Tag: Volodymyr Zelenskyy

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 7 August 2022.

Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!

Today is the Day of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and now I want to once again congratulate all military pilots and also all defenders of our skies on a professional holiday.

We are all proud of you and wish you so many victories that the Russian soldiers are simply afraid of even the very thought of our Ukrainian sky.

This morning, I congratulated the fighters and commanders of the Air Force, handed out state awards to the best warriors.

I handed over the “Golden Star” orders to the wives of the fallen Heroes of Ukraine – Lieutenant colonel Eduard Vahorovsky and Major Dmytro Kolomiyets. They gave their lives saving their brothers and protecting our state. Eternal memory and gratitude to the Heroes!

I spoke today with President of the European Council Charles Michel. I informed him about the situation on the battlefield, about the threat that Russia created by striking at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. There is no such nation in the world that can feel safe when a terrorist state fires at a nuclear plant. God forbid, if something irreparable happens, no one will stop the wind that will spread the radioactive contamination. Therefore, a principled response of the international community to these Russian attacks on the Zaporizhzhia NPP – the largest in Europe – is needed right now.

The situation in Donbas remains very difficult. Our army is doing everything possible to stop the Russian terror and inflict the greatest possible losses on the occupiers. Avdiivka, Pisky, Maryinka, Bakhmut and other hot areas in the Donetsk region take the main efforts and, unfortunately, many lives.

It is also difficult in the Kharkiv region, in the south of our country, where the occupiers are trying to concentrate their forces.

The key thing now, just as before, is weapons for our defense, weapons from partners. Every day without any pauses, we work to increase the supply of weapons, to send more powerful and long-range systems to the front.

And next week we expect news from partners regarding support packages. Good news.

In this summer time, every week there are more and more reports that the occupiers are preparing for pseudo-referendums in the occupied areas of the south of our country. I want to say a very simple thing: everyone who helps the occupiers in any way realize their intention will be held accountable. They will bear responsibility to Ukraine.

The position of our state remains the same: we will not give up anything of ours, and if the occupiers follow the path of these pseudo-referendums, they will close for themselves any possibility of negotiations with Ukraine and the free world, which the Russian side will definitely need in a certain moment.

Next week, I will continue the practice of political appeals to representatives of partner states and nations who defend freedom together with us. A number of important negotiations are also planned – and not only with current politicians.

As before, Ukraine will do everything to make our struggle and Ukrainian needs known in all countries of the world and in all audiences – even those who usually do not follow political life.

In particular, American actress Jessica Chastain arrived in Kyiv today. She visited “Okhmatdyt” and saw with her own eyes the consequences of the Russian occupation in Irpin, Kyiv region.

Her story about our war will definitely be heard. We are preparing an important humanitarian event.

And I am grateful to all friends of Ukraine abroad and to everyone who helps expand our ties in the world.

We are doing everything to win, everything to protect our country.

I wish all of us Ukrainians a fruitful new week!

Glory to our warriors!

Glory to Ukraine!

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 6 August 2022.

Dear Ukrainians, I wish you health!

I will brief you on the past week.

First of all, I want to thank all our soldiers, who are extremely bravely – and in the hottest points of the frontline, with simply superhuman efforts – holding back the enemy.

The Russian army will not change its tactics. The occupiers know that they will lose to the Ukrainians in direct struggle, they are inferior in skill, and that is why the enemy is counting on artillery and indiscriminate shelling.

They try to destroy everything in front of them and enter the ruins. And I am grateful to everyone who, even in such conditions, still is containing the occupiers in Donbas, in Kharkiv region, in the Mykolaiv direction – wherever the confrontation is the most acute.

During this week, the Armed Forces of Ukraine and our intelligence have achieved powerful results in destroying the logistics of the Russian army, the rear bases of the occupiers. And every strike on the enemy’s ammunition depots, on their command posts, on accumulations of Russian equipment saves the lives of all of us, the lives of Ukrainian military and civilians.

Of course, I thank the partners – everyone who supplies Ukraine with the necessary weapons. In particular, another package of support from the United States was approved this week, which also includes ammunition for the HIMARS systems. Thank you very much. All of them are used as accurately and beneficially as possible for the overall strategy of our defense. We are doing everything to get yet more effective and modern weapons.

It was possible to restore the sea export of Ukrainian agricultural products. Our ports on the Black Sea are operating again. And although it is still too early to give general assessments of the process, we can still say that it is positive both for our state and for all our partners.

However, the key security risk has not yet been removed. The threat of Russian provocations and terrorist attacks remains. Everyone should be aware of this.

