Tag: President of Ukraine

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

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

The state of economy of the Mykolaiv region and ways to resolve the infrastructural issues were discussed. In particular, the parties discussed the restoration of water supply to the regional center which was complicated because of damages to water supply networks due to enemy attacks.

In addition, attention was paid to the situation in agriculture, in particular the problems related to this year’s harvest, providing farms with the necessary technical equipment and fuel. The participants of the meeting also focused on solving the issue of the availability of premises for grain storage and the formation of new logistics routes.

Representatives of the military command of the region reported on the situation in the war zone on land and in the Black Sea.

The participants discussed threats from land, in particular from unrecognized Transnistria, from the sea, as well as the situation on Zmiinyi Island. Particular attention was paid to the logistics of a separate group of troops “Prymorya” and its defense needs.

In addition, Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented state awards. For significant personal contribution to the protection of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, courage and selfless actions shown during the defense of settlements from Russian invaders, the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky of the III degree was awarded to Head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration Vitaliy Kim, the Order “For Courage” was awarded to Mayor of Mykolaiv Oleksandr Sienkevych.

The Head of State also conferred the military rank of Brigadier General upon Colonel Andriy Hnatov.

The President watched the building of the Mykolaiv regional state administration which was destroyed as a result of a missile strike by the Russian troops. Head of the Mykolaiv RMA Vitaliy Kim told about the circumstances of the attack and about 37 victims of this crime.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy instructed to provide the necessary assistance to the families of those killed by the shelling of the building.

“It is important that we decide how we can help members of these families, we must not forget about them,” said the President.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 17 June 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson, who is on a visit to our country, visited St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv.

The leaders of the two states placed candles near the iconostasis.

Boris Johnson inquired about the history of the monastery and its interior decoration. The clergy presented the icon of the Mother of God of Pochayiv to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom as a gift.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Boris Johnson also laid flowers to the Wall of Remembrance for the Deceased for Ukraine. They honored the memory of the fallen heroes with a moment of silence.

The President of Ukraine and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom visited an exhibition of destroyed military equipment of the Russian occupiers.

The exhibition is located in Mykhailivs’ka Square in Kyiv. Among the exhibits are a self-propelled anti-aircraft missile and cannon complex “Pantsir-S1”, a T-72B3 tank, a BMD-2 infantry fighting vehicle, a BMD-4 turret, an electronic warfare vehicle and the remains of a Tigr SUV. The enemy used most of this equipment during the attack on Kyiv.

The leaders of the two states talked to the Ukrainian military, who took part in the battles for the capital.

“I want to thank you for your service, for protecting us, our state. Take care of yourselves!” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“I wish you success and congratulations on the destruction of this equipment,” said Boris Johnson.

The President of Ukraine and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom greeted Kyiv residents gathered near Mykhailivs’ka Square.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 17 June 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson, who is on a visit to our country.

The Ukrainian Head of State noted that this was the second visit of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to Kyiv since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation.

“I am very grateful to you for such attention to our nation, to all our people, to our state. And for Britain’s leadership and unprecedented support for Ukraine,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy, addressing Boris Johnson during a joint statement to the media following the negotiations in Kyiv.

According to the President of Ukraine, the talks were as substantive as possible, filled with important details. Among the key issues are bilateral relations and the overall situation in Europe and the world.

“First of all, these are two important things – defense and security. We discussed in detail the current situation on the frontline, in our east, in the south of our state, our capabilities in defending Ukraine from the Russian occupiers. We have a common view on how to move towards victory. Because this is exactly the result that Ukraine needs – the victory of our state,” he stressed.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for understanding the armed needs of our country.

“In particular, we talked about the need to increase the supply of heavy weapons. The main thing today is to provide air defense for Ukraine as well. We started to move in this direction. Russian missiles remain a threat to our people, to the entire territory of Ukraine. The vast majority of Russian missile strikes are conducted by the Russian army against ordinary people, civilian infrastructure – housing, schools, hospitals, universities, transport. Obviously, this should be one of the priorities for all of us, for our partners – to help protect against Russian missiles. It will be a guarantee of life for people in most of our territory,” the President said.

Also, according to him, during the talks the parties touched upon the results of the third meeting in the Rammstein format, where Great Britain facilitated the interests of Ukraine.

In addition, the interlocutors discussed the need of our state for financial and economic support.

