Tag: Press Release

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 3 November 2022.

Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak held a meeting of the working group on developing proposals for Ukraine’s participation in the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions.

Andriy Yermak emphasized that Ukraine had put a huge effort into gaining membership in the OECD Working Group.

“We have one of the most advanced anti-corruption infrastructures, which is fully prepared to investigate bribery in international business transactions,” he said.

The Head of the President’s Office noted that today Ukraine shows the whole world an example of a state that not only repels the attack of an aggressor during war, but also does everything possible to join international anti-corruption organizations and meet international standards in this sphere.

“We are working on a recovery plan, we need investments. And there will be investments if everyone is sure that this whole structure of ours works and we are fully responsible, and that our foreign investors can feel completely protected,” Andriy Yermak is convinced.

He emphasized that for Ukraine, joining anti-corruption organizations is related not only to an institutional issue, but also to the development of the state.

Chair of the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions Drago Kos, who took part in the meeting via video conference, highly praised the work of the Ukrainian delegation at the Working Group meeting held in Paris. He noted that our country received a questionnaire on joining the OECD Working Group, which consists of legal and economic parts.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President Andriy Smyrnov informed about the progress of the Working Group since the previous meeting. According to him, a wide public discussion regarding the importance of the Working Group in the fight against corrupt influences, as well as a meeting with representatives of the diplomatic corps were held.

The meeting participants heard information about the work of the Ukrainian delegation at the meeting of the OECD Working Group in Paris. In particular, a number of bilateral meetings were held in order to inform foreign colleagues about the legislative developments of Ukraine and exchange experience in the fight against corruption.

Polina Lysenko, a member of the Working Group, noted that a response to the questionnaire on joining the OECD Working Group has been prepared. The comments and suggestions of representatives of state authorities are taken into account.

The parties also discussed legislative proposals on improving criminal liability for bribing officials of foreign states and changing the approach to the issue of taxation.

Summing up, Andriy Yermak called on the representatives of the Working Group to promptly submit the filled-in questionnaire to the OECD Secretariat.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 3 November 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasizes that in case the Russian Federation uses nuclear weapons against Ukraine, the world will change forever, and it will have devastating consequences for Russia itself.

“The use of nuclear weapons already indicates that this is a nuclear war, the Third World War. What to talk about then? What is the difference what will be after World War III? If Russia uses nuclear weapons, the world we live in will no longer exist. That is, there will be a completely different world, in which the state that used nuclear weapons will definitely not exist. I am absolutely sure of this,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized during a conversation with media representatives following the negotiations with President of Greece Katerina Sakellaropoulou in Kyiv.

According to the Head of State, such a step will have a devastating effect on the processes within Russia itself.

“They will retain neither their state nor their political positions within the state. I think they will be dealing with the revolutionary processes within their state,” said the President of Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that, on the one hand, it is difficult to consider the scenario of the use of nuclear weapons seriously, but at the same time, it is difficult to call the steps taken by the military and political leadership of Russia on Ukrainian soil adequate or dictated by military necessity.

The President expressed his conviction that the war in Ukraine was a losing battle for Russia from the very beginning, and it is only a matter of time before the Russian Federation realizes its defeat.

“We fight for freedom, and freedom always prevails. It is also a matter of time. We are on our land. The war is one-sided – they came to our land. This is aggression recognized by the whole world. So, once again, the restoration of our territorial integrity is a matter of time,” the Head of State emphasized.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 3 November 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a meeting with President of Greece Katerina Sakellaropoulou who is on a visit to our country.

The Head of State thanked the President of Greece for the visit, which is taking place at a time when both Ukrainians and all Europeans need maximum unity and cooperation.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that today’s negotiations were meaningful and important for both countries.

“I can say that we are really working together with the Greek side to end this war as soon as possible, to end Russian criminal aggression and to return normal life to Ukraine. It is with this goal in mind that we are developing our cooperation in the defense, political, economic and humanitarian spheres,” the Ukrainian Head of State said during a conversation with media representatives following the negotiations with Katerina Sakellaropoulou in Kyiv.

The President of Ukraine informed the interlocutor about the situation at the front and talked about the role of the weapons provided by Greece for the protection of Ukrainians. Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Greece for transferring the batch of BMP-1 to our country.

“We discussed the capabilities of Greece to continue to help Ukraine restore our territorial integrity,” he said.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that the liberation of Ukrainian land from the Russian invaders will restore security to those areas where the Greek community traditionally lives.

“Ukraine has become home for more than 100,000 Greeks. Most of the cities and villages – homes of the Greek community on Ukrainian soil – were completely destroyed by Russian terrorists,” the Head of State noted.