But if the partners fulfill their part of the commitment and guarantee the security of the supply, it will really solve the global food crisis.

And we must not forget that the restoration of our sea exports was made possible primarily thanks to our soldiers – all those who defend Odesa and secured the liberation of Snake Island. These are simply heroes.

During the week, opportunities for Ukraine in the African direction were significantly expanded. There were new contacts with state leaders and communication with journalists. I will continue this work next week – another series of negotiations is planned.

Unfortunately, we have a significant worsening of the situation around the Zaporizhzhia NPP. Russian terrorists became the first in the world to use a nuclear plant for terror. The biggest in Europe! We will draw the world’s attention to this and insist on new sanctions against Russia for creating such a global threat.

And despite the fact that the Russian shelling of the nuclear plant is one of the most dangerous crimes against Ukrainians and all Europeans, against the right to life of every person, for some reason there is no report or even a simple notification from Amnesty International about it. A very eloquent silence, which once again indicates the manipulative selectivity of this organization.

This week there are new sanction steps from Canada and the United States. Switzerland made an important decision regarding support for the seventh EU sanctions package. The general tendency to strengthen sanctions remains unchanged and will continue increasing the price for this terror, terror against our people, for the terrorist state.

I want to thank everyone who develops our UNITED24 public charity platform, and all the ambassadors of this platform – Andriy Shevchenko, Elina Svitolinia, Liev Schreiber, the band Imagine Dragons, Demna. This week we summed up the three-month results of work the UNITED24 platform. More than UAH 6 billion were raised in contributions for reconstruction, equipment for hospitals, for the purchase of ambulances – dozens of ambulances were purchased. There is already the first helicopter bought using the funds raised by UNITED24. It will be used to rescue the wounded. It was possible to attract help from more than a hundred countries.

One of the most important areas for August and September is the implementation of our Fast Recovery Plan. What needs to be done in the territory liberated from the enemy to give people conditions for a normal life and to prepare for the autumn and winter season. In total, 1,060 settlements have already been liberated, and the absolute majority of them require significant restoration work, demining, and the construction of social facilities. And I thank all our partners who joined the relevant work.

In particular, this week the delegation of Estonia visited the districts of Zhytomyr region, which the country is helping with recovery. Estonia was the first within the Fast Recovery Plan to choose objects for financing.

We work with diplomats and companies in all other areas that need support and restoration.

We believe in our defenders! We help the defense!

Let’s remain united and do everything for the victory of Ukraine! It will be!

Eternal glory to our soldiers!

Glory to Ukraine!

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 5 August 2022.

Dear Ukrainians!

Three vessels with grain for export left our ports today – from Odesa and Chornomorsk. Almost 60,000 tonnes of corn are on board, which are expected by consumers in Turkey, the UK, and Ireland.

The first new vessel since February 24 is heading to the port of Chornomorsk for loading.

The main thing now is the constant increase in exports. Every adequate world player is interested in this. The more our grain will be on the global market, the smaller will be the harvest of political chaos in countries, primarily in Africa and Asia, but not only there. We must remember that this year the demand for imported food in Europe is much higher than expected. European harvests are smaller because of the heat. But the Ukrainian harvest of grain and oilseeds will most likely meet the forecasts – more than 65 million tonnes are expected. Therefore, if the partners do their part of the obligations under the Grain Initiative, the security part, and do not allow new Russian provocations in relation to our exports, then the food crisis, which has been so threatening to the world, can be overcome.

But the situation on the energy market, and especially for European consumers, continues to be very dangerous due to Russia’s cynical and worked out well gas blackmail. Instead of supplying gas to the territory of Europe in accordance with the contracts, Russia even simply burns it – and this is happening more than one week. Why does it do this? So that prices in Europe rise even more, so that ordinary Europeans suffer even more and so that it will be even more difficult for everyone on the continent to prepare for winter. This is a manifestation of Russia’s deliberate anti-European policy, anti-human policy and the effect of the old mistakes of Europeans who did not want to see that Gazprom, Russian gas pipelines bypassing Ukraine are the same weapons for Russia as tanks and artillery, and each of us, each in Europe is a target for them.

And we all have to defend ourselves now. Together to prepare for the new heating season. Together to respond to any provocations of Russia in the energy sector. Together to develop sanctions in response to Russian blackmail and terror.