“It’s not just finances, we also have a fuel shortage due to the bombing of our refinery, our reserves by the Russian Federation. We also talked about a difficult issue – ensuring preparation for the heating season. I am grateful to Boris for his readiness to help our state,” the President said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Boris Johnson raised the issue of increasing sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation.

“I thanked Boris for his personal integrity and leadership in this direction. We also shared our suggestions. We can make sanctions tangible, so that Russia really feels that its aggression, its terrorist actions against Ukraine and against global stability will lead to losses for Russia itself – the aggressor must pay the highest price for this aggression, for this war,” the President said, adding that Russia must also compensate for all the losses of people, communities and businesses.

In addition, he believes that Russia must bear responsibility for the food crisis it provoked and the food shortage on the world market, which arose due to the Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports.

The parties also continued to work out security guarantees for Ukraine, which can bring stability not only to our country, but also to Europe and the world.

“Of course, we have to increase our cooperation for demining the territory of Ukraine. We started a detailed discussion of this issue. And we are preparing to fill the process of rebuilding our state with practical steps. We have no doubt that we will win, so we are already preparing to rebuild the country after our victory. Again, I am thankful for the patronage over Kyiv and the Kyiv region undertaken by Great Britain,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

For his part, Boris Johnson noted the heroism of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, their courage and bravery. He expressed understanding of the impossibility of any compromise between the Ukrainian people and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Ukraine is suffering, the Ukrainian military is suffering, but there are all signs and evidence that Russian troops are under significant pressure, suffering heavy losses, and spending their weapons enormously. In 114 days of the attack on Ukraine, they have not yet achieved the objectives they’ve set for themselves for the first week,” said the Prime Minister.

According to him, Great Britain wants to provide Ukraine with strategic endurance, so it will strengthen the world diplomatic coalition in support of our state and work on strengthening sanctions against the regime of Vladimir Putin.

“I understand the need to continue financial support for Ukraine, to unblock grain exports that Putin has held hostage in an attempt to deprive the world of food,” said Boris Johnson.

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom assured that his country is ready to continue providing weapons to Ukraine and organizing military training for its use.

“Due to this, the Ukrainian people and the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be able to do what Ukrainians really want to do, namely, drive the aggressor out of Ukraine,” Boris Johnson summed up.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 17 June 2022.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva had a phone conversation with European Policy Advisor to the Federal Chancellor of Germany Undine Ruge.

Ihor Zhovkva thanked the German side for the strong political support shown by Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz during his visit to Ukraine on Thursday. The Deputy Head of the Office of the President emphasized the importance of Germany’s support for granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for accession to the European Union.

Ihor Zhovkva expressed hope that such a clear leadership position of Germany will contribute to achieving unity within the EU on a positive decision in favor of Ukraine as a candidate country for membership in the European Union during the European Council session on June 23-24 this year.

“Ukraine and the Ukrainian people deserve this decision,” he said.

“The decision to grant our country candidate status will be deeply symbolic for Ukrainians as a manifestation of European solidarity. It will also be important in practice as a powerful impetus for further reforms. We understand that there is still a lot of work ahead, but we are ready to follow the recommendations and ask to treat Ukraine in view of our achievements,” Ihor Zhovkva added.

The Deputy Head of the Office of the President thanked the German side for supporting the introduction of the sixth package of EU sanctions against Russia and called for further strengthening of sanctions pressure.

“The next package should include new sanctions in the fields of energy, finance and trade, new personal sanctions against Russian oligarchs, government officials and heads of state-owned enterprises, as well as measures to close all opportunities to circumvent and evade sanctions,” he said.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 16 June 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of France Emmanuel Macron, Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz, President of Romania Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister of Italy Mario Draghi, who arrived in Ukraine on a visit.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the leaders of the four states first visited the city of Irpin in the Kyiv region, where they could see what the Russian occupiers had done on Ukrainian land.

“This visit of the four leaders to Kyiv and our negotiations have once again proved that our key strength and the most effective weapon is unification on which everything else depends,” the Ukrainian Head of State said.

According to the President of Ukraine, during the meeting in Kyiv, the leaders of the five states discussed steps to continue and strengthen the defense of our country; issues of economic support for Ukrainian citizens and post-war reconstruction; opportunities to counter the food crisis provoked by Russia; further sanctions pressure on Russia, as well as Ukraine’s European integration.