The President emphasized the importance of restoring justice for all families of Ukrainian Greeks who lost their loved ones due to Russian aggression.

“All Russian murderers, all Russian torturers must be brought to justice for their crimes. And I believe that Greece will take an active part in international efforts aimed at creating a special tribunal for the crime of aggression by Russia against Ukraine and a special international compensation mechanism that will ensure that Russia compensates for the damage caused by this war,” he said.

The Presidents of Ukraine and Greece discussed the sanctions policy, in particular the preparation of the ninth package of EU sanctions against Russia, which should give a powerful response to the aggressor for its terror.

The leaders of the two states also focused on the problem of the energy threat that the Russian Federation deliberately created for Ukraine and the whole of Europe.

“The anti-European policy of this state must be punished, because now there is not a single family on our continent that would not feel the consequences of Russian energy blackmail,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy is convinced.

He noted that during the meeting with Katerina Sakellaropoulou, attention was paid to the reconstruction of Ukraine after hostilities.

“I informed Mrs. President about our fast recovery plan, about the current main reconstruction needs. I hope that we will be able to establish effective cooperation with Greece in the field of reconstruction,” said the Head of State.

The President said that during the meeting he raised the issue of Greece’s recognition of the Holodomor as an act of genocide against the Ukrainian people.

For her part, Katerina Sakellaropoulou noted that her visit today is evidence of support for Ukraine.

“When we talk about democracy, European values, the European Union and the international community must support these values and protect them. We are on your side from day one. We commend your determination to protect your territorial integrity and we will support you for as long as necessary,” the President of Greece noted.

Katerina Sakellaropoulou emphasized the need to restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders.

“We will never recognize the illegal annexation of the regions of Ukraine to the state that attacked you,” she said.

The President noted that Greece condemns the Russian aggression, as a result of which Ukrainians die and infrastructure is being damaged. She emphasized that Russia should be held to account for these crimes.

According to Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Greece supports the policy of sanctions on the Russian Federation and Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 2 November 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain José Manuel Albares, who arrived on a visit to our country.

The head of state thanked the Spanish government for its extensive support to Ukraine in the face of Russia’s ongoing armed aggression.

Zelenskyy highly appreciated the humanitarian support from Spain, in particular the delivery of 30 modern ambulance vehicles today. He also expressed gratitude for the warm welcome and assistance to Ukrainian citizens who were forced to seek refuge in Spain because of the war.

Separately, the President thanked Spain for its decision to hand over air defense systems to Ukraine.

“For us today, that’s really the number one issue – to ensure strong air defense, to create an air shield to protect our critical and civilian infrastructure,” he said.

The parties discussed topical issues of European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine. The head of state said that our country is counting on concrete steps on the way to the EU during Spain’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2023.

Particular attention was paid to the issue of restoring Ukraine’s energy infrastructure after the latest wave of missile attacks by Russia. Zelenskyy thanked for the generators provided by Spain and noted the need for additional help from partners to resume uninterrupted power supply. He also expressed hope that Spain will actively participate in the reconstruction of Ukraine.

Zelenskyy drew the attention of the head of the Spanish Foreign Ministry to our country’s international initiatives to hold the Russian Federation accountable for crimes committed in Ukraine. He expressed hope that Spain would support the creation of a compensation mechanism for damages caused by Russia’s invasion, as well as a special international tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression.

The parties exchanged views on the consequences of Russian aggression for food security. The importance of continuing the grain initiative, which is a key element of global food security, was noted.

The head of state said that this year Ukraine will commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor of 1932-1933. He expressed hope that Spain will join the countries that recognized the Holodomor as an act of genocide of the Ukrainian people.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 2 November 2022.

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak held a video conference with Managing Director, Head of Global Engagement at the largest U.S. bank holding by assets – JPMorgan Chase & Co. Clay Berry.

The parties discussed issues of cooperation and support for Ukraine.

“We really want Ukraine to be interesting to you not only in the context of this war, but also during reconstruction. After all, Ukrainians are not only a courageous people who will definitely win this war, but also people with great potential,” Yermak said.

He thanked representatives of JPMorgan Chase & Co. for the real help they provide to Ukraine.

Yermak said: Ukraine is open to cooperation, and a strong group of experts, which will help in the recovery of the country, is already being created today.

“Ukraine needs a unique formula for reconstruction, a unique formula for life after this war, therefore, of course, we are interested in having the best experts in the world today join this,” the head of the Office of the President said.

Clay Berry, for her part, said that JPMorgan Chase’s support for Ukraine is based on understanding the current situation, as the company has been cooperating with the Ukrainian government in various directions for the past 10 years. She expressed hope for scaling up cooperation, because she sees many opportunities for the Ukrainian state in the future, in particular during reconstruction.

