Tag: President of Ukraine

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

Dear Ambassador Herbst, dear ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you for having me here. I’m grateful for the chance to talk to you. People of Ukraine are grateful to our American friends for all the help you provide. Both military and humanitarian. Thanks for your support. It’s really vital for us.

Yesterday, after the NATO summit I was told a joke. The NATO acronym stands for Never Act, Talk Only!

They say the joke is so old that it should be called vintage.

And now allow me to get to Ukrainian. Today, it’s the language of freedom. The language of victory.

If this is true, then things are bad for us. More precisely, they are bad for NATO. Because if it reacted to Russia’s aggression against itself in the same way as it had reacted to the invasion of Ukraine, Russian tanks would be standing near Dunkirk for a couple of weeks already.

And someone – we know for sure, who exactly – would probably have to land in Normandy again soon.

But NATO is lucky – these tanks are now being disposed of in Ukraine.

But the thing is Ukraine is not made for this.

Ukraine has other plans, its own plans. To develop. To build. To continue reforms. To improve life. These plans are not just paused. For thousands of people, they will never come true. They may never come true for our entire state.

After all, the war that Russia is waging against us is not just a war for territory or resources. This is a punitive war. Caused by the desire to return the apostates who rebelled against the “Russian world”. Or to destroy them.

For the Putin regime, Ukraine is a heresy. Literally. And the war against it is a religious war.

So this is a war of annihilation. Russia’s goal is to destroy Ukraine. As a people living by their own customs. As a political nation that chooses its own values. As a sovereign state that determines its own path.

There is no exaggeration in these words. They must be taken literally. Because this is exactly what the Russian leadership meant when it has been talking about “one nation” for years. About Ukraine as a “historical phantom” and “not even a state”.

Henry Kissinger, a man I respect very much, has grasped very clearly the essence of Russia’s attitude toward Ukraine.

I quote in the original language: “The West is trying to establish the legality of any established border. For Russia, Ukraine is part of the Russian patrimony”.

Now the world is promoting the “Give Peace a Chance” campaign, and there are calls for reconciliation between Ukraine and Russia. We did not start this war. We want its end more than anyone in the world. We are making an incredible effort to do so. In particular, the diplomatic one.

However, the word “reconciliation” is completely inappropriate here. It indicates parity and equality of the parties. We see an emphasis on supremacy on the part of Russia. And the intention to continue on the path of violence and destruction.

The Kremlin’s aggressive plans are failing. The blitzkrieg failed. No strategic task of the invading force was fulfilled even during the month of fighting.

They believed that the invasion of Ukraine would be an easy walk. They believed that they would quickly stifle our desire for freedom. Well, they have a lot of experience in this. They have Berlin 53rd, Budapest 56th, Prague 68th… But they have forgotten that the CSTO is a pale shadow of the Warsaw Pact. Russia is a pale shadow of the USSR. But it still has very large resources. In particular human resources.

Half a million soldiers subdued Czechoslovakia. 200,000 have been sent to seize Ukraine. Yet. And a new wave of invasion is approaching. And maybe it will be bigger. In Russia, covert mobilization continues. Russia’s allies are trying to avoid participating in its aggression. But blackmail and provocations can still force them. And this means we will have to defend ourselves further.

But it is already quite obvious: the Russian leadership has miscalculated about Ukraine. Miscalculated at each point. Because the line “we will lay down our souls and bodies for our freedom” is not just solemn words from our national anthem. This is the Ukrainian national idea. We do not just believe that freedom is the highest value. We know that. In 2014, this knowledge was embodied in the slogan “Ukraine is Europe”. Of course, this is not about geography – everything is obvious about it. It’s about values.

But today Ukraine is the Grail of Europe. Without exaggeration. Because it is Ukraine who revives the principles that gave life to the current civilization of the West. You can’t exchange freedom for comfort. You cannot buy resources for justice and human rights. Cannibalism cannot be justified by originality. You cannot be afraid to call evil evil. You can’t be afraid of evil.

