Perhaps it seems to someone that after a series of victories we have a certain lull, but this is preparation - address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-09-18
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! I started this day, as always, with a morning conference call. The Commander-in-Chief, the Minister of Internal Affairs, the heads of intelligence, the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Infrastructure, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, the Security Service, the Head of the Office, "Ukroboronprom" and some others who are responsible for the most important areas of assistance to our defenders. This is how my day starts. Often - with the same questions, often - with similar answers. And this is always the time for the most important words for Ukraine. Izyum, Balakliya, Kupyansk and the Kharkiv region in general are the cities and communities that we have liberated. These words are heard now. They are heard everywhere. Mariupol, Melitopol and Kherson are also heard, but they will sound even more often and louder when we liberate them. Donetsk, Horlivka and Luhansk - they will be heard as well. Dzhankoy, Yevpatoriya, Yalta - and they will, too. Definitely. We do not talk about what’s not ours. Only our words, Ukrainian words, sound. Every morning, every afternoon, every evening, every night - for 207 days already. They sound thanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, thanks to the Special Operations Forces, thanks to the Main Intelligence Directorate, thanks to the Security Service of Ukraine, thanks to the territorial defense, thanks to the border guards and the entire system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs - from the National Guard and the National Police to the rescuers of the State Emergency Service. The most important words that are heard thanks to our medical workers and transporters, thanks to energy workers and volunteers, thanks to fighters of the information front and educators, thanks to diplomats and many others who do their job in a way that makes us all stronger. Strengthens our ability to fight and win. Perhaps it seems to someone now that after a series of victories we have a certain lull. But this is not a lull. This is preparation for the next sequence. For the next sequence of words that are very important to us all and that definitely must be heard. Because Ukraine must be free - the whole of it. And in conclusion, as always, words that sound and will always sound. They are heard by us, they will be heard by our children, they will be heard by our grandchildren. They will be heard in free Ukraine. Eternal glory to all our heroes! Glory to Ukraine!
The pace of providing aid to Ukraine by partners should correspond to the pace of our movement - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
EN 2022-09-19
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! Today, I held another meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief – we meet every time we have significant news from the frontline. The Kharkiv region – we are stabilizing the situation, holding our positions. Firmly. So firmly that the occupiers are panicking tangibly. Well, we warned that the Russian soldiers in Ukraine have only two options: flee our land or surrender. The collaborators have similar options - either they will try to escape, and it remains to be seen whether Russia will let them into its territory, even despite giving them its passports, or the collaborators will be convicted according to the current legislation of Ukraine. By the way, I want to thank the National Police for quickly restoring law and order in the newly liberated territory. And the Security Service of Ukraine – for the fact that it is now working with remarkable effectiveness. I cannot reveal all the details, but thanks to the Security Service of Ukraine, we are now confident that the occupiers will not have any foothold on Ukrainian soil. What’s important: the situation at the state border and the protection of our border were discussed at the meeting. The Head of the State Border Service delivered a report. The state will provide all the necessary power to protect our border. We heard the reports by the Commander-in-Chief, commanders of operative directions. We are very attentive to the provision of our warriors on the eve of the winter. Today I want to thank the warriors of the 54th separate mechanized brigade, who are showing resilience in the defense of the Donetsk region. The 95th airborne assault brigade - for extremely brave actions on liberating our territory. The 59th separate motorized infantry brigade is also doing a great job! In the conditions you are fighting, guys, moving forward steadily is truly heroism! The 57th separate motorized infantry brigade - thank you guys for your strength! Thank you for advancing! The pace is very important now. The pace of stabilization in the liberated areas. The pace of movement of our troops. The pace of restoration of normal life in the liberated territory. And the pace of support from partners. We speak about this honestly - the pace of providing aid to Ukraine should correspond to the pace of our movement. This was also considered today at the meeting. I spoke with Aleksander Čeferin today. I am grateful for the support of our athletes, for unwavering principles. I thanked the UEFA President for his assistance in restarting the Ukrainian Football Premier League. We discussed the opportunities of UEFA to help in the liberation of our athletes - prisoners of war, in providing public support to them. These days, a farewell ceremony for Queen Elizabeth II took place in London. Ukraine honored her memory at a high level - the Prime Minister of Ukraine and the First Lady were present. Among the millions of people who came to pay respects to Her Majesty, there were many Ukrainians. I am thankful to all Ukrainians in the United Kingdom who showed our British friends at this sorrowful moment that Ukraine stands with them. Tomorrow will be a very important day – we are preparing a speech at the UN General Assembly. There will be important signals from our state. I will also take part in the summit on food security – this is a fundamentally important element of global security, and Ukraine has something to say. There will also be online meetings with American partners and investors. We are doing everything to ensure that Ukraine's needs are met at all levels: defense, finance, economy, diplomacy. I am grateful to everyone who helps our country! I am grateful to everyone who fights for Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine!
