Tag: President of Ukraine

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 31 May 2022.

During a working visit to the Kingdom of Spain, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva held a number of meetings with representatives of the Government and Parliament of this country.

During the talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation of the Kingdom of Spain José Manuel Albares Bueno, the issue of granting Ukraine the status of a candidate for EU membership was discussed in the context of the European Council meeting to be held on June 23-24. In addition, the parties stressed the importance of strengthening the defense capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by supplying our country with heavy weapons.

“Restricting Russia’s access to funds and technology should weaken its readiness to launch constant strikes at Ukraine’s territory and replenish its military capabilities,” Ihor Zhovkva said.

The interlocutors exchanged views on the possibilities of involving Spanish business in the reconstruction of certain regions and cities of Ukraine destroyed by Russian aggression. The Deputy Head of the Office of the President informed the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain about the establishment of new channels for the export of Ukrainian grain to the European and world markets.

Ihor Zhovkva also took part in an event marking the 40th anniversary of Spain’s accession to NATO, attended by King Felipe VI of Spain, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. An important topic raised by the speakers was the need to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities against the background of Russian aggression.

The Deputy Head of the Office of the President discussed with First Vice President of the Spanish Congress of Deputies Alfonso Rodríguez Gómez de Celis and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Spanish Congress of Deputies Pau Mari-Klose the importance of strengthening inter-parliamentary contacts between our countries. Ihor Zhovkva thanked the Spanish people for their support for the temporarily displaced Ukrainian citizens.

During the meeting with Secretary of State for the European Union of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation of the Kingdom of Spain Pascual Ignacio Navarro Ríos, the focus was on Ukraine’s practical steps towards full membership in the European Union. Ihor Zhovkva stressed that Ukraine’s achievements in reforms, market integration and the stability of institutions during the war are important prerequisites for accelerated integration into the European Union. He expressed hope that a positive conclusion from the European Commission would be received soon and that Spain would support granting Ukraine the status of a candidate country in the near future.

“Ukrainian society has already proved its Europeanness, so our expectations for the status of a candidate country in June are reasonable, justified and labored,” said Ihor Zhovkva.

At the meeting with Secretary General of Defense Policy of Spain Admiral Juan Francisco Martínez Núñez, the cooperation between Ukraine and Spain in the military-technical sphere was discussed. The Deputy Head of the Office of the President thanked for the military assistance received from Spain and expressed hope for its increase in order to strengthen resistance to Russian military aggression.

During working meetings with Diplomatic Adviser to Prime Minister of Spain Emma Aparici Vázquez de Parga and Director of the Spanish EU Presidency Coordination Office María Aurora Mejía Errasquín, the issues of practical implementation of Ukraine’s European integration strategy and the possibility of using advisory and other practical assistance from the Spanish government were discussed.

Ihor Zhovkva praised the active position of Mayor of Madrid José Luis Martínez-Almeida in support of Ukraine, in particular in the organization of the May 28, 2022 marathon “Run for Ukraine. Run for peace”. According to preliminary estimates, the event held in the downtown of the Spanish capital and dedicated to supporting Ukraine’s status as a candidate for EU membership brought together more than 3,000 participants.

As part of the visit of the Deputy Head of the President’s Office, a ceremony of launching the “Spain with Ukraine” postage stamp was also held. In the premises of the Spanish Post Office, Ihor Zhovkva together with Chairman Juan Manuel Serrano Quintana took part in the ceremony of cancellation of the first samples of this first Spanish stamp dedicated to Ukraine.

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

Any agreement between Ukraine and the Russian Federation like Minsk-3 is a postponed war that will bring much more victims and risks to the existence of our state. At the same time, concluding an agreement on security guarantees is a matter of a proper end to the war in Europe. Mykhailo Podolyak, Adviser to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine and a member of the Ukrainian delegation at the negotiations with Russia, said this in an interview with LB.ua.

According to him, due to the strong Russian lobby and their own indecision, some politicians in Europe are beginning to say that Ukraine must stop fighting and make some “peace” with Russia in the current positions. So far, individual political groups are talking about this, and this does not mean that Europe will refuse to support Ukraine. But this means that today it is difficult for our country to prove the need to provide the Ukrainian army with heavy weapons.

“Because Europe believes that we must stand where we stand today. And they directly say: God forbid, some Ukrainian projectile will hit the territory of the Russian Federation. That is, Europe is gradually starting to say strange things,” Mykhailo Podolyak said.