We are not afraid. And this is what makes Ukraine an antagonist of Russia. The anti-Russia that Putin talks about all the time. And in this sense, our state is an indisputable existential threat to him. Because his loss in Ukraine will mean the collapse of the regime. And success will only strengthen it.

Terror is the basis of his regime. Terror is the basis of Russian statehood. Terror is the basis of Russia’s military strategy. Russia is a terrorist state.

The Russian armed forces are destroying our cities not only because of technical backwardness and lack of high-precision ammunition. They are doing it to cause horror. Phosphorus bombs dropped on the Kyiv region are not about military superiority. The methodical destruction of Mariupol is not about military superiority.

There were more people in Mariupol before the war than in Miami. Imagine Miami without water. Without access to medication. Without food. Imagine Miami being turned to dust every day. Together with residents who are not allowed to evacuate. Neighborhood after neighborhood. Schools. Theater. Maternity hospital. Without any military sense. Just to intimidate.

They are destroying civilian infrastructure and using unconventional weapons to cause a humanitarian catastrophe. They resort to chemical and nuclear blackmail – the threat of environmental catastrophes due to sabotage at the captured Chornobyl and Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plants remains extremely high.

They are hiding behind civilians. Tens of thousands of them are being taken hostage and taken to work in the depressed regions of Russia. They call it evacuation. In fact, it is an abduction.

That is why I call on the partners: it is time to recognize the Russian Federation as a terrorist state. Officially. It is time to recognize the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation as a terrorist organization. It is time to recognize them as a criminal organization.

But this, apparently, will not happen as long as the seat in the UN Security Council is illegally occupied by a state that has carried out aggression against one of the founding states of the United Nations.

This will not happen as soon as the world’s largest and most powerful defense alliance is most concerned about avoiding confrontation with a regime that has been breaking the world’s security system for years.

The attack on Ukraine has become a vivid completion of this process.

That’s why we have to endure. For ourselves. And for the world. Because it will only get worse. Unpunished tyrannies multiply lawlessness. They do not need the rule of law. They recognize only the rule of force.

Russia understands only the language of power. Its success in Ukraine will only strengthen the Kremlin’s claims. On the territory. On the restoration of the Soviet sphere of influence. On the right to dictate to other nations how to live.

Ukraine will hold on. For us, this war is a people’s war. Therefore, we will not give up our sovereignty or territories.

But we cannot afford Pyrrhic victory. You can’t afford that. Destroyed and bloodless Ukraine will cease to be what it is today. It will cease to be an advanced bastion of the European fortress.

To survive, we need very specific things. You know what I’m talking about. But we have to remind people about it every time.

I’ll start with the simplest. It is very important to be in time in war. It is important to have time. The more the better. Give it to us. We really need to share intelligence in real time. A clear and complete picture of Russia’s actions is very much needed. This is extremely important for our defense.

Two factors are bringing our victory closer. The first is our resilience. Courage of every fighter. Every volunteer. Every citizen. The second has many names – Javelin, Stinger, Mark-19 and so on.

But small arms and portable weapons, no matter how modern, are of limited effectiveness. Without a full-fledged Lend-Lease, without heavy weapons – long-range artillery, MLRS, etc. – the defensive war against Russia will turn into a guerrilla war. Simply due to the number of its mobilization reserves. This increases the risk of a humanitarian catastrophe and is guaranteed to increase the outflow of refugees. We must avoid this at any cost.

Finally, we need to close the sky. Here we see several options. And they all depend primarily on the political will of the parties. The basic option is to transfer Soviet and Russian-made fighter jets and long-range air defense systems to Ukraine. Relevant reserves are in Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Greece. They could hand them over to us, and the United States could strengthen their defense by providing a replacement. The temporary deployment of Patriot systems and air police missions could protect these countries from hostile actions and provocations from Russia due to the transfer of weapons to us.