Today, the occupiers created another extremely risky situation for everyone in Europe – they fired at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, twice in one day. This is the largest nuclear power plant on our continent. And any shelling of this facility is an open, brazen crime, an act of terror. Russia should bear responsibility for the very fact of creating a threat to the nuclear power plant. And this is not only another argument in favor of recognizing Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. This is an argument in favor of applying tough sanctions against the entire Russian nuclear industry – from Rosatom to all related companies and individuals. This is purely a matter of safety. The one who creates nuclear threats to other nations is definitely not capable of using nuclear technologies safely.

Today I held a meeting devoted to the sanctions policy, confiscation of Russian assets. As government officials reported, assets worth UAH 28 billion have already been forcibly seized in Ukraine. This work continues. More than 900 facilities belonging to the Russian state are proposed to be confiscated. And if we evaluate the property package not only of the terrorist state, but also of its residents, then this are 36,000 items for seizure. All this will be sent to compensate for the damages that Russia causes through war and terror.

I also heard the results of the work of the group on the development and implementation of the international compensation mechanism and confiscation of Russian assets abroad. All our partners are actively working on this – in Europe, in the United States. Work on bills that will expand the possibilities for the confiscation of Russian assets for Ukraine is underway.

And Donbas burned out by Russian strikes, the abuse of the occupiers over Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, the shelling of Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk region, Sumy region, Chernihiv region, Kyiv region, Zhytomyr region, Odesa region and other regions of Ukraine are what Russia will surely pay for: both politically and financially, and with its own future, which Russia is losing with every strike on our territory.

I spoke today with the President of Malawi. It is another African state, the ninth country, which Ukraine is in contact with for the first time at the highest level in the entire history of our independence. I assured Mr. President that Ukraine will make every effort so that every country interested in our agricultural products can meet its consumption needs. We also discussed other issues of stability and our cooperation in international organizations.

I also signed a decree awarding our soldiers. A total of 192 combatants were given state awards, 18 of them, unfortunately, posthumously.

Eternal gratitude to all who is fighting for our great state!

Thank you, great people of Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 4 August 2022.

Ukrainians!

Today, Russian terrorists once again fired at Toretsk, Donetsk region, hitting public transport stop. Eight people died, three children are among those injured. Residential buildings were damaged by projectile fragments and the blast wave – those are ordinary high-rise buildings. St. Panteleimon Church was also damaged, the priest was wounded.

It was a deliberate strike by the occupiers, another act of terror – cynical and calculated. They knew where they were hitting, and they obviously wanted people to get hurt.

However, we do not see clear and timely reports from some international organizations regarding this and thousands of other crimes committed by Russian terrorists. We saw today a completely different report from Amnesty International, which unfortunately tries to amnesty the terrorist state and shift the responsibility from the aggressor to the victim.

There cannot be – even hypothetically – any condition under which any Russian attack on Ukraine becomes justified. Aggression against our state is unprovoked, invasive and openly terroristic. And if someone makes a report in which the victim and the aggressor are allegedly the same in something, if some data about the victim is analyzed and what the aggressor was doing at that time is ignored, this cannot be tolerated.

Almost 200 religious buildings alone – temples and prayer houses of various denominations – were damaged or destroyed by Russian strikes. Almost 900 medical facilities. Over 2,200 educational institutions. Dozens of universities, hundreds of schools and kindergartens. The occupiers repeatedly deliberately fired artillery and mortars at people queuing for water, at evacuation buses, and repeatedly at public transport stops. The Russian army did not even refrain from striking at the memorials to the victims of the Holocaust, at the cemeteries… At the camp with prisoners of war in Olenivka. And there are no reports about it for some reason. This is immoral selectivity.

Anyone who amnesties Russia and who artificially creates such an informational context that some attacks by terrorists are supposedly justified or supposedly understandable, cannot but realize that it helps the terrorists. And if you provide manipulative reports, then you share the responsibility for the death of people with them.

Every day we expand the possibilities of our foreign policy – formal and informal. I spoke today with representatives of the African media – from Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and Ghana. African countries can be affected very seriously by the destabilization of world markets and global relations provoked by Russia, in particular due to the food crisis. At the same time, in Africa there is a shortage of true information about the Russian war against our country and a surplus of Russian propaganda. We’ll do everything to change this balance.

Negotiations with the President of Guinea-Bissau took place for the first time in the history of our bilateral relations. I noted that Ukraine is ready to be a guarantor of food security for African countries. We discussed the support for our state in international organizations.

Tomorrow there will be new negotiations with a leader of an African country, and in general, only recently we started proper communication with eight leaders of African states.

Every day and in various ways, I remind some leaders of the European Union that Ukrainian pensioners, our displaced persons, our teachers and other people who depend on budget payments cannot be held hostage to their indecision or bureaucracy. 8 billion euros for Ukraine are currently suspended. And such an artificial delay of macro-financial assistance to our state is either a crime or a mistake, and it is difficult to say which is worse in such conditions of a full-scale war.