“I informed the partners about the current situation on the front. About heroic defense in Donbas, situation in the Kharkiv region and in the south of our state. I also informed them about daily missile strikes. The total number of various Russian missiles used against Ukraine, against the civilian population may approach three thousand already this month,” the President said.

The President outlined Ukraine’s priority needs in defense.

“We appreciate the support provided by partners. And we expect new supplies, especially heavy weapons, modern rocket artillery, missile defense systems and more. Each batch of such supplies means saved Ukrainians. And every day of delay or postponed decisions is an opportunity for the Russian military to kill Ukrainians and destroy our cities. There is a direct dependence: the more powerful weapons we get, the sooner we can liberate our people, our land,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

According to him, representatives of the international community are making many diplomatic efforts to restore peace in Ukraine, and everyone sees that “the only obstacle to all these efforts is Russia’s unwillingness to real negotiations and real action to restore peace.” The President noted that Russian troops continue a brutal offensive in Donbas, strengthen their group in the Kharkiv region, and reinforce bridgeheads in the south of Ukraine.

“The aggressor state must realize that there is no alternative to peace and must start looking for peace. Meanwhile, we all see – and heard today, when the air raid siren sounded – that Russia is only looking for new ways to intimidate Europe and seize more of our land,” the President said.

Therefore, according to the President, during the meeting in Kyiv the heads of state spoke about the new sanctions steps of the European Union needed to restore peace.

“The seventh sanctions package must be agreed upon,” he said.

In addition, the agenda of the talks between the leaders of the five states included work to compensate for all the losses caused by Russia to Ukraine, our citizens and businesses.

“We also paid attention to the ways to stop the global food crisis. Ukraine is doing everything possible to unblock our seaports, but this blockade must be lifted by the one who started it, namely the Russian Federation, and more specifically the Russian fleet. We are also grateful to Romania for its assistance in the transit of Ukrainian goods, including grain, through the Danube River. We discussed in detail with the present leaders how to increase these capabilities,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

“I am confident that this visit of our friends to Kyiv will go down in the history of our country and Europe,” he added.

For his part, French President Emmanuel Macron said that from the first days of the war, Europe had sided with a free, sovereign Ukraine and defended the principles of international law that Russia had decided to ignore.

“We will never accept the choice in favor of war, destruction and chaos, in favor of armed aggression against a sovereign state and the conquest of a free people,” he said.

According to the leader of the French Republic, the countries of the European Union have already provided Ukraine with economic, humanitarian and military support and will intensify it.

“I would like to convey a message from all of us: Europe stands side by side with Ukraine until victory, and the face of this victory is a free, independent, peaceful Ukraine,” said the French President.

Emmanuel Macron stressed that it is Ukraine that will decide when and under what conditions it will sit down at the negotiating table with the Russian side to end the war. He noted that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was doing everything possible to preserve peace in Ukraine.

According to him, the French Republic will strengthen military support for Ukraine. In particular, in the coming weeks, decisions will be made to provide additional CAESAR self-propelled howitzers, which will allow the Ukrainian soldiers to defend against the attacks by the Russian army more effectively.

Emmanuel Macron also noted that France has sent its experts to Ukraine to help document and investigate war crimes committed by the Russian army on the Ukrainian territory. According to him, all these crimes must not go unpunished. In this context, the President of France said that Ukraine will soon be provided with a mobile laboratory for DNA analysis, which will help gather evidence.

The leader of the French Republic also called for the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution on unblocking the Ukrainian ports.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz noted that the bravery of the Ukrainian military and citizens of Ukraine shown in the fight against the Russian invasion is admirable.

“Russia is forcibly trying to move borders inside Europe, and this is unacceptable. That is why Germany, along with other countries of the world, has sided with Ukraine since day one,” he said.

The Chancellor stressed that Germany supports Ukraine in defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity. In particular, it provides significant financial assistance and has sheltered about 800,000 Ukrainian citizens.

He also noted that Germany provides Ukraine with weapons and teaches the Ukrainian military to use modern weapons, self-propelled howitzers and anti-aircraft systems.

“We have also promised to provide IRIS systems that will protect entire cities from air raids. In addition, we have agreed with the United States and the United Kingdom that we will supply MLRS,” Olaf Scholz said.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis stressed that his country stands in solidarity with Ukraine in the fight against the aggressor. He noted that Russia’s aggression must be stopped and that all crimes committed by Russia must be investigated by international justice.