Deputy head of the Office of the President Rostyslav Shurma, who also took part in the video call, informed the video call participants in which directions Ukraine seeks to attract investors. He named green energy, infrastructure, agribusiness, conventional production and the IT sector as promising areas of the economy. In his opinion, these areas can be of interest to private capital, investment banks and strategic corporations.

Shurma said that currently dialogue is being held with representatives of global investment companies regarding potential cooperation and proposed that JP Morgan joins this partnership.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 2 November 2022.

The Professor of History at Yale University, Timothy Snyder, has joined the team of the UNITED24 fundraising platform, initiated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He became the second ambassador after actor Mark Hamill who will focus his efforts on fundraising for Defence and Demining.

Timothy Snyder met with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in person, during his September visit to Kyiv. Recently, the famous historian made his course of Yale University lectures, “The Making of Modern Ukraine,” available for everyone. It has already gained almost 3 million views. Now he will be supporting Ukraine in his new role as UNITED24 ambassador. Snyder will raise funds for an anti-drone system to counter the UAVs constantly used by Russia to attack Ukraine’s critical infrastructure.

“Timothy Snyder is an outstanding historian and a true friend of Ukraine, who tells the whole world about the importance of Ukraine, its true history, values, the way they were shaped, and why we need to protect them, in his works. I am also grateful that more people will understand, not only about the reasons and preconditions of our fight, but also learn about how they can help us,” said Zelenskyy.

“I’m supporting Ukraine because Ukraine must win this war. Ukrainian victory will open the region and the world to democracy and give us all hope. But for now, Ukraine is threatened. Much of Ukraine is under occupation. The aggressor, breaking all the laws of war, seeks to kill civilians and to deprive them of the basic means of existence such as food, water, and electricity. To protect Ukrainians, to protect Ukraine, and thereby to defend all these values, we must be able to stop these attacks,” Timothy Snyder said.

“I’m a historian and a scholar and in the long run I want to be raising money to rebuild libraries, schools, and universities. But right now, we have to do what is more urgent, which is to raise money to help Ukraine to defend itself from murderous drones. That is why I have set my goal as raising $1.25 million for anti-drone defense,” said Snyder.

UNITED24 is a fundraising platform, initiated by the President of Ukraine. It is the central venue for charitable donations in support of Ukraine. During the first six months of operation, UNITED24 collected $213 million from citizens of 110 countries worldwide. Among UNITED24 ambassadors are famous athletes – Andriy Shevchenko, Elina Svitolina and Oleksandr Usyk, creative director of Balenciaga – Demna, American actors – Liev Schreiber and Mark Hamill, music band Imagine Dragons, singer and actress Barbra Streisand, astronaut Scott Kelly.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 1 November 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy chaired a meeting on the results of the first parliamentary summit of the Crimea Platform, which took place on October 24-26 in Zagreb (Croatia).

As noted, representatives of the parliaments of 42 countries, as well as heads of five parliamentary assemblies of international organizations and associations, including the European Parliament, took part in it. A demonstration of strong international support for Ukraine was the participation in the summit of the leaders of the parliaments of the G7 countries, in particular Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi.

The summit participants clearly confirmed that Crimea is Ukraine, and Russia’s attempt to annex it is a gross violation of international law and will never be recognized by the international community. Ukraine’s struggle against Russian aggression is a struggle for democratic values, and the entire free democratic world has united in support of our country. The Zagreb summit also sent a clear signal: Russia must be held to account for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine.

Following the summit, a Joint Declaration was adopted, which confirmed commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders; non-recognition and condemnation of Russia’s temporary occupation and illegal annexation of Crimea, as well as any other occupied territories of Ukraine; condemnation of systematic violations of human rights and long-term militarization of the Crimean peninsula.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the model of reintegration, restoration and development of the Ukrainian Crimea, which should be ready for implementation as soon as the peninsula is freed from the temporary occupation.

The participants of the meeting also adopted a decision to hold the third summit of the Crimea Platform at the level of heads of state and government next year.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 1 November 2022.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President Andriy Smyrnov held a meeting of the working group on the creation of a special international tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

People’s deputies, representatives of the government and the Prosecutor General’s Office took part in the meeting.

Andriy Smyrnov, who is the coordinator of the working group, emphasized that despite the functioning of the mechanisms of the UN Security Council and the International Criminal Court, the creation of a special international tribunal is the only alternative for holding Russia to account for the crime of aggression.