I don’t want to name the European country that is slowing it down now. Let’s believe that this is still a mistake and that it will be corrected.

I held a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief today. Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov reported on the current provision of troops with equipment and ammunition. Commander-in-Chief Zaluzhny, Head of the Security Service Malyuk, Minister of Internal Affairs Monastyrskyi also delivered reports. We analyzed the situation in the most acute areas of the frontline, in particular in the Donetsk region. Particular attention was paid to the state of implementation of the previous decisions of the Staff, all of them must be implemented by 100%.

I signed another decree on awarding our warriors. 192 combatants were awarded state awards, six of them posthumously. In total, more than 25,500 of our defenders have already been awarded for bravery and effectiveness in battles since February 24. More than 4 thousand – posthumously.

Eternal memory to all who died for Ukraine!

Eternal gratitude to everyone who fights against Russian terrorists!

Glory to Ukraine!

The speech made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 3 August 2022.

Dear Mrs. Rector of the Australian National University!

Dear lecturers!

Dear students!

I know that a total of 20 universities in Australia are currently participating in the broadcast. I am grateful for this opportunity to speak with you.

Today is the 161st day of the full-scale war launched by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. Every day, the world is shocked by new reports about new Russian crimes. This should not become usual for the world. Because it will mean that the world has come to terms.

A lot of people worried and maybe still worry about the fact that it is necessary to act delicately and not to anger Russia. Regarding Russia being able to “save face”. By now it should be obvious to everyone – all this is of no importance. It is impossible to anger those who are mad. It is impossible to save face for someone who does not want it.

The Russian Federation has been openly demonstrating this to all states for 161 days in a row. Now it is important not to forget any of them. The world always talks about Russia’s actions only in the context of their latest, so to speak, “current” atrocity. Now the world must finally put everything together and realize…

He who wants to save face does not erase peaceful cities and villages from the face of the Earth. Does not fire at them with MLRS every day and every night. Does not shoot at residential buildings with cruise missiles. Does not fire cluster munitions or phosphorus bombs at residential areas.

Does not fire missiles at the railway station, for example, in the city of Kramatorsk, where hundreds of people were simply waiting for evacuation. Does not fire missiles at Vinnytsia downtown where hundreds of people were just walking. Does not fire missiles at the shopping mall in Kremenchuk, where hundreds of people were buying food or stuff.

Does not drop bombs on maternity hospitals and hospitals. Kindergartens, schools and universities. Museums, theaters, churches. Does not direct artillery against cemeteries and does not fire missiles at the memorial complex for the victims of the Holocaust – Babyn Yar.

He who wants to save face does not commit thousands of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Does not organize mass executions of civilians. Does not handcuff civilians, does not put them on their knees and does not kill them with a shot in the back of the head. Does not rape women in front of their children and children in front of their mothers.

He who wants to save face does not organize blockades of the occupied cities. Does not leave thousands of people without food and drinking water. Does not leave thousands of seriously ill patients without the necessary daily medications. Does not leave people without light, without heating, without connection, without the slightest hope. Does not disrupt humanitarian corridors. Does not take people to forced labor. Does not kidnap children, separating families. Does not leave behind dozens of mass graves.

He who wants to save face does not seize nuclear power plants, does not fire at power units with tanks. Does not threaten the world with a nuclear strike and nuclear war. Does not threaten to create an energy crisis. Does not block ports and ships with grain, creating a threat of mass famine on the planet. And after signing the document on the unblocking of ports and free passage of ships, does not fire missiles at the seaport the day after signing!

He who wants to save face does not bring mobile crematoria to burn corpses, to conceal his own atrocities and losses. Does not treat his own soldiers like cannon fodder.

Does not treat prisoners of war worse than animals, does not torture, does not organize mass executions, atrocities, terrorist attacks.

He who has lost his mind, heart, conscience, dignity and, in general, everything human, does not seek to save face. At least because he lost it a long time ago.

Today’s Russia lost its face a long time ago. It did not happen yesterday, not the day before yesterday, and not last week. This was simply confirmed once again. Once again, the world saw what was hiding under the mask of a supposed peacemaker, which Russia tried to wear for many years. There is another mask. With slits for eyes and mouth. A mask worn by terrorists.

And the only difference between terrorists and Russia is that the first take responsibility for their actions, while Russia does not have the courage to do so and has the audacity to blame others for its crimes. Other countries and the whole world.

