Tag: President of Ukraine

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

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy took part in the G7 Summit in Germany in a video conference format.

He thanked the G7 countries for the defense and financial support for Ukraine during the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, as well as for the consistent sanctions policy against the aggressor country.

The President stressed the importance of the decision to grant Ukraine the status of a candidate for accession to the European Union.

“This decision fully reflects our progress in European integration, our contribution to the protection of European values, which we are all talking about,” the President said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested that G7 leaders focus on concrete steps that could be useful both for Ukraine and for the whole of Europe.

In particular, the President invited the G7 to join the work on security guarantees for Ukraine. The Head of State stressed that these guarantees in the future will prevent conflicts such as Russian aggression.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also noted that our state needs modern and effective missile defense systems that can provide peace to Ukrainian cities far from the front. According to him, Russia is intensifying missile attacks on Ukraine, so it is very important to guarantee basic security to the civilian population. The Head of State stressed that the return of people to work will allow the start of economic processes in settlements, as today the monthly budget deficit of our country is USD 5 billion.

The President of Ukraine also stressed the importance of unblocking the export of Ukrainian grain and called for consideration of effective mechanisms to ensure food security in the world.

In addition, the President stressed the need to increase sanctions pressure on Russia, in particular by forcibly limiting the price of Russian oil exported. Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope that the US Department of State would endorse the decision to recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. The President also suggested creating an effective global mechanism for confiscating frozen or seized Russian assets, which should become one of the biggest tools to deter other potential aggressors from attacking neighbors.

He called on the G7 countries to encourage their companies to consider Ukraine as an alternative to the Russian direction. According to the President, after the war, the Ukrainian state will have much better access to the global market compared to the aggressor country. In addition, Ukraine has duty-free access to the markets of leading democracies.

The President also noted the importance of post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, this will be the largest economic project of our time, participation in which will significantly strengthen the G7 countries.

The Summit is attended by President of the United States Joseph Biden, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson, Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz, President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Italy Mario Draghi, Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council Charles Michel.

 

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 25 June 2022.

Wife of the President of Ukraine Olena Zelenska spoke to journalists of the popular TV program C à vous aired on France 5 TV channel and the leading French newspaper Le Monde founded by Charles de Gaulle in 1944.

The First Lady spoke, in particular, about the psychological support program for Ukrainians and their condition.

“A lot of people are experiencing the well-known survivor syndrome now. But this is wrong: you survived – so you gave the country an opportunity to live on. You can’t blame yourself,” she said.

The President’s wife thanked France for the warm welcome of Ukrainian forcibly displaced persons, and personally First Lady Brigitte Macron for meeting children with oncology evacuated from Ukraine to France for treatment, and urged Europeans not to get accustomed to the war.

“At a time when you have an ordinary day – good or bad, weekday or weekend – we have people, children dying. Children like the French, who go to school and clubs, love TikTok and spend time online, believe that the world is open to them… It’s very difficult to realize, I know. The human psyche always wants to protect itself from what hurts. But it is impossible to isolate oneself from war in the modern world. The world simply has no walls from this,” Olena Zelenska stressed.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 25 June 2022.

Gamarjоba saqаrtvelo!

I would like everyone to hear me today. We are free people and free countries! And this is forever.

I am grateful to the sons of Georgia who are fighting against Russia together with our warriors. Their exploits are our common exploits. Their wounds are our wounds. And our victory will be the victory of each of them, each of you!

We will never give up, because Donbas and Crimea are our land just as Abkhazia and South Ossetia are your land. And even if someone wants to forget about it, if someone wants to erase it, we will definitely remind them of it. We will stand by you!

Yesterday, Ukraine became a candidate for EU membership. You are on this path. Act! We will help you!

Ukraina da saqartvelo ertad, mudam! dideba saqartvelos! dideba ukrainas!

And even if my Georgian was not perfect now, my thoughts are pure.

I wish you success!

Glory to Ukraine!

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 24 June 2022.

The European Union, the United States and other partners in Ukraine must complete the strengthening of sanctions against the Russian Federation by imposing a limit on the price of seaborne crude oil, which still brings income to the Russian military machine. This is stated in a joint article by President’s Adviser on Economic Affairs Oleg Ustenko and Minister of Energy German Galushchenko for the international media organization Project Syndicate.

The authors note that the West has made significant progress in developing sanctions that could prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war of aggression in Ukraine. The financial sanctions imposed after the Russian invasion were effective, as the freezing of Russia’s central bank reserves largely eliminated much of the country’s buffer against shocks. The ruble’s stability has since rested merely on strong capital controls and the continued inflow of hard currency from the sale of oil and gas.

