Tag: Press Release

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 28 April 2022.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasizes that in the event of any pseudo-referendums in the occupied territories they will not be recognized by Ukraine and the world and will complicate possible negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. The President made this statement during a meeting with media representatives following talks with UN Secretary-General António Guterres in Kyiv.

“I believe that it is impossible and will not be possible to annex one or another part of our territories by force,” the President stressed.

He reminded that in the occupied cities Ukrainians protested against the armed Russian occupiers.

“This (pseudo-referendum – ed.) will not bring anything, except that this is another complication of probable, at least some kind of probable negotiations between Ukraine and Russia… It seems to me that this is a complication of any negotiations,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

According to him, today there are questions of humanitarian aspects to Russia – to unblock people, as well as economic questions related to food security and unblocking sea routes.

“Many questions. If they want to complicate all this for the whole of Europe and the world, they can continue to play with these referendums, which will not yield any results – either current or historical,” the President concluded.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 28 April 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres who arrived in Kyiv.

The President noted the importance of the UN Secretary-General’s visit to Ukraine, as today it is our country that defends the principles of the United Nations Charter.

Before the meeting with the President of Ukraine, António Guterres visited the suburbs of Kyiv and saw with his own eyes the horrible war crimes of Russia in our country.

“I am grateful to Mr. Guterres for the clear and unequivocal position on the war against Ukraine. We appreciate your efforts to use the “good offices” mechanisms to de-escalate the situation. Every opportunity must be used to achieve peace,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a meeting with media representatives following talks with the UN Secretary-General.

According to him, during the conversation the parties touched upon the issue of establishing a special international tribunal on Russia’s crimes.

“For its part, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission must continue to document all crimes committed by the Russian Federation and the Russian military,” the President said.

The President of Ukraine and the UN Secretary-General also discussed the support for Ukrainians through cash payments, increasing humanitarian aid to Ukraine, as well as the importance of involving the UN in the post-war reconstruction of our state.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and António Guterres also paid attention to the food crisis provoked by the war.

“Ukraine is literally giving bread to almost 400 million people on the planet. And now the UN recognizes that rising food prices this year will cause famine for at least 47 million people in 81 countries,” said the President.

The interlocutors discussed how to do everything possible for Russia to unblock Ukrainian ports for food exports.

For his part, António Guterres stressed that the UN considers the Russian invasion of Ukraine a violation of the territorial integrity of our state and the Charter of the United Nations.

The UN Secretary-General noted that he is determined to enhance the support for Ukrainian citizens, help save lives and minimize suffering, and find a way to peace.

António Guterres informed about the work of the UN together with the Ukrainian government and organizations to provide assistance to Ukrainians. According to him, the UN has already provided humanitarian aid to 3.4 million people in Ukraine, and intends to support 8.7 million people by the end of August. The United Nations is also ready to provide financial assistance.

In addition, the UN supports the countries that have sheltered Ukrainian citizens fleeing the war and internally displaced persons in Ukraine.

According to António Guterres, the WHO provides medical supplies for emergency care, treatment of injuries for more than 7 million people. Efforts are being made to support the first aid system and so on.

António Guterres also stressed the importance of the work of the International Criminal Court.

“Now we are at ground zero as regards the world we need to build. A world of respect for international law, the UN Charter, and the power of multilateralism. A world where civilians have protection. Where human rights are a priority. Where leaders live up to the declared values they have committed to. It is also a struggle, but we must win it for the sake of every country, community and person around the world,” said the Secretary-General.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 28 April 2022.

During the negotiations in Kyiv, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and UN Secretary-General António Guterres discussed the evacuation of Ukrainian citizens from the Russian-besieged city of Mariupol in the Donetsk region, including the Azovstal plant.

The Ukrainian Head of State noted that António Guterres discussed this issue during his recent visit to Russia.

“We see that despite the words of the Russian President about the alleged cessation of hostilities in Mariupol, the territory of the Azovstal plant is under barbaric bombing by the Russian army. And this continued even during the talks of the Secretary-General in Moscow,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a meeting with media representatives following the negotiations with António Guterres.

He stressed that Ukraine is ready for urgent talks to evacuate people from Mariupol and hopes that the participation of the UN Secretary-General in this mission will be effective.

The Head of State also called on António Guterres to make efforts to stop the deportation of Ukrainian citizens to Russia, gain access to the forcibly deported and return them to their homeland as soon as possible.