Klaus Iohannis noted that his country is providing all the necessary assistance to Ukrainians who have been forced to flee their homes due to the war, and that Romanian society has mobilized its efforts to support them. In particular, a humanitarian hub has been set up in Suceava, which is now operating at full capacity.

The President of Romania also stated that one of the elements of blackmail by Russia is the blockade of the export of Ukrainian grain. He stressed that the Black Sea port of Constanța and the port of the Danube River are being used for the transit of Ukrainian grain.

In addition, the issues of opening a new crossing point on the Ukrainian-Romanian border and the use of other logistics routes for the transportation of grain from Ukraine are being considered.

Prime Minister of Italy Mario Draghi underscored the support for the Ukrainian people, who have united and are fighting against Russian aggression. According to him, during the visit to Ukraine he saw the terrible consequences of the Russian occupation. Mario Draghi assured of his readiness to facilitate the investigations to document war crimes.

The Prime Minister of Italy also noted that work will be continued to ensure the transportation of Ukrainian grain and avoid the food crisis.

“Unfortunately, Russia doesn’t facilitate the resolution. We need to deal with this problem with the courage shown by President Zelenskyy. We must all act together,” he said.

“We want peace, we want other cities not to be damaged. But Ukraine must defend itself to achieve peace. Peace must meet Ukraine’s expectations. It must be lasting,” Mario Draghi summed up.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 16 June 2022.

First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska spoke online at the international conference WomenNOW, which is taking place for the fourth time in the Spanish capital Madrid. The event is dedicated to leadership in volatile times, the power of change and the need for women to lead it.

The President’s wife thanked Spain for sheltering more than 100,000 Ukrainian temporary migrants.

“Imagine: Spain actually saved an entire city. Such as Severodonetsk, which the Russians are bombing at the moment we are talking. Spain receives our soldiers and children with oncology for treatment. Yes, you save lives! Ukrainians will not forget this,” she said.

Olena Zelenska also appealed to the representatives of the European Union to grant Ukraine the status of a candidate for membership: “On June 23-24, the European Council will consider granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for EU membership. This is what is now awaited in every trench and in every bomb shelter. To be invited to Europe no longer as refugees, but as like-minded people and allies. People who are now fighting not only for themselves, but also for the aggressor not to come to Europe. Someone will ask: what do we have to join the EU? I will say: we have the main thing – we value human life.”

The conference was also attended by other female leaders, including Third Vice-President of the Government of Spain and Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge Teresa Ribera, Economist and Professor at University College London Mariana Mazzucato, Director of Business Development at Santander Bank Cristina Alvarez, Paralympic Games contestant Sara Andres (Spain), former Vice President of the National Assembly of Afghanistan Fawzia Koofi.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 15 June 2022.

Another phone call took place between President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President of the United States Joseph Biden.

The President of Ukraine thanked the President of the United States for the leadership position in supporting our country in countering the ongoing aggression by the Russian Federation, in our struggle for freedom and the right to determine our own future, and for consistent, unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity.

The Head of State noted the importance and timeliness of the US provision of an additional package of assistance in the amount of USD 1 billion. “The security support from the United States is unprecedented. It brings us closer to a common victory over the Russian aggressor,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, thanking Joseph Biden for his leadership in mobilizing international security support for Ukraine.

During the conversation, Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed Joseph Biden of the latest developments on the frontline and informed about the priority needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to effectively counter Russian aggression. The importance of further coordination of the relevant efforts in the framework of the Rammstein format was emphasized.

The interlocutors also discussed the importance of further economic and humanitarian support to Ukraine. “We also appreciate the significant financial and macroeconomic support for Ukraine from the United States. It helps us endure this war,” the President said.

The President of Ukraine expressed special gratitude to Joseph Biden for the decision to allocate USD 225 million for the purpose of humanitarian aid to the population of our state affected by the Russian aggression.

“We must win this war and return our occupied territories. This will be our common victory,” the President of Ukraine stressed.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 15 June 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama and Prime Minister of Montenegro Dritan Abazović, who are on a visit to our country. Also during the event, Prime Minister of North Macedonia Dimitar Kovačevski expressed his support for Ukraine in a video address.

The President of Ukraine is convinced that the development of such a format of cooperation will strengthen our states, the region and Europe in general.