“We can’t support any of the options that are being talked about. We can’t agree on Minsk-3 – that’s obvious. Because it’s a ticket to a postponed war. We cannot talk about a ceasefire before the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. It is clear that they will dig trenches, create their own fortification lines, and it will be very difficult for us to drive them out of Ukraine. We cannot agree to any ultimatum from Russia, because it will mean that they win. And any, even small victory of Russia only means escalation. Russia is an expansionist state, which offers the world one idea: we will enter any territory and take it away or destroy it,” said the Adviser to the Head of the Office of the President.

According to him, the public opinion of the Western world is definitely on the side of Ukraine, and European politicians, to please their societies, say that they provide a lot of help to our state, but in terms of the amount we need, this is not the case at all.

“Russia has concentrated all possible resources in the east of our country, from all its military districts. They have been conducting covert mobilization since April 1. And we are not a military state, we lived in another world, invested money in development,” he said.

Mykhailo Podolyak is convinced that if Europe supports any pro-Russian concepts, in particular on forcing Ukraine to make territorial concessions, it will mean that Europe is dying.

The Adviser to the Head of the President’s Office noted that the negotiation process between Ukraine and Russia is currently suspended in the political and diplomatic part, but it is continued in the humanitarian part – on the exchange of prisoners, humanitarian corridors and evacuation of people.

“Why has the political and diplomatic part been stopped? Because negotiations are a question of inter-relation between what is happening in the real world, not only on the battlefield, but in general: sanctions, reputation, partners. Russia is inadequately looking at all this. This is a phenomenon that will also be included in textbooks,” Mykhailo Podolyak is convinced.

At the same time, according to him, when the Russians begin to suffer significant military defeats in Ukraine, they will probably assess the reality more adequately.

“When the pressure of sanctions works in full, they will begin to understand. When certain leaders, especially European ones, with whom they are still communicating, start talking not as Kissinger, but as anti-Kissinger. Then they will look at the situation more objectively,” said the Adviser to the Head of the Office of the President.

He noted that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is best informed about the economic, military situation and the psychological state of society, may decide that a certain tool, including negotiations, is needed right now.

“This will be the decision of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief given the operational situation as of the day when he will make such a decision,” Mykhailo Podolyak explained.

He reiterated that any so-called Minsk-3 is a war postponed for a year.

“What does this mean for us? Many more victims and greater risks to Ukraine’s existence. Because if Russia doesn’t lose, it will accumulate weapons, prepare reserves, work on mistakes, remove generals who work very “effectively” today, take young lieutenant colonels and colonels who understand how to fight, and we will get a much bloodier war in a year. We have no chance to compromise and make concessions,” said the Adviser to the Head of the President’s Office.

Therefore, according to him, Ukraine needs an agreement on security guarantees.

“The issue of guarantees is a matter of the proper end of the war in Europe. That is, we return to the key thing – the willingness of the global elite to take responsibility. Because just forming an alliance is one story, and taking responsibility, for example, on the border with the Russian Federation, is another,” he said.

Mykhailo Podolyak also said that for him personally the victory of our state would mean the following: “This is territorial integrity within the full, internationally recognized borders of Ukraine, the Iron Curtain with Russia, Russia’s worthless, completely zero reputation.”

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

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

The President noted the importance of the visit of the Minister to Ukraine, which is another manifestation of the support for our country by the French Republic.

“I want to thank you, France and President Emmanuel Macron for supporting Ukraine, for the constant support for our territorial integrity and sovereignty,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The interlocutors discussed the key issues for our country’s victory: assistance in armaments, strengthening sanctions and bringing our country closer to EU membership. Special attention was paid to the issue of unblocking Ukrainian ports in order to prevent the global food crisis.

The Head of State stressed that Ukraine counts on France’s leadership in our fight against the Russian aggressor and the protection of European values.

During the meeting, the parties stressed the need to introduce the next, sixth package of sanctions against Russia by the EU as soon as possible.

The President noted that Ukraine counts on the support of France for the decision of the leaders of the European Union to grant our country the status of a candidate for EU membership in June.

“We have repeatedly heard that friendly France sees Ukraine in the European Union,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

During the discussion of Russia’s use of food security as a weapon in the war against Ukraine, the President called on French partners not to give in to the aggressor’s blackmail and pressure to mitigate the sanctions against Moscow.

The President stressed that Ukraine counts on France’s active participation in the post-war reconstruction process.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked in particular for the financial support for our state and the assistance of the French government in the treatment of wounded Ukrainian servicemen.

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

A working meeting on the situation in the Kharkiv region and Kharkiv was chaired by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The Head of State heard reports from Head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Oleg Synegubov, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov, the military command and the leadership of law enforcement agencies in the region.

The Head of the Kharkiv RMA informed the President that currently 31% of the region’s territory is temporarily occupied, 5% has been liberated from Russian invaders.