And now this world faces a choice. Long overdue, not convenient for someone, unpleasant, and for someone – inevitable.

You can’t hide from it, you can’t come off unscathed, you can’t let it slide. During the 161 days of the full-scale war in Europe, humanity passed 161 points of no return.

For many countries, the time has come when their own interests must yield to the interests of the planet. Because otherwise, both the first and the second will be under threat due to the actions of the world terrorist. Any trade, business, other forms of cooperation with Russia today, first of all, bring not probable benefits to some but probable death to others. Political, economic, energy or any other expediency is equal to the lives of thousands of people today. Who are killed by Russian weapons.

The world must make a choice. The UN must make a choice. The UN Security Council must make a choice. The International Committee of the Red Cross must make a choice. The OSCE must make a choice. EU countries must make a choice. NATO countries must make a choice. The G7 and G20 countries must make a choice. The US must make a choice and take this important step. Recognize Russia as a sponsor of terrorism. This time has come. Long ago. The global countdown has started. And then there are only 2 options. Determination, and therefore an end to the crimes and atrocities of Russia, or – more bomb explosions from these terrorists.

I know that many Australians send financial aid to our country, donate medications, volunteer in hospitals, ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid and fight on the frontline. So I urge you to continue helping us, helping Ukraine, including in the classrooms. Defending the truth and debunking the myths that the Russian propaganda machine has so masterfully learned to fabricate.

I am extremely grateful to the government of Anthony Albanese, just as to the previous Australian government, for the systematic support of our state. Which includes large-scale military and humanitarian aid, sanctions against Russian and Belarusian legal entities and individuals, abolition of tariffs on Ukrainian goods, provision of coal for our energy industry. Today, your country provides the largest military aid to Ukraine among non-NATO countries.

We would appreciate your continued assistance. The war is not over. And today, more than ever, we need the support of all civilized countries, together with which we will definitely stop and defeat evil.

Thank you for your attention!

Glory to Ukraine!

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 3 August 2022.

Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!

These days, in our information space and in social networks, there are a lot of reports about conflict situations and threats that exist in other geographies. First – the Balkans, then – Taiwan, now it may be the Caucasus… All these situations seem different, although they are united by one factor, namely: the global security architecture did not work. If it worked, there wouldn’t be all these conflicts.

And this is actually what Ukraine has been drawing attention to not only for 161 days since the start of the full-scale war, but for years. Since Russia has completely ignored international law, the interests of humanity as such.

2014 became a turning point. Then, in quite obvious situations – with Crimea, with Donbas, with the downed Malaysian Boeing – Russia avoided immediate and tangible responsibility, preserved business and political ties with the world… And now many in global relations believe that they will manage to do so as well.

That is why Ukrainians are now doing a very important thing for everyone in the world. Our people united the free world not just around their struggle for freedom, but around understanding how fragile our freedom is. The freedom of every nation in Europe and in other parts of the world.

This fragility can only be protected by joint action, and for this to work in the long term, there must be an effective global security architecture that ensures that no state can ever again resort to terror against another state.

At the system level, at the level of global institutions, this is exactly what we are currently working for – both the Ukrainian state and all our partners.

Today I spoke with the student community of Australia. More than 20 universities, as well as the interest of Australia’s leading media, politicians. I called on all our Australian friends to help us in the information war and spread the truth about Ukrainian defense and Russian terror as much as possible.

It is necessary to solve an extremely important national task: the Ukrainian point of view should be seen and heard in those parts of the world where Russian propaganda is still very loud. This applies to the Pacific region, the countries of South and East Asia, the Arab world, Africa and Latin America. And that is why information support is needed from all our people and all friends abroad whose voice can be heard.

Today I met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia who visited Ukraine. I thanked him for starting the visit with the topic of restoring Ukraine. In the Zhytomyr region, in the framework of our Fast Recovery Plan, we will begin the construction of the first kindergarten out of fifteen objects that have been proposed to the Estonian Government for help in the reconstruction of the region. This is extremely important right now – when displaced people are returning home.

Estonia is one of those countries that started helping us even before February 24 and whose support has become extremely important. Ukraine will always remember this.

Switzerland has today joined the European Union’s seventh package of sanctions – and I am grateful for that. When such a country does not remain neutral in the protection of values and human morality, it is a very important signal for the whole world.

Now it is felt that Russia has begun to realize the inevitability of being recognized as a terrorist state. After all that the Russian army and allegedly private Russian military companies have done, no other terrorist organization in the world can claim primacy in terror. Russia is definitely number one among terrorists. And this definitely deserves legal consequences, in particular, in the decisions of the United States and other world actors.