“This meeting of ours testifies to the support of the esteemed Prime Ministers and, consequently, the people of these states for Ukraine, our territorial integrity, sovereignty, our course for full membership in the European Union,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a conversation with media representatives following the negotiations in Kyiv.

The President of Ukraine thanked the Prime Ministers of Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia for the joint statement approved today following the talks in support of granting our country the status of a candidate for EU membership.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the meeting took place on the eve of historically important international events, the decisions of which, in particular on granting EU candidate status to Ukraine, determine the fate of the European project and Europe as a whole.

The Ukrainian President stressed that the strategic response to Russia’s anti-European policy should be the strengthening of unification processes in Europe, greater coordination of European states, overcoming differences between the so-called old and new EU members, and eliminating any “gray” zones in Europe.

“Our states – Ukraine, the Republic of Albania, Montenegro and the Republic of North Macedonia – must become full members of the EU. And we agree that our countries are not competitors on this European path, they complement and strengthen each other’s capabilities,” he said.

The parties also supported the need to bring to justice all Russian war criminals for what they had done against Ukraine and Europe. Prior to the meeting, the Prime Ministers of Albania and Montenegro visited the areas of the Kyiv region liberated from the Russian occupiers and saw for themselves the consequences of the actions of the Russian military in these territories.

“We agree that an effective tactical response to Russian aggression should be even greater assistance to Ukraine, timely assistance – this is very important. In particular, the assistance with weapons. Also – increasing pressure on Russia, increasing sanctions against Russia for this invasion. The seventh package of sanctions should be as tangible for the aggressor state as the previous six packages combined,” the President of Ukraine stressed.

Volodymyr Zelenskyiyy said that during the talks a lot of attention was paid to defense cooperation. He thanked for the practical assistance to Ukraine in the military-technical sphere, for the support of those Ukrainians who have found refuge in these countries. The Head of State also expressed hope that in the near future the four countries will be able to work together on a project of post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.

Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama stressed his support and solidarity with the Ukrainian people. He said that today he visited Irpin and Borodyanka affected by the occupation and offered his country’s assistance in rebuilding houses in Irpin.

“I know that the EU, represented by many countries and regions, has joined this process, but we want to do it without unnecessary bureaucracy. Let us be the first, maybe it will speed up the accession of the rest,” he added.

Edi Rama also assured of support for Ukraine’s aspirations to become a candidate for accession to the European Union.

“We do not want anyone to speculate on the fact that the EU is bypassing us and we are allegedly offended. This is not true. We believe that these are separate issues,” he said.

The Prime Minister of Albania also wished Ukraine an end to the war and establishment of peace.

For his part, the Prime Minister of Montenegro stressed that the visit to Kyiv is a sign of support for the Ukrainian people, who are fighting for common values of Europe and for the right to choose their own future.

He said that Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia unequivocally support the choice of the Ukrainian people and government in favor of democratic principles.

“The same applies to joining the EU. You have the support of Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia to unite with the European family,” said Dritan Abazović. He expressed hope that the position of the heads of the three Balkan countries in support of Ukraine would be heard by other European partners.

The Prime Minister of Montenegro also noted that the three countries are ready to contribute to the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, in particular, by providing equipment and funding.

“In our person you have a faithful friend. We will do everything we can to support you in all your endeavors. After all, we faced your experience 30 years ago and we know for sure what aggression, war, ruin and war crimes are. In the name of peace, friendship and solidarity of all European countries, I wish you well and happiness in the future,” said Dritan Abazović.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 15 June 2022.

During a working visit to Denmark, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva met with senior political leadership and government officials.

During the negotiations with Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Denmark Mette Frederiksen, Ihor Zhovkva expressed gratitude from President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a strong support for our state in resisting full-scale armed aggression.

Emphasis was placed on the importance of Copenhagen’s support for granting Ukraine candidate status at the forthcoming European Council meeting at the level of EU member states leaders.

“We hope that next week, during the European Council meeting in Brussels, the Kingdom of Denmark will support granting our country the long cherished status of a candidate for EU membership. This is a decision that the citizens of Ukraine deserve, as they are now paying the highest price, defending European values,” Ihor Zhovkva stressed.

The issue of implementing our country’s European integration strategy was the focus of Ihor Zhovkva’s meeting with Chairman of the Danish Foreign Policy Committee Martin Lidegaard, members of the Foreign Policy Committee, as well as parliamentary committees on foreign policy and European policy.