“We are creating a special tribunal as a punishment mechanism for crimes of aggression that has no alternative. There are no other working and effective options. It is not enough to simply admit it, it must be brought to the attention of the whole civilized world. Indeed, we sincerely thank everyone who supported us on this difficult path of reviving international law and responsibility from a century-old coma. But for the sake of a peaceful future, we must punish the hostile and aggressive tumor on the world map. And we must do it as soon as possible. For the sake of peace, security and in the name of all innocent people in Ukraine executed and maimed by the aggressor country,” he said.

According to the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, the special international tribunal should become an internationally recognized and maximally legitimate legal instrument, the jurisdiction of which will be recognized by as many countries as possible.

“We call on major democracies, major continental countries, which globally shape security policy in the world, to take the role of leaders in the process of forming a special tribunal,” emphasized Andriy Smyrnov.

As noted at the meeting, the political decisions made by the partner countries in support of the creation of an international tribunal should be transformed into practical steps. Thus, in the Netherlands, it is planned to create an Interim Prosecutor’s Office so that representatives of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine can start forming the evidence base for the crime of aggression and preparing charges.

As Anton Korynevych, Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, informed the participants of the meeting, the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assemblies of the Council of Europe, the OSCE and NATO, as well as the parliaments of the partner countries, supported the creation of the tribunal in their resolutions.

Anton Korynevych noted that work is ongoing with representatives of the governments of other states to discuss the creation of a special international tribunal.

Representatives of the Prosecutor General’s Office informed about the investigation of proceedings related to crimes of aggression.

The participants of the meeting emphasized the expediency of conducting systematic work with the parliaments of the partner countries to advocate the idea of creating a special tribunal. In addition, it is necessary to intensify the practical dialogue with the professional scientific community, mass media and international lawyers of these states.

The issue of organizing thematic events in the countries of the world with the presentation of a special international tribunal was also considered.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 1 November 2022.

As part of the regular dialogue, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a phone call with President of France Emmanuel Macron.

The heads of state discussed the new wave of missile terror by Russia and the security situation on the frontline.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for decisive action by the international community in response to the terrorist attacks of the Russian Federation. The President of Ukraine noted the urgency of creating an air shield over our country to protect critical infrastructure and civilians from Russian missile attacks. The parties discussed France’s further military support for Ukraine, including the provision of air defense systems.

Particular attention was paid to the issues of food security and the situation with the implementation of the grain initiative after Russia’s unilateral withdrawal from it.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy assured that Ukraine is ready to continue participating in the implementation of grain agreements together with the UN and Türkiye.

“Continuation of the initiative is critically necessary. It is an important element of global food security,” the Ukrainian Head of State emphasized.

The parties also exchanged views regarding the situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP and the ongoing nuclear blackmail by the Russian Federation. Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that Russian accusations against Ukraine of allegedly preparing to use a “dirty bomb” are another element of nuclear blackmail on the part of Russia. He said that at the invitation of the Ukrainian side, IAEA experts visited peaceful objects in Ukraine and had the opportunity to convince themselves that the accusations of the Russian Federation were unsubstantiated.

Special attention was paid to the involvement of France in the reconstruction of our country, in particular in the restoration of energy infrastructure facilities damaged as a result of recent Russian attacks. The heads of state agreed to hold in Paris in December, in coordination with international partners, a conference on the recovery of Ukraine, which will be preceded by a separate event aimed at mobilizing French companies to support our state.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 1 November 2022.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President Kyrylo Tymoshenko held a meeting with UNICEF Ukraine Representative Murat Sahin.

The parties discussed the issue of preparing schools for the education of Ukrainian children in war conditions and coordinated the relevant joint work.

Murat Sahin reminded that in the framework of the “Studying Together” initiative launched by the Ministry of Education and Science in cooperation with UNICEF Ukraine and First Lady Olena Zelenska to support the educational process in the current academic year, a thousand hub schools will receive USD 3 million for relevant needs.

In addition, Kyrylo Tymoshenko spoke about the government’s plans to organize heating points in the country for the winter period, where people could stay at a time when their homes may be left without heating and electricity. These points will have generators, drinking water and food, and internet connection. According to the Deputy Head of the President’s Office, about 17,000 generators will be needed for this.

“We want to equip these heating points on the basis of schools and kindergartens in big cities and in administrative buildings in rural areas,” he said.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko noted that Ukraine would welcome assistance from international organizations in the implementation of this project.

Murat Sahin emphasized the importance of such an idea and confirmed UNICEF’s readiness to support the project on the equipment of heating points in the framework of the “Studying Together” initiative in schools and kindergartens.

He also informed about the aid and projects that UNICEF has already implemented and is currently implementing in Ukraine to support citizens during the war, in particular in the coming winter period.