Answering journalists’ questions, the President expressed hope that with the participation of the UN Secretary-General he would be able to bring people back alive from Mariupol.

For his part, António Guterres assured that he is doing everything possible to save people in Mariupol.

“I want to tell you, Mr. President, and the people of Ukraine: we do not give up. We will continue to call for a complete ceasefire, as well as for immediate practical measures to save lives and minimize human suffering. Effective humanitarian corridors, local cessation of hostilities, safe routes for civilians and victims. Today, the residents of Mariupol need just such a step,” he said.

The UN Secretary-General stressed that thousands of civilians in the city – the elderly, the sick and persons with reduced mobility – need vital assistance.

“They need a rescue route to leave this hell,” said António Guterres.

The UN Secretary-General said that during his recent visit to Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed in general to involve the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross in the evacuation of civilians from Azovstal. “Today, Mr. Zelenskyy and I had the opportunity to discuss this issue. Intensive discussions are currently underway to implement this proposal,” said António Guterres.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 28 April 2022.

Ukraine seeks to elaborate a document on guarantees of our security, which would provide maximum and real protection for our country, said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“We want to get the maximum for our country and our people. Maximum. And there will be such guarantees,” the Head of State said, answering questions from the media representatives after a meeting with Prime Minister of Bulgaria Kiril Petkov in Kyiv.

According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after the Budapest Memorandum proved its ineffectiveness, Ukraine is not interested in any new “patchwork umbrellas”.

“Sometimes it’s better to have nothing and know that you are alone with the enemy than to have a large circle of friends, partners who in fact will not protect you,” he said.

That is why, according to the President, Ukraine seeks to elaborate a thorough document that will really work.

“This time we are very serious and balanced about the future document. And about the circle of partner countries, which should not let us down in case of any aggression in the future,” the Head of State stated.

As Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted, after the end of the current war, Russia will not disappear from the eastern border of Ukraine, so we need a fundamental document that will allow our state to coexist with such a neighbor in the future.

The Head of State said that the draft document is currently being prepared at the level of security advisers to the leaders of the countries, which will later join the circle of guarantors of Ukraine’s security.

“When everything is ready, I think our society, our journalists will definitely see the details of future agreements,” the President concluded.

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 28 April 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held negotiations with Prime Minister of Bulgaria Kiril Petkov who is on a visit to our country.

“Today we held meaningful talks, discussed all the key issues that deserve attention right now in such difficult conditions,” the Ukrainian Head of State said during a meeting with media representatives following the talks.

The President stressed that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been going on for 64 days already. The aggressor attacks both military and civilians, destroys infrastructure. But our state is fighting back, and Russia will achieve nothing but “contempt and condemnation from all decent people in the world.”

Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Kiril Petkov for the fact that Bulgaria, like the whole civilized world, stands in solidarity with Ukraine today.

“Our state now needs the support of our reliable friends more than ever to defend the right to life, to our own state, to the European future for our people. But this struggle is not only for Ukraine. Now in Ukraine we defend the values of the whole of Europe, the whole world. And right now, in Ukraine, it is being decided whether other nations of Europe will be able to live freely, to live democratically,” the President is convinced.

According to him, during today’s meeting with the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, cooperation was initiated to repair Ukrainian military equipment at Bulgarian production facilities.

“It is very important for Ukraine. I am sure that such cooperation will be beneficial for both Bulgarian companies and Bulgarian economy. And for us, quality and time are very important, because we fight every day,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed.

The issue of cooperation in the energy sphere was also raised. According to the President, Ukraine is ready to supply electricity to Bulgaria and is also interested in diversifying gas supplies in the region, in particular by using the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline together with the Bulgarian side.

In addition, according to the President, an agreement was reached to establish the transportation of agricultural products from Ukraine through the Bulgarian port of Varna on the Black Sea coast. For its part, the Ukrainian side will provide the necessary assistance to resolve as soon as possible the issue with the Bulgarian ship blocked in the Chornomorsk sea port.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Kiril Petkov for the government’s position in support of the European Union’s sanctions policy.

“I want to emphasize that sanctions against Russia are needed only to force Russia to seek peace. For this to happen, sanctions must be effective, strong and not allow Russia to circumvent the restrictions. I hope that Bulgaria will continue to support the strengthening of sanctions for this war,” he said.