And precisely because of this, a new propaganda activity started in Moscow. They suddenly decided to define “Azov” as terrorists, although when a terrorist state does this, it is obviously absurd. They are activating various emissaries with theses that the terrorist state allegedly wants negotiations… If Russia really wanted the end of the war, it would not accumulate its reserves in the south of Ukraine now and would not create mass graves of murdered innocent people on Ukrainian territory.

Well, in general, it is simply disgusting when former leaders of powerful states with European values work for Russia, which is fighting against these values.

Therefore, we need to fight, we need to beat terrorists on our land, we need to spread information about Ukrainian interests and achieve success and victories for Ukraine. Each and every one at their own level – both Ukrainians and partners. Terror can be stopped only by a joint indomitable force.

I signed a new decree on awarding our warriors. 194 combatants were awarded state awards. 28 of them – posthumously.

Eternal memory to everyone whose life was taken by terrorists!

Glory to all who fight for Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 2 August 2022.

Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!

Today, the first vessel with Ukrainian grain arrived at the Bosphorus, passing through a special corridor in the Black Sea, which was agreed upon to unblock our ports.

Our goal now is to have regularity: so that when one ship leaves the port, there are other ships as well – both those loading and those approaching the port. Continuity and regularity is the necessary principle. All consumers of our agricultural products need it.

Much has already been said about why it is important to restore Ukrainian agricultural exports. I will add just one detail now. Export this year is needed so that our farmers and agricultural companies have sufficient resources for next year’s sowing.

This is a matter of food security for our country as well – we are now ensuring next year.

Russia provoked the food crisis in order to use the supply of wheat, corn, oil as a weapon… Just as it is already doing with gas and crude oil. Russia creates a deficit, instigates the increase in prices, and when this provokes social unrest, it demands political concessions. It should not work with food.

Of course, we understand who we are dealing with. And in Russia, they understand that they are losing one of the opportunities to terrorize the world.

But when the world is united, when partners fulfill their commitments, the necessary result can be achieved. Let’s see how the grain initiative will work in the coming days.

And I want everyone in Ukraine to realize this despite the disinformation campaign about the grain initiative, which is being spread by the enemies of our state… Every hryvnia earned by our agricultural workers and all the restored international ties of Ukraine will contribute to the strengthening of our state.

I spoke today with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Of course, the key theme is the defense support of our struggle for freedom, this is an interaction that we must strengthen constantly for our common interests.

OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Zbigniew Rau was in Kyiv today – I thanked him for the support.

In negotiations with both Mr. Stoltenberg and Mr. Rau, I paid special attention to the issue of our prisoners of war kept by Russia. In particular, this also applies to the Russian terrorist attack in Olenivka, which must become an ultimate argument for all civilized countries of the world to officially recognize Russia as a terrorist state.

What else is needed for this? Isn’t this a sufficiently brutal and obvious act of terrorism for the relevant decisions to recognize Russia as a terrorist state to be made in the major capitals of the world?

Of course, the occupiers receive a fundamental response to all their crimes on the battlefield. In this context, today I want to thank President of the United States Biden and the entire American people for the new package of defense support for Ukraine.

The word “HIMARS” has become almost synonymous with the word “justice” for our country, and the Ukrainian defense forces will do everything to ensure that the occupiers experience more and more painful losses every week thanks to these very effective systems.

Yes, indeed, we still cannot completely break the advantage of the Russian army in artillery and in manpower, and this is very tangible in the battles, especially in Donbas – Pisky, Avdiivka, other directions. It’s just hell there. It can’t even be described in words…

And every Ukrainian must always be grateful to our warriors who defend Ukrainian positions there despite the terrorists’ significant fire superiority.

But every day our diplomats and all other representatives of our state do everything possible and everything impossible to get the weapons that will ultimately help Ukraine stop this horde and to convince everyone who still has doubts about the supplies.

Today I also thank these people – each and every one who ensures the supply of weapons, who promotes the necessary decisions in partner states, who literally lives in these arms negotiations.

We also have new decisions to strengthen sanctions against Russia for the war – the United States and Canada have expanded the list of individuals and legal entities against whom restrictions have been applied.

This is the right way, and it is necessary for the European Union to fill in the sanctions pause as soon as possible by adopting a new package of sanctions against the terrorist state. We will work on this in the coming weeks.

In the evening, I signed decrees awarding our defenders. 167 warriors of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were awarded state awards, 32 of them posthumously. Another decree awarded 16 intelligence officers, 1 of them posthumously. Also – 122 employees of the Security Service of Ukraine, 2 – posthumously.