The vast majority of citizens of the United States and other countries stand for increasing support for Ukraine. Including the military support. And the number of such people is growing every week. It is time for politicians to listen to the opinion of their own people as soon as possible.

Russia’s success is ensured by fear. It is fear that motivates it to further aggression. It is restrained only by determination. And it’s time to show it. Do not give in to blackmail. Don’t give in to panic. Don’t give in to terrorists.

Ukraine will resist. Ukraine will continue to fight. Not only against the aggressor. But also for the future. For reliable guarantees of post-war security. We are not satisfied with any configuration that threatens the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. We will not be satisfied with a compromise on Russian terms. The victim of aggression must not pay for peace. The aggressor must be deprived of the opportunity to attack again. That is why we call on our partners and allies to find a format that will work effectively and for a long time. We have learned the lessons of the Budapest Memorandum. We have paid very dearly for them. This war has totally destroyed the entire old system of international security. We need to build a new one now. And Ukraine has proved that it deserves to be not only its participant and founder, but also its leading participant. And we continue to pay dearly for this right.

And now it’s time for the aggressor to pay. We call for the sanctions regime to be strengthened. We call for the strict observance of sanctions. We call for the introduction of mechanisms that will make it impossible for international companies to circumvent sanctions. Give the world a model that will deprive Russia of the opportunity to pursue an aggressive policy for many years to come. Not only after the end of the active phase of hostilities on the territory of Ukraine.

We call for an embargo on Russian energy. We call for the reduction of opportunities of gray and black imports to Russia through the CSTO and the Eurasian Union.

Russia is not a trade or agricultural state, but a military one, and its vocation is to be a menace to the world. These words belong to Emperor Alexander II. But every ruler of Russia could say them. And especially – the current ruler.

It’s time to stop this wheel of history. Before he does that.

Everything will be Ukraine.

The press release published by the President of Ukraine on 25 March 2022.

112 Ukrainian children with families, orphans and children with disabilities left for the Austrian city of Innsbruck. This is the second group of young Ukrainians sent to Austria under the agreement between governor of Tyrol Günther Platter, the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Austria and the First Lady Olena Zelenska.

This group included children from Luhansk, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Volyn, Lviv regions and the city of Kyiv. These are children with different destinies, they are taken care of either by their families or by the state. The group includes pupils of special institutions – training and rehabilitation centers, special and sanatorium schools, as well as children from ordinary schools who are brought up in families, children with disabilities.

Olena Zelenska said that thanks to the joint efforts of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Austria and the government of Tyrol an agreement was reached to host at least 300 young Ukrainians, including children with disabilities, their parents and caregivers. The first 130 children have recently arrived in Austria.

“So, several hundred more lives will be safe. We continue to work to ensure the safety of all Ukrainians,” said the First Lady.

The project is implemented under the patronage of the wife of the President of Ukraine with the support of the governor of Tyrol, the Embassy of Ukraine in Austria, the Ministry of Education and Science and the Lviv Regional State Administration.

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

On the 30th anniversary of the Security Service of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented state awards to the employees of the Security Service of Ukraine for courage, dedication and exemplary performance of official duties in defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state.

“We feel your protection of the Ukrainian state. I know that many officers and employees are now on the frontline, performing important operations. But wherever you are, we are all defending the most important thing we have – our country,” he said.

The Head of State thanked the employees of the Security Service of Ukraine for their faithful service to Ukraine.

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

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Speaker of the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen and President of the Riigikogu of the Republic of Estonia Jüri Ratas who arrived in Kyiv.

The Ukrainian President noted the importance of their visit to Ukraine despite the difficult security situation caused by the Russian invasion.

“From the first hours you are with us – at the level of leaders, at the level of nations. That is why we are grateful to you. In Ukraine, everyone understands this, everyone appreciates it,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

“The highest trust of the people of Ukraine is in your countries and in Poland, it is true. This corresponds to the steps you have taken towards Ukraine,” he added.