After much debate, EU member states decided to stop buying Russian oil transported by ship, starting just over five months from now. Given that Russia is still exporting around 1.25 million barrels per day to the EU by sea, curtailing these shipments could have a major impact on Putin’s revenue stream, the ruble’s strength, and the already-fragile Russian financial system.

But, according to Oleg Ustenko and German Galushchenko, it is unacceptable to wait five months before hobbling the Russian military vehicle.

“Every day, more Ukrainians are being killed by Russian forces. We cannot wait. We need the final piece of the strategy to lower the price paid to Russia for its crude and refined products, thereby limiting the Kremlin’s revenues,” the authors note.

In May, the EU alone imported more than $5 billion worth of Russian crude by sea, and it is on track to purchase a similar amount in June.

According to the authors, a complete zero-shipment embargo that outlaws oil exports by ship in EU-owned vessels to the rest of the world would likely drive up the price of oil. That would cause economic pain around the world and increase the revenue of Russia. Therefore, this decision must be adapted to the new conditions.

Immediate measures must be taken to limit the price Russia receives for a barrel of oil sold.

“We support recent proposals by US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi that would cap the price that Russia receives per barrel of oil. The EU could do this by leveraging its buying power over the next five months, and by exploiting the fact that most Russian oil – around 70% – is carried in ships that are owned, insured, and financed by entities in the EU, the United Kingdom, and other allied countries. These measures are being actively discussed among EU members, and we would encourage all other countries to line up behind them,” the authors note.

According to the experts, the marginal cost of production in existing Russian oil fields is exceptionally low, so the price cap could be set at rock-bottom levels to squeeze revenues of Vladimir Putin’s regime. Therefore, oil would continue to be supplied to the international market, preventing a short-run negative effect on price levels worldwide.

This price cap could be implemented in several ways, either as a direct restriction or as a tariff. The advantage of a tariff or tax-type structure is that it would generate revenue that could be used to cover the costs of hosting the roughly five million Ukrainian refugees who are currently sheltering in the EU, or to help other low-income people who have been hit hard by the consequences of Vladimir Putin’s war of aggression.

According to the authors, if Russia refuses to supply oil at this lower price and stops the production, it will damage its oil wells and effectively resign its membership in OPEC+. The loss to the Russian economy would be immediate, and the pressure on the ruble would become immense.

“Without hard currency, Putin would have a difficult time buying components for his rockets and other weaponry from other countries. Without government revenue, Russia will need to print more money to support its war effort – causing its inflation to accelerate and leading to its subsequent collapse,” Oleg Ustenko and German Galushchenko summed up.

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

Italy’s defense and political support for Ukraine is an investment in its own security and the common free future of both countries. This was stated by Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak in an interview with the TV project Porta a Porta of the Italian TV channel Rai 1.

“We are very grateful to the Italians, to the Italian government, to all of you for what you are doing for Ukraine. We will never forget that. We are grateful for the weapons and the loud voice in support of granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for EU membership. But please understand: this is not a charity, but an investment in your own security, in our common peace, in our common free future,” Andriy Yermak said.

The Head of the President’s Office noted that today the Russian aggressor is trying to occupy the entire territory of Ukraine, as happened with Crimea and part of Donbas.

Commenting on the impact of the war in Ukraine on the economic situation in Italy, Andriy Yermak stressed that today Ukrainians are giving their lives for the future of Europe.

“Sometimes you pay with money, and Ukrainians pay with their lives. And not just for themselves. One of the hits of the very popular Italian singer Mina has the following lines: Non cambi mai. These words can be addressed to Russia: “You never change.” So if they succeed in Ukraine now, Russia will not stop. And the Italians will have to pay more. And it will be good, if only with money,” Andriy Yermak said.

The Head of the President’s Office stressed that Ukraine will fight the Russian aggressor as long as it takes to win.

“We are not afraid of anyone, we are fighting for our country, for our land. We don’t need someone else’s property. We are fighting for what is ours,” Andriy Yermak said.

According to him, for more than three months Ukraine has been proving on the battlefield that the truth is on its side, and that is why the support for our country by European partners is very important today.

“If we receive all the support we have agreed upon and which was confirmed by our partners in time, our victory will be faster. And the risks for the whole of Europe that this war will engulf other countries will be reduced,” the Head of the President’s Office stressed.