During the meeting, the interlocutors paid special attention to Ukraine’s movement towards EU membership. The President thanked the Prime Minister of Bulgaria for the clear and consistent support for Ukraine’s European future.

“In February, at our meeting in Munich, we signed a joint declaration on Ukraine’s European perspective. Today, I received assurances that Bulgaria will support the decision to grant Ukraine the status of a candidate country for accession to the European Union at the next meeting of the European Council. I am very glad that our partners recognize that Ukraine has deserved an accelerated procedure for joining the EU,” the President said.

The President also thanked Kiril Petkov for his personal initiative to raise funds in Bulgaria in support of Ukraine.

“By your own example, you inspire thousands of your fellow citizens to continue to show solidarity with our Ukrainian people. More than 90,000 Ukrainians, mostly women and children fleeing the horrors of war, have found shelter in Bulgaria. We are grateful to the Bulgarian people for their hospitality, support and really touching attitude,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The President of Ukraine noted Bulgaria’s readiness to take part in the post-war reconstruction of our country, in particular one of the southern regions. He stressed that the high level of cooperation between Ukraine and Bulgaria and sincere mutual understanding prove that we are one European family united by a common past and, most importantly, a common future.

Prime Minister of Bulgaria Kiril Petkov, for his part, expressed support for our state. He noted that his country is ready to promote the export of electricity from Ukraine, can offer the port of Varna as a logistics hub, in particular for flour, and help use the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline.

According to him, Bulgaria will be happy to help and join the reconstruction of Ukraine. The Prime Minister also responded positively to Ukraine’s request to repair and restore military equipment.

“It is important for Bulgaria that Ukraine moves to the European Union. It is time to say that Ukraine belongs to the EU and the European family. We must give a clear signal and show a clear path. You have the support of Bulgaria,” Kiril Petkov summed up.

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

With the participation of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities was held to discuss the functioning of the state during the war. The event was held as a video conference.

The President said that the first meeting of the Congress during Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine took place today.

The audience observed a minute of silence in tribute to the memory of all citizens who gave their lives for the homeland.

The participants of the event discussed the Plan of postwar reconstruction of Ukraine, as well as the creation of comfortable living conditions for all those who were forced to leave their homes due to the war. In particular, it was a question of providing migrants with housing.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Executive Secretary of the Presidium of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, spoke about the task of creating a database of needs of all settlements of Ukraine and developing a concept for them, taking into account the needs of communities. To this end, 14 infrastructure clusters have been created that need to be rebuilt or upgraded. Cities and regions are invited to provide comprehensive information on relevant needs by early May.

According to Tymoshenko, today the state has to give almost 600,000 apartments to provide housing for displaced persons. Given the scale of the needs, the approach of building from scratch was chosen, as well as the purchase of ready-made apartments from developers.

The President said that IDPs should be provided with comfortable temporary housing for the period they need. He also called for all necessary amendments to the regulations so that new housing in Ukraine must be built with comfortable bomb shelters, and the old housing stock should be equipped in accordance with the needs of public safety.

Zelenskyy also set a task to prepare plans for the reconstruction of cities, towns and communities affected by the Russian invasion.

“There will be a combination of finance, specialists and technology, which will simply be passed on to us by our partners. We need a clear ambitious plan to engage them in this project, so that they give us their architects, and we connect them with our specialists,” the President said, urging not to wait for the end of the war.

Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov told the meeting participants that the damage caused to the infrastructure as a result of the war reached almost $90 billion. First of all, this is railway, road and bridge infrastructure. He informed about the pace of road rehabilitation and reconstruction of bridges in the liberated territories and said that the ambitious goal is to rebuild the infrastructure in one or two years.

According to Minister of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine Oleksiy Chernyshov, a new regional development strategy is already being shaped in the country. He said that during the reconstruction of the country, all the best world practices of urban development will be applied, taking into account the needs of energy efficiency, the availability of modern supply systems, security and inclusiveness.

In addition, the Congress considered the assistance that the central government of Ukraine can provide to the temporarily occupied communities.

In particular, Mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov spoke about the experience in providing all necessary payments and preventing the humanitarian crisis in the city.

Minister of Finance Serhiy Marchenko briefed on measures for stable and continuous functioning of the budget sphere and implementation of the government’s commitments, financial support of the population. He also spoke about raising funds from international partners and selling war bonds.