The President praised the signing today in Kyiv of a joint statement by the Speakers of the Parliaments of Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in support of our state.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also expressed gratitude for signing a joint statement “On the Urgent Need to Modernize the Air Defense of Ukraine”, which was signed by representatives of the parliaments of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

“We welcome all the legislative initiatives in support of Ukraine that you are talking about and fulfilling in your parliaments, as well as in the international arena. You were also among the first to help with weapons,” he said.

The President briefed the Speakers of the Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian Parliaments on the consequences of a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, noting that Russian troops were deliberately attacking the civilian population and destroying peaceful infrastructure. The aggressor is trying to besiege large cities such as Mariupol, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, creating a humanitarian catastrophe in many settlements.

According to the President, in order to effectively protect citizens, including civilians, Ukraine needs weapons – air defense, aircraft and armored vehicles.

Military and financial assistance from the Baltic States and other partner countries is vital for Ukraine today, said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

He also stressed the importance of further strengthening sanctions against Russia, including the imposition of a full embargo on any trade with Russia and Belarus, as well as the disconnection of all Russian banks from the SWIFT system. This will deprive the Russian military machine of funding and force Moscow to seek peace.

The President thanked Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia for their active support of our country’s accelerated movement towards membership in the European Union. He noted that given Ukraine’s defense of European values in the war with Russia, our country deserves an accelerated procedure for joining the EU.

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

Ukraine would like the State of Israel to be one of the guarantors of a major international treaty that would provide clear security guarantees for our country after the end of the war with Russia. Ukraine also hopes for an effective mediation role of Israel in ending the war and more powerful assistance to our country. This was stated by Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak during a conversation with the Israeli media.

He stressed that our country has very warm, friendly and special relations with Israel.

Andriy Yermak noted that the Ukrainian authorities welcome the mediating role of the State of Israel in its attempts to stop the war started by the Russian Federation on the territory of our country.

“We are amazed at how deeply Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, are aware of the issue. And we believe that he is really determined to do everything necessary to bring peace to our land and end the war,” said the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.

At the same time, he stated that there are issues that Ukraine will never compromise on.

“These are compromises related to our independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty. And Prime Minister Bennett knows about it,” Andriy Yermak added.

According to him, there are also hopes that Israel can be one of the guarantors of the future major international agreement on security guarantees for Ukraine.

“Such an agreement provides for a large list of countries – potential guarantors. Therefore, we are holding separate consultations with each of these countries in order to meet together afterwards,” said the Head of the Office of the President.

In addition, Ukraine would like to receive more assistance from the State of Israel in armaments and military technology.

Andriy Yermak noted that the Israeli authorities should also resolve the issue, which was very negatively perceived in Ukraine, when the rules of entry for our citizens were changed and electronic permits were introduced.

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

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on NATO to provide our country with military assistance to the extent that will enable the Ukrainian army to oppose the military arsenal of the Russian Federation.

“Ukraine does not have powerful anti-missile weapons, and has a much smaller aircraft fleet than Russia. Therefore, their advantage in the sky is like the use of weapons of mass destruction. And you see the consequences today – how many people were killed, how many peaceful cities were destroyed,” the Head of State noted during the speech in the video conference format at the NATO summit in Brussels.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that the Ukrainian army has been resisting the Russian invasion for a month in unequal conditions. Russia’s superiority has resulted in numerous casualties, including among the civilian population of Ukraine.

“To save people and our cities, Ukraine needs military assistance – without restrictions. As Russia uses without restrictions its entire arsenal against us. Destroys all living things. Any objects – from houses to churches, from food warehouses to universities, from bridges to hospitals,” the President said.

He reminded that Ukraine had asked NATO to close the skies for Russian military aircraft or to provide aircraft.

