border crossing between the two countries.

“I confirmed to Mrs. President that Ukraine is ready to help with the reconstruction of the Moldovan railway. We also agreed to start the reconstruction of the Berezyne-Basarabeasca railway section to enhance the transport potential of both countries,” the President of Ukraine said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Maia Sandu for the decision to send a sapper unit to help with demining in Ukraine, as well as for helping Ukrainians who were seeking protection from Russian aggression in Moldova.

“Our nations feel that only together can we overcome threats of such magnitude as the Russian Federation has created against us,” he said.

For her part, President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu noted that her country highly appreciates the feat of the Ukrainian people, who are fighting for freedom and the future.

“Fighting for their freedom, Ukrainians are also fighting for their neighbors in Europe. We in Moldova understand and deeply appreciate this,” she said.

Maia Sandu stressed that Moldovan government institutions, charitable foundations, volunteer groups and ordinary citizens have joined forces to help people who fled Ukraine because of the war. The Moldovan government has also provided humanitarian assistance to Vinnytsia, Odesa, Chernivtsi, and the Mykolaiv region.

She noted that Moldova is ready to provide support in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.

According to the President of the Republic of Moldova, her country is also ready to assist Ukraine in the transit of goods whose exports have been suspended due to the blockade of Ukrainian ports by Russia.

Maia Sandu thanked Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the development of Ukrainian-Moldovan bilateral relations and congratulated Ukraine on receiving the status of a candidate for EU membership, emphasizing that this is a historic decision for both countries.

The President of Moldova noted that during the meeting with the President of Ukraine they had agreed to cooperate in the implementation of reforms that would bring the membership of both countries in the European Union closer.

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

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in Kyiv with Senator James Risch, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The President noted the importance of the US Senator’s visit at this difficult time for our country and stressed that bicameral and bipartisan support for Ukraine is vital today.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed about the situation on the front, as well as about the recent missile strikes that demonstratively took place on the eve of important events, including the G7 and NATO summits, which is a security challenge not only for Ukraine, but also for the entire European continent.

The President stressed that this should not be left without a firm response from the civilized world – the aggressor must be punished.

The importance of recognizing Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism was also noted during the conversation.

The parties discussed the deepening of bilateral cooperation in the defense sphere, the strengthening of sanctions and the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.

“I am sincerely grateful to the President, Congress and the entire American people for their extensive security and financial support,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.