In addition, the participants discussed the interaction of law enforcement agencies and local authorities during martial law.

Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Denys Monastyrsky reported on measures to ensure compliance with curfew conditions, evacuation of the population, demining of territories and dismantling of the debris appeared due to hostilities.

Members of the Congress also heard information on the development of the territorial defense system, the systematization of the activities of voluntary formations of territorial communities.

Following the discussion, the President instructed the Interior Minister together with Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny and Commander of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces Yuriy Halushkin to hold a meeting to regulate weapons handling in non-combat areas.

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

The President of Ukraine, his Office and all branches of government and local self-government bodies are constantly working to support regions that have found themselves in a difficult situation due to the Russian invasion. This was stated by Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak at a meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine, which was held as a video conference.

“I would like to say words of support to those regions that are in the most difficult situation today. These are Donetsk, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhia regions, as well as, of course, the city of Mariupol – its inhabitants, its defenders. Know that we are with you,” he said.

Yermak thanked representatives of the partner countries who took part in the Congress both attending it in person and by a video link.

“Today, we have the unprecedented support of our partners. It has never happened before in the history of one country that is struggling to be supported by the world,” the head of the Office of the President said.

He said that a meeting of the presidium of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President is to take place in a week.

“Congress is working, the country is alive, the country is struggling. And we will definitely win,” Yermak said with confidence.

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

Ukraine is beginning preparations for the reconstruction of cities, communities and infrastructure destroyed by the Russian occupiers. This was announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a meeting of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, which was held as a video conference.

The head of state said that the Russian leadership, in deciding to invade Ukraine, hoped for an internal split in our country, that Ukrainians would not be able to unite for victory. But two months of resistance showed that Russian leaders were wrong.

“Every day, while the whole country is fighting against the Russian invaders, we as a central and local government with our friends and partners must spend on preparations for the postwar restoration of our state,” Zelenskyy said.

“Preliminary estimates of Ukraine’s losses from this war reach $600 billion today. More than 32 million square meters of living space, more than 1,500 educational facilities and more than 350 medical facilities have been destroyed or damaged. Economic entities suffered huge losses – hundreds of enterprises have been destroyed. About 2,500 kilometers of roads and almost 300 bridges have been ruined or damaged. And it’s not just statistics. This is Mariupol, this is Volnovakha, this is Okhtyrka, this is Chernihiv, this is Borodianka and dozens or dozens of our cities, towns and villages,” the President said.

According to him, more than 11.5 million Ukrainians have fled their homes due to the fighting, and about 5 million of them have gone abroad. And 95% of migrants already want to return home. Therefore, there is an urgent need to prepare a plan to rebuild a comfortable European Ukraine.

According to Zelenskyy, the task is to return normal life to the entire territory where the Russian occupiers entered and where Russian missiles hit and, unfortunately, continue hitting.

He said that today he has received consent from the United Kingdom, Denmark, Japan, Italy and several other countries to join the restoration of the affected territories of Ukraine.

“The main principle of this project is that we are building with Europe and the world, rebuilding the whole country. A partnership will be established for each city and each country,” the Head of State said.

President of the National Council, the lower house of the Swiss parliament, Irène Kälin, President of the Senate of Romania Florin Cîțu, President of the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia Talat Xhaferi, who arrived in our country, were invited to participate in the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. They expressed admiration for the courage of President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people and assured their comprehensive support of Ukraine, in particular in issues of postwar reconstruction.

Kälin said that the programs of cooperation between Ukraine and Switzerland during the war not only did not stop, but were stepped up. Switzerland is also preparing for the Ukraine Reconstruction Conference in the summer.

Cîțu said that Romania supports the European perspective of our country and is ready to contribute to the revival of Ukraine after the war. Xhaferi also emphasized great solidarity with the Ukrainian people and readiness to help our state.

The audience also heard a video address by President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

Michel said that he fully shares Zelenskyy’s vision of Ukraine as a powerful, modern and integral part of Europe, as well as his idea of involving individual states in the restoration and reconstruction of certain Ukrainian regions and territories.

For her part, the President of the European Commission said that the role of regional elites will be important in this process, and European cities and regions are ready to share their experience with Ukrainians.

Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal said that on behalf of the President, the government is preparing a plan to restore the country.