“You have thousands of fighter jets! But we haven’t been given any yet. We asked for tanks. So that we can unblock our cities that are now dying – Mariupol, Berdyansk, Melitopol, others. Cities where Russia is keeping hundreds of thousands of people hostage and artificially creating famine – no water, no food, nothing there. You have at least 20,000 tanks! Ukraine asked for a percent, one percent of all your tanks to be given or sold to us! But we do not have a clear answer yet. The worst thing during the war is not having clear answers to requests for help,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.

The Head of State stressed that Ukraine had never wanted this war and did not want to fight for years.

“We just want to save our people. We want to survive,” he added.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed: the North Atlantic Alliance can still prevent the deaths of Ukrainians from Russian strikes by providing weapons needed by the Ukrainian army.

At the same time, the President thanked those NATO member states that help Ukraine as much as they can. But now is the time to take care of security in Europe.

“I am sure you already understand that Russia does not intend to stop in Ukraine. Does not intend and will not. It wants to go further. Against the eastern members of NATO. The Baltic states, Poland – that’s for sure,” he said.

The President called on the Alliance to provide Ukraine with one percent of all their aircraft and tanks, as well as MLRS systems, anti-ship weapons, air defense equipment.

“When all this is finally available, it will give us, and you as well, one hundred percent security,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

He also made a request to NATO regarding the Ukrainian military: “After such a war against Russia, I ask you: Never, please, never tell us again that our army does not meet NATO standards. We have shown what our standards are capable of. And how much we can give to the common security in Europe and the world. How much we can do to protect from aggression against everything we value, everything you value,” the President stressed.

At the same time, the President added that NATO had yet to show what the Alliance can do to save people, “to show that this is truly the most powerful defense union in the world.”

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

The hardest part of any speech is the beginning. You all probably know that. In other circumstances, I would have spent a lot of time on it. On the right, most appropriate beginning. But I don’t have time. So I’ll start with the simple.

We have been told for years that Ukraine is not reforming properly. But let’s look at the results. The modernized Armed Forces have been holding back the aggression of one of the world’s most powerful armies for almost a month already. Logistics chains are functioning. The courts are working. Trains run and transport millions of people. Utilities are doing their job even under shelling and bombing.

The test of war is perhaps the most severe. We are successfully reforming even now. And our sustainability turned out to be absolutely real.

But sustainability is not an absolute category. It’s not about availability, it’s about measure. How much is left? Depends on many factors:

• On our determination – here there are no changes. We are on our land. We defend our values. Our way of life. Our freedom. You can be sure of us.
• On external support – everything is ambiguous here.

We now enjoy serious support. The West has finally become collective. This is evidenced by sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine – humanitarian, economic, political, military and technical. But is that enough? And for how long will the West keep it? For how long are those states that have sought to maintain economic ties with Russia at all costs, even in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine willing to suffer losses from disruption of these ties?

Given the experience of the previous eight years, we cannot be too optimistic here. However, now the risks for the whole world have grown so much that they will simply not be allowed to do business as usual.

The next factor is the factor of Russia itself. What is its margin of safety? What are its goals?

The West is constantly talking about increasing the price that Russia will have to pay for aggression. But can we imagine the limit beyond which the Russian leadership will say: it is too expensive? It should be understood that the narrative of “victory at any cost” is not just a propaganda cliche. Moscow has repeatedly instrumentalized it, beating the stake of those it considered enemies. In the number of victims. In the violation of international law. In resorting to blackmail, including threats of man-made disasters and unconventional weapons. In everything. This must be understood.

At the same time, it should be understood that “small victorious wars” that do not achieve their goal always increase Russia’s risk of a social explosion and coup. Success in war, on the other hand, stabilizes and preserves the regime. Nourishes its desire for further conquests.

You may ask, what is the conclusion?

And the conclusion is that Ukraine must win the war that Russia has started against us.

We must work only for such a result. All of us.