“We are not yet able to fully inspect some of the liberated settlements, conduct full-fledged demining and begin rebuilding critical infrastructure, as shelling continues. Where we can do it remotely – we do it,” said Oleg Synegubov.

According to him, the actions of the Russian army led to the destruction of 2,229 high-rise buildings, of which 225 were completely destroyed. In Kharkiv, the northern and eastern districts of the city suffered the most damage and destruction – 30.2% of the total housing stock.

During the working trip, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, among other things, inspected the destroyed residential buildings in the Saltivka district of Kharkiv.

During the meeting, the President proposed to analyze the feasibility of restoring damaged panel buildings, in particular, taking into account the program of thermal modernization of housing.

“If this is already the case with the war, then it is worth considering the possibility of removing panel buildings across the country, especially in the destroyed areas,” he said.

According to the Head of State, this is also an opportunity to modernize the country and cities, to build modern housing.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that new houses must be built with bomb shelters.

“We have to find funds, credit lines. The state must ensure this in terms of guarantees, and the leaders of cities and regions must find great projects and money,” said the President.

In addition, during the trip, Volodymyr Zelenskyy inspected the administrative buildings of Kharkiv, which were destroyed by Russian missiles.

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

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a working meeting with members of the Cabinet of Ministers on topical issues of the executive branch. The meeting was also attended by the Deputy Heads of the Office of the President.

Among the most pressing issues discussed were the situation with the supply of fuel to Ukraine, price control and availability of fuel at gas stations amid growing consumption, economic recovery and preparation of farmers for the harvest campaign.

Officials reported to the President on steps being taken to meet fuel demand and accumulate reserves.

In addition, Volodymyr Zelenskyy was informed about what has been done and what is planned to be done regarding the accounting of destroyed property in order to attract donor funds and confiscated assets of the Russian Federation. He was also informed about the data on frozen Russian funds all over the world.

Particular attention was paid to the preparation of a program for the return of temporarily displaced citizens to Ukraine, in particular the creation of jobs for them. It was stressed that the state must return its citizens immediately.

The parties also discussed the organization of the government’s work regarding the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

Among the important issues of the President’s meeting with government officials were the end of the school year, conducting an external independent evaluation and admission campaign, as well as prospects and proposals for organizing the educational process in the country starting from September 1.

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

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the entire journalistic community for objectively covering the events in Ukraine since the first days of the full-scale Russian invasion and for conveying truthful information to people around the world. The President made this statement during an online meeting at the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia think tank.

“I want my voice to be heard by the world. Only thanks to journalists we managed to unite the world, and we united ourselves within our state,” the President stated.

According to him, in this struggle of Ukraine against Russian aggression, honest and truthful journalists are no less important than weapons.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he was impressed by the fact that since the first days of the war, 6,000 media representatives from different countries have been constantly working in empty Kyiv.

“I have never seen such a thing: an empty city, civilians left, the military fought and there were journalists everywhere. They have done a great job,” he said.

At the same time, the Head of State stressed that the war is not over, in some areas an active stage of hostilities is underway, and somewhere everything is just beginning. Therefore, Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on journalists to continue working to cover events in Ukraine and bring truthful information to the world, as this brings the victory of our state closer.

“I want to ask you not to leave us, because you are bridges between Ukraine and other countries. This information saves our lives. This is something we can’t live without. This is a great job, and I am thankful to the entire journalistic community. There are no orders here – just say what you see. Tell the truth, and I’m sure we will win. Because the truth will win anyway,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged.

The President also expressed his condolences to the relatives and friends of the media representatives – journalists, cameramen, technicians who died during this war.

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

Partner countries are providing significant support to Ukraine in the fight against the Russian invasion, and the G20 must demonstrate its clear stance on the aggressor country’s policy at the autumn summit. This was stated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy during an online meeting at the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia think tank.

He noted that due to the war, Ukraine’s state budget deficit is $ 5 billion a month. The United States and partner countries provide significant financial assistance to our country.

“Today our partners help us cover (budget deficit): the European Union, separately at the bilateral level – non-EU countries, the United States, Canada, Australia and many other partners. Also financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund. And this is a big job,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The Head of State added that funds have been set up in a number of countries to help IDPs from Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said that he had accepted an invitation from Indonesian President Joko Widodo to take part in the G20 summit to be held in the autumn.

He expressed confidence that only partner states, not occupiers, would be represented at the G20 summit.

The President stressed that in order to end the war in Ukraine, all democratic forces in the world must unite their efforts to put pressure on Russia.