The Deputy Head of the Office of the President expressed hope that after the positive conclusion of the European Commission, the relevant decision on granting our country the status of a candidate country for EU accession will be made in June by the leaders of the member states.

“Giving Ukraine candidate status is only the first step on the path to full EU membership. Accordingly, we hope that the leaders of the European Union will make such an important political decision that will allow us to fix the strategic movement of our country towards the European Union,” he said.

During the meeting with Minister of Defence of Denmark Morten Bødskov, cooperation in the military-technical field was discussed. The Deputy Head of the President’s Office thanked the Danish side for important military assistance, especially the transfer of Harpoon-type missiles, and expressed hope that Denmark would continue its efforts to strengthen resistance to Russian military aggression.

During the meeting with Permanent Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen, the issues of practical implementation of Ukraine’s European integration strategy and the possibility of using Denmark’s advisory and other practical assistance were discussed.

Ihor Zhovkva and Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen also exchanged views on the prospects of deepening Ukraine’s integration into the EU internal market, which will allow for the gradual recovery of the domestic economy.

During the meeting with the Minister for Industry, Business and Financial Affairs of the Kingdom of Denmark Simon Kollerup, the main focus was on the prospects of involving Denmark in the post-war reconstruction of destroyed facilities in the regions of our country.

Ihor Zhovkva thanked Denmark for sending free construction equipment to Ukraine – excavators, loaders, trucks, which are already working for the needs of our country: “I would like to express words of sincere gratitude to Denmark for the leadership in restoring and rebuilding the territories of Ukraine that suffered destruction as a result of Russia’s aggression. We appreciate that Denmark was one of the first to respond to the initiative of the President of Ukraine on patronage by international partners and will be involved in the restoration of the city of Mykolaiv.”

Issues of financial, humanitarian, expert and other practical assistance for the needs of Ukraine were discussed in detail during Ihor Zhovkva’s meetings with Danish State Secretary for Development Policy of Danish MFA Lotte Machon and Deputy Director General at The Confederation of Danish Industry Thomas Bustrup.

Together with Copenhagen’s Deputy Mayor for Employment and Integration Jens-Kristian Lütken, Ihor Zhovkva visited the Center for Ukrainian Displaced Persons in the Danish capital.

“I sincerely thank the Danish people, the Danish government and the Copenhagen city authorities for their support for the temporarily displaced citizens of Ukraine. This is a testament to your country’s solidarity with Ukrainians who have suffered from Russia’s war and war crimes,” said the Deputy Head of the President’s Office.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 11 June 2022.

The first Ukrainian center in the European Union for citizens who were forced to leave Ukraine was opened in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. Since the beginning of the Russian aggression, the Republic of Lithuania has sheltered more than 50,000 Ukrainian displaced persons.

The cultural center was established at the initiative of the first ladies of the two countries – Olena Zelenska and Diana Nausėdienė. The premises for it were provided by Vytautas Magnus University.

The symbolic ribbon was cut at the ceremony by the First Lady of Lithuania, Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Lithuania Petro Beshta and Rector of the University Juozas Augutis.

Olena Zelenska joined the event via video call from Kyiv.

“When we conceived this center with a colleague, let me say, with my friend and a great friend of Ukraine Diana Nausėdienė, we wanted Ukrainians who were forced to come to Lithuania because of the war to have a truly native place. We wanted the center to be really the place where one can address any question – help or communication. We wanted people to be able to study here, to spend leisure time. Join a cultural event or educational course,” she said.

Former Lithuanian Ambassador to Ukraine Algirdas Kumža, signatory of the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania, became the Head of the Ukrainian Center in Vilnius.

According to the plan, the Ukrainian Center will become a place of education, career guidance, psychological assistance, recreation for children, youth and adults. Here you can leave your child for extracurricular activities, attend lectures, educational courses or spend time on hobbies.

The center will also be a platform for cultural diplomacy between countries, present Ukraine, its culture and identity in Lithuania, participate in academic activities, hold creative meetings, concerts and other events.

“Together with our partners, we promised to actively cooperate and do everything possible to ensure that Ukrainians feel safe in Lithuania, receive medical and social assistance, educational services and, most importantly, cherish their culture and preserve the nation’s vitality,” Diana Nausėdienė said.