What is happening in Ukraine now concerns everyone. Everyone in this room. Every government. Everyone in the world. The war in Ukraine is not just another local conflict. This is a world war that is so far going on in our country.

I would like to emphasize once again that Russia’s encroachments go far beyond Ukraine. It claims to restore the Soviet sphere of influence in both Europe and Asia. It claims to break the entire system of international relations and discredit all security institutions.

Therefore, Kazakhstan, Poland, the Baltic States, Slovakia, Moldova, and Georgia may be next… Yes, Moldova and Georgia again. Georgia, which after Saakashvili is again afraid to say the wrong word to Moscow. Well, apparently, this is such a non-trivial course of Tbilisi’s European integration.

On the Russian military equipment they write “To Berlin!” once again. Do you know what that means? We know. The Israelis know. Believe those who promise to kill you.

In the case of Ukraine, the goal of Russia is one – to destroy. To deprive of agency. To stop nation building. According to the program thesis about one nation, which we have been hearing for two decades. Therefore, one may say that this war has no rational basis. It is a war of will, not of necessity. But this is probably the first historiosophical war in history.

Therefore, we must assume that the current leadership of Russia will not abandon this goal. And it is ready to pay. The question of whether its entourage is willing to pay can now be omitted.

So let’s focus on this – the intention to destroy Ukraine.

This was not achieved by rapid operation. None of the strategic tasks of the invading force were fulfilled.

Therefore, the aggressor is trying to provoke a humanitarian catastrophe, destroy critical civilian infrastructure and industrial potential.

We must take into account that the war is taking place on our territory. That our people are dying, that our cities are being destroyed. Our Armed Forces and citizens are holding on with superhuman courage, but we cannot win the war without offensive weapons, without medium-range missiles that can be a means of deterrence (I emphasize: in our case – deterrence, not aggression) threatening Russian territory with comparative destruction.

Without a full Lend-Lease, we can only defend ourselves. But it is impossible to defend effectively for a long time without a reliable echelon of air defense systems that shoot down enemy ballistic missiles at a long distance.

However, we are not given it. Just as we are not given fighter jets. Just as we are not welcome in NATO.

This fear of escalation is understandable. But this fear will not save you.

Winston Churchill explained everything: he who chooses shame between shame and war, gets both shame and war.

I once produced “Forebodings” movie directed by the talented Vyacheslav Kristofovich. So, the protagonist has such a remarkable phrase: “Everything must happen on time.” Today I feel the power of this phrase more than ever. Everything must happen on time. Now it is high time.

An extraordinary meeting of the Allies is scheduled to take place in Brussels this Thursday, March 24. There is still time to take concrete steps towards Ukraine. Or to say honestly and publicly that there will be no such steps. That NATO is refusing to allow Ukraine to join, not Ukraine is refusing to join, as many have been trying to pretend lately. To say – and together start building a new security system.

The Russian leadership understands only the language of power and always confuses peacefulness with weakness. I want to ask our European partners: what are you really like? Are you peaceful or weak?

Will you finally give us the weapons that will allow Ukraine to remain an independent sovereign state within internationally recognized borders? Will you finally launch a full-fledged Lend-Lease for us? Or will you continue to watch with concern as our cities turn into ruins?

I’ll just say simply: close our skies or at least give us long-range air defense systems. Your fear of escalation nurtures aggression. Your determination holds it back.

Clearly articulated position “We will shoot down planes that are instruments of terror. We will destroy the Russian air defense systems that will attack our air police,” is what we need.

Tomorrow. Now. Yesterday. Otherwise, Ukraine will bleed out. Become depopulated. We will not surrender, it is already clear to everyone. But let me remind you what I said at the beginning: sustainability is not about availability, but about measure.

After the Russian occupation of Crimea and the invasion of Donbas, foreign experts began to talk about the “Finlandization” of Ukraine. They meant only one thing: neutral status and “special” relations with Russia. But for some reason none of them said that “Finlandization” is the preservation of the state, its agency and the freedom of the people at the cost of the forced loss of certain territories as a result of aggression.