“We want not just to rebuild, but we want and will make better and more modern everything that was destroyed by Russian barbarians. It also means that there will be a major transformation of the Ukrainian economy after the war. We must build a new Ukraine together with you – strong and European,” he said.

The prime minister also said that Ukraine has managed to maintain the country administration system – central and local authorities are functioning as a single team, and local authorities are organizing the defense of their communities, providing assistance to displaced persons, and backing up the home front.

According to Shmyhal, the government has allocated UAH 1.4 billion to restore critical infrastructure in five regions. Reconstruction and clearing of roads, restoration of electricity supply, demining of territories are underway – more than 85,000 explosive devices have been neutralized, he said.

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

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak held an online meeting with the heads of diplomatic missions of foreign states in Ukraine, dedicated to the issue of continuing a balanced, coordinated, tough and effective sanctions policy against the Russian Federation.

He said that Ukraine has withstood the first, most acute phase of the Russian invasion. But to win, our state needs both the strengthening of the capabilities of the Armed Forces, first of all – weapons, and an extremely effective sanctions policy on the part of partners.

“We are not so naive as to expect that economic pressure on the aggressor country will lead to a speedy end to hostilities. However, this second front – the front of international sanctions – will significantly limit Russia’s aggression. Usually, the best pacifier was economic hardship,” the head of the President’s Office said.

Yermak presented to the ambassadors the Action Plan on Strengthening Sanctions against the Russian Federation, developed by the Yermak-McFaul International Expert Group established by the Head of the President’s Office and Ambassador Michael McFaul following the initiative of President Volodymyr Zelensky.

According to Yermak, the plan is aimed at depriving Russia of the finances, production capabilities and technologies used for the war, forcing Russia to focus on overcoming its internal problems and forcing Russian citizens to pay for supporting aggression.

“Coordinated, comprehensive and effective actions of a wide range are needed. We must force sanctions to work without failures and imitations against entire sectors of the Russian economy,” he said.

First of all, it is a question of a full oil and gas embargo, the need to introduce a scheme that will deprive Russia of access to funds for oil and gas exports.

Yermak singled out comprehensive sanctions against financial institutions in Russia and Belarus, Russia’s inclusion in the FATF blacklist and the list of terrorist sponsors among other points of the plan.

Restrictions should also affect export-import and insurance operations and include transport measures such as the complete closure of maritime services.

The head of the Office of the President also stressed the importance of increasing transparency and deepening coordination between the countries participating in the sanctions. Particular attention should be paid to the introduction of secondary sanctions mechanisms, which should be aimed at intermediaries who provide services in circumvention schemes.

“I think that weapons and sanctions policy are the most important tools from your states to support Ukraine and the whole free democratic world, which our country is defending today, to end this war,” Andriy Yermak said.

For his part, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on states that stand side by side with Ukraine to make it a rule that there are no taboos on sanctions until Russia is stopped.

The foreign minister also invited the partner countries to adopt the Yermak-McFaul Plan as a roadmap for what sanctions should be applied against Russia.

He also drew attention to the importance of encouraging the business of these countries to leave the Russian Federation as soon as possible.

“Ukraine and Ukrainians are now acting decisively and sacrificing themselves for the victory in this war. We thank you for standing by us, and we ask you to do everything possible to end this war as soon as possible,” Kuleba said.

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

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak held a video conference with former Director of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Attorney John E. Smith focusing on national security and sanctions.

Smith and his company advise Ukraine on sanctions free of charge, focusing on blocking the Russian Federation’s assets and imposing personal restrictions.

“Sanctions and weapons are very important to us. But we understand that when this terrible war continues and Russia continues to kill our people, destroy our cities, the sanctions that have already been imposed will not be enough. We know about your extensive experience and understanding of this issue, awareness of the specifics of Russia, so we will be interested to hear your opinion on opportunities to increase sanctions pressure,” Yermak said.

For his part, Smith said that he considers it an honor to work with the team of the President of Ukraine and help our country in this difficult time.

He stressed the importance of establishing close and continued contact between the Ukrainian side and the administration of US President Joseph Biden.

Smith noted the plan developed by the Yermak-McFaul group to strengthen sanctions against Russia. According to him, the document should be divided according to priorities in the energy and financial sectors.

In addition, according to the US attorney, it is important to achieve the introduction of secondary sanctions.

“I fully agree with the identified priorities. We have the historical support of Ukraine in the United States. That is why it is important to continue this work,” Yermak said.