“The ongoing war in the center of Europe must end. And this is where the unification of all forces is needed. It is a unification of more than just weapons – all politicians, diplomacy and the world’s major economies. In order not to support the Russian Federation, its business, not to support trade with it, any relations with it until they stop their aggressive policy,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The Head of State is convinced that the G20 should give a clear assessment of Russia’s aggressive policy.

I think the G20 should put an end to this. At least to express its clear position in support of Ukraine,” the President summed up.

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

Ukraine has enough stored grain to meet domestic and international demand until at least the end of 2022, perhaps into 2023, but for this, all military actions in the Black Sea must be stopped. This was stated by Oleg Ustenko, an economic adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a comment to Newsweek.

As the media notes, the blockade of Ukrainian seaports by Russian troops, doesn’t allow Ukraine to sell the country’s excess produce abroad. Before Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine exported more than 6 million tons of grain via the Black Sea each month. Ukraine now has moved its exports to railways and roads, but these do not have the capacity of seaports. In April, for example, only 617,000 tons of produce were exported by rail.

The adviser to the President emphasizes that Russia planned the blockade of Ukrainian seaports from the very beginning of its aggression to create a food crisis in the world and put as much pressure as possible on the West.

“Russia wanted to weaponize food as well,” Oleg Ustenko noted.

“They are playing different cards at one time on the same table: energy, food, plus they have their “military operation” on our land and they’re destroying infrastructure, all our food storage,” he explained.

According to the President’s adviser, Russia is currently firing at any ships that appear in the Black Sea. But if a ceasefire is declared in the region, Ukraine will react quickly and ships with grain will leave seaports.

“If the fighting stopped, we could do that almost immediately because we have access to the main ports,” Oleg Ustenko said.

“My view is that the only way to move this grain to supply international markets is to stop the war, or at least to stop all military actions in the Black Sea,” he emphasized.

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

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with Prime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin, who is visiting Ukraine for the first time.

The Head of State noted the importance of visits of foreign high-ranking officials to our country.

“These are very important direct signals of support, first of all for the Ukrainian people, our people, who see that they are not left alone with today’s ordeals,” he said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the government and people of Finland for their support. In particular, for five packages of defense aid, sanctions against the Russian Federation, as well as for financial and humanitarian aid.

The Head of State stressed the need to impose the next, sixth package of sanctions against Russia by the EU as soon as possible. The key elements of the development of the democratic community’s sanctions policy against the aggressor were discussed separately.

The President noted the importance of Finland’s support for Ukraine’s future membership in the European Union and for the EU decisions to achieve this goal that are needed now already.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted the importance of Sanna Marin’s visit to Irpin and Bucha.

“It was extremely difficult to look at everything that Russia has done to these cities. Many people died. At the same time, the heroic spirit of the Ukrainian people, who are fighting for their freedom and for the whole of Europe, is admirable,” said the Prime Minister of Finland.

Sanna Marin stressed that her country and people today understand Ukrainians very well, given their historical experience.

The President of Ukraine also informed the Prime Minister of Finland about the started comprehensive work on planning the reconstruction of our state after the victory. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the people of Ukraine count on the active participation of Finland in this process and invited them to take a Ukrainian region, city or industry under their patronage for post-war reconstruction.

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

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva held video consultations with Minister for European Union Affairs of the Chancellery of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Poland Konrad Szymański.

Ihor Zhovkva expressed deep gratitude to the leadership of Poland and the Polish people for the unprecedented comprehensive support of Ukraine, significant political and practical assistance given the full-scale invasion of Russia.

The interlocutors exchanged views on the expected results of the forthcoming special meeting of the European Council on May 30-31, a cross-cutting issue of which will be Ukraine. Ihor Zhovkva and Konrad Szymański spoke in detail about Ukraine’s prospects of obtaining candidate status for EU membership.

“We count on the unity of the European Union around the political decision to grant Ukraine the status of a candidate for EU membership at the next meeting of the European Council on June 23-24, 2022. This will be an important strategic decision to ensure the security of the European continent,” said the Deputy Head of the Office of the President.

Ihor Zhovkva reminded that, according to the European Union, Ukraine’s progress in implementing the Association Agreement is 65%. Therefore, granting the status of a candidate for membership in the European Union will be a logical continuation of the progress of our state on this path.

The parties agreed on the need to approve the sixth EU sanctions package as soon as possible, including an embargo on Russian oil imports, as well as the necessity of international efforts to unblock Ukrainian ports to ensure food security for more than 400 million people.

Separately, Ihor Zhovkva and Konrad Szymański discussed the practical aspects of involving Ukraine’s international partners, including Poland, in the reconstruction of our country, which should become a common success story.