But we will not give up our sovereignty or territorial integrity. And when we return our territories at the cost of incredible efforts and sacrifices, it will be our victory, but not Russia’s defeat.

Because without decisive actions of the world community, nothing will prevent the aggressor from continuing to strike at any place of our state.

And every such blow to Ukraine will be a blow to international law. The intensification of the refugee crisis in the EU. The collapse of the world security system and the institutions that guarantee it. After all, it is a blow to global food security.

In fact, all this is a key sign of a world order crisis. An order where the readiness of the international community to punish acts of aggression, punish genocide remains largely declarative. Profit over justice – was that why the UN was created? Has Europe united around this?

If so, none of the existing security systems is suitable for Ukraine. We need a new one. Fair. This system will have to be built from scratch. We are ready. And we paid for it. Paid the highest price – pain, sweat, blood, lives. This fee gives us the moral right to demand: act! Right now!

To put it simply, the “Finlandization” of Ukraine or any other model of neutralization on Russian terms, which does not involve building a new security system, will only guarantee that these challenges and threats will last forever.

So I will ask: European countries, where will your refugees flee to?

Ukraine remains Europe’s only shield. But what happens if this shield is critically damaged?

The half-hearted position of the world community, unfortunately, makes this scenario possible. In this case, reliable guarantees of our security become fundamentally important for us. Multilateral legally binding guarantees. But is there anything as reliable in the West as the NATO umbrella? Sorry, we are not aware of that.

And the world needs the same credible assurances that Russia will no longer be able to successfully pursue its military ambitions in the international arena. We demand such guarantees from our partners. Citizens of other states, demand such guarantees from your government officials. Demand now, because tomorrow will be late.

Without such guarantees, any of our agreements will be fragile and temporary. And they will hold until the moment when Russia regains its strength and tries to attack again. The timing of this will depend directly on the pace of easing of sanctions pressure on Russia and its ability to circumvent restrictive measures. We therefore call for steady and unwavering strengthening of these sanctions. International businesses should not think about how to bypass them for the sake of profits. They must not become an accomplice in crimes against humanity. Such complicity should not only be a burden on the conscience. We call on foreign governments to prosecute such collaborations. Up to the criminal liability.

President Zelenskyy said this very clearly: “Do not sponsor Russia’s military machine. No euro for the occupiers. Close all your ports to them, do not supply goods, give up Russian energy resources, force Russia to leave Ukraine. I believe that peace is possible, but you must act to come to peace.”

Governments are hesitant. But ordinary people have already made a choice. They are convinced that Ukraine has a place in the EU. This is the average opinion of 71% of respondents. 79% of Europeans believe that sanctions against Russia are the right thing to do. 67% of EU citizens believe that Ukraine needs to be provided with weapons. These are the results of a poll published by the French Institute of Public Opinion (IFOP).

These figures are more than eloquent. So I will tell governments to finally listen to your voters.

We call on the international community – not only the collective West, but also China and India – to put aside discord among themselves. The war in Ukraine affects all of you. You are the leaders of this world. Someone will talk about the two poles. I’m talking about two parts of the whole. The Russian issue should not prevent you from reaching an agreement. The interpenetration of economies and integration is a much more powerful guarantee of global peace than the threat of mutual destruction.

You can reach an agreement. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine may seem to some a good opportunity to fulfill their own ambitions. However, in reality this is a false impression: hopes that the war will be “localized” in Ukraine are in vain. Without proper rebuff, Moscow will not stop, and each of its subsequent ventures will inevitably bring the world closer to the hot global conflict.

The dramatic events in Ukraine, the heroic struggle of our country for freedom and democracy have shown the whole world: our east and west are together. Now we call on the world to become a little bit like Ukraine.

East and West, stand together to protect the planet from those who seek to replace the force of law with the law of force.