Eternal memory to all who gave lives for Ukraine!

Eternal glory to all who fight for independence!

Glory to Ukraine!

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 1 August 2022.

Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!

The implementation of the Initiative on the export of Ukrainian grain and other agricultural products from our ports in the Black Sea began today. The first vessel carrying 26,000 tons of corn left the port of Odesa.

As of now, it is too early to draw any conclusions and predict further events. But the port started working, the export traffic started, and this can be called the first positive signal that there is a chance to stop the spread of the food crisis in the world.

Currently, everything depends on the implementation of the security parameters of the Initiative, which is the responsibility of the partners, primarily the United Nations and Turkey.

We cannot have the illusions that Russia will simply refrain from trying to disrupt Ukrainian exports. Russia consistently provoked famine in the countries of Africa and Asia, which traditionally imported large volumes of Ukrainian food. And now – in conditions of extreme heat, as this year in Europe, the threat of a price crisis and a certain food shortage is also possible for some European countries.

So, we’ll see how the agreements will work and whether there will really be security. 16 vessels are already waiting their turn for departure, and we are ready to make a proper contribution to the stabilization of the world food market.

For our state, this is also of great benefit – and this is not only about billions of dollars in foreign exchange revenue. About half a million Ukrainians are involved in the cultivation of agricultural export crops, and if we add related industries, then this is plus a million jobs. That is why there is the appropriate state attention to the implementation of the export Initiative. Our people really need it.

Today I spoke with President of France Emmanuel Macron, in particular about the restoration of our agricultural exports by sea. In general, the negotiations lasted one and a half hours and were very meaningful: relations in the defense sphere, first of all. A wide range of security issues – thank you for the assistance already given to Ukraine, which effectively protects us on the battlefield.

We also discussed macro-financial support for our state – I asked Mr. President to help us unblock macro-financial aid, which has stalled in Europe. I want to remind all the leaders that it is 9 billion euros. These are not trifles for us, but important social things – these are our pensions, these are our salaries, support for IDPs, and therefore we expect appropriate decisions from specific government officials.

Mr. President of France informed me about the results of his African tour – we are now strengthening this direction of our foreign policy. I invited President Macron to participate in the online summit of the Crimea Platform, which will take place shortly.

Last year, we created the Crimea Platform and are developing this format – despite all the threats and tangible diplomatic opposition from Russia.

During the years of occupation, Russia turned Crimea into a large military prison camp – and tens of thousands of people became its victims. Crimea became a bridgehead for attacks on the free territory of our country… The weak and insufficiently principled reaction to the occupation of Crimea in 2014 and in the following years became one of the prerequisites for the fact that Russian aggression managed to grow to such a scale. We will gradually restore justice regarding our Crimea.

The situation on the battlefield has not undergone significant changes over the past day. Fierce battles continue in Donbas, in the Kharkiv region, the struggle for the south of our country continues…

Ukrainian artillery and intelligence have already done a lot to reduce the fire potential of the occupiers – and it is tangible. Today I want to thank all our warriors who destroy Russian logistics, who destroy the occupiers’ ammunition and who do not leave the occupiers a single safe place on our land.

And I also want to thank our partners now – everyone who supplies Ukraine with modern and effective artillery and MLRS. The power of the democratic world is well felt on the battlefield in Ukraine these weeks.

And today, another conversation took place in the format Ukraine – United States – three on three – Andriy Yermak and Jacob Sullivan, Dmytro Kuleba and Antony Blinken, Valerii Zaluzhny and Mark Milley. This is our continuous format, which has already allowed us to make a fundamental contribution to the protection of the entire free world. We’ve coordinated next steps in support of Ukraine.

Eternal glory to everyone who fights for freedom!

Glory to Ukraine!

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 31 July 2022.

Ukrainians!

Today, one of the most brutal shellings of Mykolaiv and the region over the entire period of the full-scale war took place. Dozens of missiles and rockets… The occupiers hit residential buildings, schools, other social infrastructure, and industrial facilities.

The Russian attack took the lives of Oleksiy Vadaturskyi and his wife Raisa, the founder of one of the largest Ukrainian agricultural companies “Nibulon”, the Hero of Ukraine. My sincere condolences to the relatives and friends of the Vadaturskyi couple.

It is exactly such people, such companies, our Ukrainian south that have guaranteed the world’s food security. It has always been so. And it will be so again. The Russian terrorists should not even hope that they will be able to destroy the social and industrial potential of Ukraine and walk through the ruins.