Andriy Yermak noted the importance of the visits of European leaders to Ukraine, in particular the visit of the Prime Minister of Italy Mario Draghi, which took place last week. According to the Head of the Office of the President, the Italian Prime Minister had an opportunity to see the consequences of the crimes of the Russian occupiers during his visit to the suburbs of Kyiv.

“There is only one way out (of the situation related to Russian aggression – ed.) – our victory. And our victory will be yours as well,” the Head of the President’s Office emphasized.

He noted that he has special respect for the history of Italy and the traditions of this country, so he delivered part of his speech on the air in Italian.

“I want to say that I have been to Italy many times, and each time it impressed me with something. Nature. Culture. History. People. But most of all – your sincerity and hospitality. And, probably, these features are what unite our peoples the most,” Andriy Yermak said.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 21 June 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in Kyiv with Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel, who is on a visit to our country.

“This visit is very important for us, for me personally. It confirms: to be in Ukraine now, to be with Ukraine now is to be on the bright side of history, no matter how difficult it may be,” the Ukrainian President said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the Prime Minister of Luxembourg for the assistance provided by his country and him personally to Ukraine since the first days of Russia’s full-scale war against our state.

“We have been in constant contact, and Luxembourg has always helped us… I am very grateful on behalf of our people, and I will say in detail: Luxembourg has allocated 15% of its defense budget to our defenders,” the President said.

According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during the meeting in Kyiv, the parties discussed issues of assistance to Ukrainians who took refuge in Luxembourg after the start of the war.

“We discussed the lives of our children, families and students, whom Luxembourg welcomes very warmly. I am grateful that they feel at home, but temporarily at home, because it is very important for us that all citizens of Ukraine return home, as our state must be restored after the war,” he said.

The leaders discussed the restoration of Ukraine. The issue of reconstruction will be discussed in more detail at a conference in Lugano, Switzerland, in July this year, and Luxembourg will be involved.

“We also discussed in detail the sanctions policy against the Russian state. Challenges related to the blockade of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov by the Russian fleet, which leads and will lead to a shortage of food in the world, especially in Asia, Africa and some European countries. We also discussed ways out of this collapse, out of this impudence,” the Ukrainian President said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the Prime Minister of Luxembourg began his visit to Ukraine by visiting the occupied towns of the Kyiv region and shared his feelings about what he saw.

“I would like to express gratitude for the humanitarian, armed and, first of all, humane assistance to our citizens provided by Luxembourg and personally the Prime Minister. You are always our welcome guest,” said the President of Ukraine.

For his part, Xavier Bettel stressed that his visit was a confirmation of Luxembourg’s solidarity with Ukraine. He stated that the Duchy would support our state both in the fight against Russian aggression and in the post-war recovery.

“Luxembourg is doing everything it can to help Ukraine. At the humanitarian and financial levels. Moral support is also important. I want to tell Ukrainians that their future is with us, and it will be built together, jointly,” said Xavier Bettel.

The Prime Minister said that after reviewing the conclusion of the European Commission on Ukraine’s application for EU candidate status, his country advised other EU members to support the decision in favor of Ukraine.

“I think there will be a decision that will become a powerful signal not only for you, but also for us. This is not only a consequence of the war against Ukraine, it is the protection of our values, for which so many people have already died,” he said.

Xavier Bettel said he was impressed by what he saw in Bucha, Borodyanka and Irpin, in particular destroyed buildings, bridges and human lives. He stressed the importance of providing Ukraine with the necessary weapons so that our state can defend itself and win the war.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 21 June 2022.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Tymoshenko met with Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Ukraine Melinda Simmons.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko thanked for the strong and consistent support of the British government to the Ukrainian people in their struggle for independence.

The Deputy Head of the Office of the President noted that today one of the key issues for the de-occupied territories of our country is demining. Accordingly, support from foreign partners in the form of equipment for the State Emergency Service of Ukraine is extremely important.

Assistance in the form of fuel and lubricants is also important today, as there is a shortage of fuel due to Russia’s constant missile strikes at Ukrainian refineries.

“Pursuant to the instruction of the President of Ukraine, we monitor all the destruction of infrastructure due to the war to have information on each destroyed or damaged object. The National Council for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, established by the President, is currently working out formal mechanisms to record the damage caused by the war,” Kyrylo Tymoshenko said.

He informed Melinda Simmons about the Plan of Recovery and Modernization of Ukraine developed pursuant to the President’s instruction, which will be implemented with the help of Western partners after the victory.