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

As part of the negotiation process with the Russian Federation, Ukraine expects to reach an agreement on ending the armed aggression against our state and withdrawing Russian troops from Ukrainian territory. This was stated by Head of the President’s Office Andriy Yermak during a video meeting at the Royal Institute of International Affairs Chatham House (UK).

“I hope that these agreements will primarily provide for a ceasefire, withdrawal of Russian troops to the territory of February 23, 2022, as well as consultations and talks on other issues on the return of our territories, the return of full control over the territories within the internationally recognized borders to the Ukrainian authorities,” said Andriy Yermak.

In addition, according to him, such agreements should provide for the construction of a new security system for Ukraine.

“We want this war to end as soon as possible. To end with agreements solely in the interests of our country. To end with what we gained, not what we lost. To end with the fact that we gained a new security system. There is no more time to wait, to think. There is no more time to delay this decision,” said the Head of the President’s Office.

Andriy Yermak stressed that there can be no compromises regarding Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“We are ready to talk about any issues, we are ready to meet and these issues need to be addressed. You don’t have to ignore them. Both the issue of Donbas and the issue of Crimea. And above all the issue of ending the war and the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory. All this should be the subject of conversation. First of all, conversation between the President of Ukraine and the President of Russia,” the Head of the Office of the President noted.

He stressed that the Ukrainian delegation is working 24/7 to organize a meeting of the heads of state.

“Significant work is underway, in which, in particular, our partners are participating. Therefore, of course, negotiations and agreements are the shortest way to end the war,” Andriy Yermak summed up.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 19 March 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented state awards to soldiers of the special unit of the National Police of Ukraine KORD who perform important tasks in countering the full-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.

The President noted the courage and dedication of KORD fighters in saving people’s lives and ensuring law and order in Ukraine under martial law.

The law enforcement officers, who were awarded by the President, work diligently to identify enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups in Ukraine, respond to operational information on possible enemy actions, join the defense of administrative buildings of state importance and, if necessary, repel enemy forces.

“During the full-scale war against Russia, against one, as they say, of the most powerful armies, you prove yourself as powerful defenders of Ukraine,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during the ceremony.

The Head of State noted that KORD fighters perform important tasks to protect those in the rear and help our soldiers on the frontline.

The President wished KORD fighters and their families good health and victory.

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

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak held an online conference with representatives of the world’s leading investment companies.

He said that the Russian army continues to bomb Ukrainian cities, killing civilians and children.

“Today the whole world is talking about the terrible situation in Mariupol. The situation is not much better in Kharkiv, in the settlements around Kyiv. But Ukraine will never give up, will never give up its independence. And the army of a non-NATO country has stopped and continues to fight one of the largest armies in the world,” Andriy Yermak stressed.

According to him, negotiations with the Russian Federation to end the war are not easy, and it is very difficult to predict everything that the parties may eventually agree on. But there is definitely no compromise for Ukraine regarding its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Head of the President’s Office is convinced that Russia’s war against Ukraine has destroyed the structure of not only European, but also world security, and we need to build a new one, where our state will have one of the key positions.

Andriy Yermak also noted that after the end of the war, Ukrainians will rebuild their beautiful country very quickly. To this end, Ukraine plans to raise funds from international partners, as well as reparations to be paid by the Russian Federation.

He called on businesses to invest in the purchase of military bonds of the Ukrainian government, and responsible companies that have already left or are leaving Russia – to refocus on Ukraine in the future. Also, according to the Head of the Office of the President, it would be appropriate to consider the creation of special funds or individual programs for the restoration and reconstruction of Ukraine.

“The best answer to the inhumane acts we see now in our country will be the appearance of the most modern buildings and enterprises on the site of destroyed buildings, where Ukrainians will be able to work. And we hope that thanks to this, people who are now forced to leave Ukraine will quickly return to their homeland,” Andriy Yermak summed up.