Ukraine and our people, our capabilities are definitely more powerful than any Russian missiles and shells.

Now the Russian army is trying to strengthen its positions in the occupied areas of the south of our country, increasing activity in the relevant areas. Part of the Russian forces from their positions in the east are moved to the south – to the Kherson region and the Zaporizhzhia region… But this will not help them there.

None of the Russian strikes goes unanswered by our military and intelligence officers. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are ready to respond to any new activity of the occupiers.

And today I want to thank every resident of Mykolaiv for their indomitability, for protecting the city and the region. I also thank Nikopol, Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih and the entire Dnipropetrovsk region, the strong people of Zaporizhzhia and the region, all Ukrainians of the Kherson region, everyone who defends the outskirts of Odesa and the region… Thank you for your courage!

Strategically, Russia has no chance of winning this war. And it is necessary to hold on, so that even at the tactical levels, the terrorist state feels its defeat. We have to hold on in the south, in the east and everywhere. We have to hold on in defense, diplomacy and politics. To preserve our unity – and not only until the victory, but also after it, in order to qualitatively restore everything destroyed by the occupiers. I believe that we will do all this.

I signed several important laws today, in particular the law on providing additional guarantees of protection to media representatives working in the areas of hostilities. This will strengthen the protection of our journalists.

The law on ensuring the rights and freedoms of IDPs is eliminating bureaucratic barriers that limited assistance to people.

The law on the protection of the civilian population in the event of emergency situations and hostilities.

Also, the law that creates conditions for comprehensive thermal modernization of buildings and simplifies the process of restoring the residential sector damaged by the strikes of the occupiers.

Important ratification laws, some other acts as well.

We are preparing for a new week – as always, full of international activity. Already tomorrow there will be important negotiations with European partners. In a few days I will continue delivering speeches to the international community, communicating with different audiences – it is very important, in particular with the student audience.

No matter what happens and no matter what the occupiers’ plans are, we must do our job – protect our state and take care of each other.

The more effective we are in this – all of us, all citizens of Ukraine – the faster we will achieve victory.

Thank you to everyone who fights for Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 30 July 2022.

Dear Ukrainians!

During this day, our state received many signals from different countries condemning the Russian terrorist act in Olenivka. The world sees the truth. And I thank all our partners who are ready to join in establishing all the circumstances of this terrible execution of our prisoners.

All evidence of this crime committed by the occupiers will be collected. Everyone is guilty – who approved, who organized, who blasted these people, who knew about it – they all will be found. But still, this is not enough now.

There must be legal steps on the part of the world community against the terrorist state. Condemnation at the level of political rhetoric is not enough for this mass murder. What relationship can be with the terrorist after that? What kind of business can be done with such a country?

Ukrainian diplomats and all friends of Ukraine abroad will increase their activity even more to track and destroy all those connections of the terrorist state with the free world, which Russia still uses.

And formal legal recognition of Russia as a terrorist state, in particular, recognition by the United States Department of State, is needed not as a political gesture, but as an effective defense of the free world. This decision will automatically make it difficult for the terrorist state to exist, and will automatically cut various political and business ties that Russia would maintain otherwise.

And all this will happen one hundred percent. It will have to be done – it’s only a matter of time and the format of making this decision. And the sooner it happens, the less evil Russia will have time to do.

It is important to hear exactly the same motivation now for all our people who still remain in Donbas, in the areas of the fiercest fighting. There are hundreds of thousands of people, tens of thousands of children… Many of people refuse to leave… But it really needs to be done. This decision will still have to be made. Anyway! Believe me.

And the sooner it is done, the more people leave Donetsk region now, the fewer people the Russian army will have time to kill.

Therefore, if you have the opportunity, please talk to those who still remain in the combat zones in Donbas. Please convince them that it is necessary to leave, especially if they are families with children. If you have the opportunity to help displaced people, do it.

There is a government decision on mandatory evacuation from Donetsk region, everything is being organized. Full support, full assistance – both logistical and payments. We only need a decision from the people themselves, who have not yet made it for themselves. Go, we will help.

We are not Russia. That is why every life is important for us. And we will use all available opportunities to save as many lives as possible and to limit Russian terror as much as possible.

At this stage of the war, terror is the main weapon for Russia. And that is why the main task of every Ukrainian, every defender of freedom and humanity in the world is to do everything to isolate the terrorist state and to protect as many people as possible from Russian attacks.

I am grateful to everyone who is fighting for Ukraine! To our heroes!

Grateful to everyone who saves our people from this Russian terror!

We will defeat everyone!

Glory to Ukraine!