In addition, Kyrylo Tymoshenko reminded of the fast recovery plan, which provides for the restoration of housing infrastructure so that people can return home, as well as educational institutions, critical medical facilities, water, electricity and heat supply networks.

The Deputy Head of the Office of the President noted that in order to implement all these plans, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak are negotiating with partner countries and working actively to establish direct cooperation between local governments and partner countries.

“We are preparing a memorandum on practical assistance from the association of Europe’s largest cities – Eurocities. We also promote the interaction of our cities with associations of cities in different European countries. In addition, we involve international organizations such as UNICEF, etc. in the implementation of reconstruction projects,” he said.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko emphasized that Ukraine very much hopes for the support of Great Britain in the reconstruction of the city of Kyiv and the Kyiv region, which is one of the most affected by the war.

For her part, Melinda Simmons noted that such substantive meetings give a clear understanding of the preparations for the reconstruction of Ukraine after the war.

The Ambassador stressed that Great Britain will be as actively involved in the process of rebuilding Ukraine as it supports our country during the war politically, financially and militarily.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 20 June 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Hollywood actor, director, screenwriter and producer Ben Stiller, who is visiting Ukraine as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador.

Ben Stiller and UNHCR Representative in Ukraine Karolina Lindholm Billing visited the Office of the President after a visit to the occupied settlements of the Kyiv region. Today, they visited, in particular, the ruined residential areas of Irpin, where they talked to people who survived the occupation.

“It’s one thing to see this destruction on TV or on social networks. Another thing is to see it all with your own eyes. That’s a lot more shocking,” said Ben Stiller

“What you saw in Irpin is definitely dreadful. But it is even worse to just imagine what is happening in the settlements that are still under temporary occupation in the east,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in response.

The President and the UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador discussed the needs of temporarily displaced persons in Ukraine, as well as those in Poland, which Ben Stiller visited the day before.

Separately, the Head of State emphasized the violation of the rights of Ukrainians forcibly deported to Russia, including children.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the UNHCR delegation discussed ways of further cooperation of the Ukrainian authorities with UNHCR.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 20 June 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of the General Confederation of Italian Industry Carlo Bonomi.

The President of Ukraine expressed gratitude to Italy and personally to Prime Minister Mario Draghi for his active support of Ukraine, including the future membership of our country in the EU.

“Right now we are opening a new page in relations between our states,” the President said.

An important manifestation of such support is the establishment of a confederation’s office in Ukraine.

“The opening of the confederation’s office in Kyiv right now is a landmark event and a powerful signal to all foreign investors,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The President noted the interest of the Ukrainian side in strengthening cooperation with Italian business and well-known companies that could help restore and modernize the economy of our country.

In his opinion, Ukraine and Italy have common values and developed social contacts. This creates an atmosphere of trust as a basis for further development of bilateral cooperation.

Inviting the confederation to join the implementation of the large-scale Recovery Plan of Ukraine, the President expressed interest in the participation of Italian companies in the implementation of projects to rebuild the destroyed infrastructure, social facilities and housing.

The parties separately discussed areas of future cooperation in which the Italian side has extensive experience and world-class expertise.

“The help of the confederation in starting production on the territory of Ukraine, creating new jobs is extremely important for the employment of Ukrainians who lost their jobs as a result of hostilities,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 18 June 2022.

During a working trip to the Odesa region, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting on the current situation in the region.

The Head of the Odesa regional military administration Maksym Marchenko informed the participants of the meeting about the measures to defend the region.

The parties also discussed ways to organize a corridor for the export of agro-industrial products from the ports of the Odesa region. According to Maksym Marchenko, due to Russian aggression, 39 civilian ships under the flags of 14 countries are blocked in the ports of the region.

The participants of the meeting discussed the issues of harvesting in the region and measures to provide agricultural machinery.

The parties touched upon the issue of the social security of internally displaced persons living in the Odesa region.

The President heard information on the consequences of missile strikes by the Russian occupiers at the Odesa region. 55 residents of the region became victims of the shelling, and a number of infrastructure facilities were destroyed.

In addition, the issues of work of industrial enterprises of the region during the Russian aggression were discussed.

The participants of the meeting heard information from the Commander of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksiy Neizhpapa on the security situation in the Black Sea and the provision of Navy units.

The Head of State also observed a residential building that was damaged on April 23 as a result of enemy missile attack. Eight people were killed then, including a three-month-old baby. Volodymyr Zelenskyy got himself acquainted with the course of restoration works.

“This is a terrible, heinous crime, the aggressor kills and maims our people. We need to restore this building so that the residents can return home,” the President said.