The situation on the frontline clearly indicates that the initiative belongs to Ukraine - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
EN 2022-09-20
Ukrainians! I’ve just taken part in a high-level meeting on food security. This meeting took place within the regular UN General Assembly. The topic of food security is strategically important for our country. This is where we have – and must retain – a global role. This is what gives us economic strength and strengthens our moral leadership. The leadership of people who help others even when they themselves are in extremely difficult circumstances. We participate in the implementation of the UN World Food Programme and help African countries. We have resumed our seaborne agricultural exports, and this enables us to export our agricultural products to countries already on three continents. We are working on opening the markets of Latin America and other important parts of the world for our producers. Tomorrow I will participate in the General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly. Obviously, in a video format. But no matter what the format is, the position of our state will sound, as always, clearly and strongly. Especially since the visit of the First Lady of Ukraine to the United States has already begun, meetings within the UN General Assembly have begun. Olena has already met with the First Ladies of Poland and Lithuania - this is our format of the Lublin Triangle. And she also met nine wives of presidents and prime ministers from different countries at the Ukrainian Institute of America in the framework of the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen. This is the first such event within our cooperation format. I expect important decisions after the meetings of Prime Minister of Ukraine Shmyhal with the leaders of the states in the framework of the General Assembly. Today I spoke with the American friends of our country within the Clinton Global Initiative. And also with representatives of the leading American investment circles. I felt a great interest in Ukraine, in our reconstruction, in our capabilities. Unequivocal faith in Ukraine. Good knowledge of the situation in our country. We are developing our relations with the US at all levels. I spoke with President of Türkiye Erdoğan. The key topic is security. Head of the Office Andriy Yermak had another conversation with US President's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan today. A very useful, substantive and efficient conversation. We continue stabilization measures in the areas liberated from the Russian occupation. The regular facts of Russian atrocities are recorded - people show where the occupiers had torture chambers, where they hid the bodies of the murdered, testify about who helped the occupiers. I am thankful to all law enforcement officers involved in establishing the truth about the crimes of the occupiers. I am thankful to everyone who helps them. This is a colossal job that is needed for the sake of justice, for the sake of punishing everyone guilty of crimes against Ukrainians. The situation on the frontline clearly indicates that the initiative belongs to Ukraine. Our defenders very carefully and very bravely fulfill the tasks set by their commanders. Today, I would like to particularly note the 81st separate airborne assault brigade for its courage in liberating settlements in the Donetsk region. And also the 93rd separate mechanized brigade - for the heroic defense of Bakhmut and Soledar. Thank you! Gratitude to all our heroes! Of course, today there is quite high-profile news from Russia. Lots of questions about this. But what actually happened? What did we hear that had not been heard before? Our positions are clear and well known. Only this should interest us. Not what sounds somewhere, but what is our task. More support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, more support for intelligence, more support for the Special Operations Forces, more support for the Security Service of Ukraine, for the National Guard, for the police, for the border guards - for everyone who is gradually restoring our territorial integrity. Our positions do not change because of the noise or any announcements somewhere. And we enjoy the full support of our partners in this. We inform all subjects of international relations about what is happening. And we see understanding not only from our partners, but also from those states that tried to stay away from our struggle. There will be steps in support of Ukraine in such circumstances from key international associations as well. So let’s maintain the pressure. Let’s preserve unity. Let’s defend Ukraine. We are liberating our land. And we are not showing any signs of weakness. And I thank all friends and partners of Ukraine for today's mass principled firm condemnation of Russia's attempts to stage new sham referenda. Glory to everyone who defends our state! Glory to our beautiful people! Glory to Ukraine!
The state that provokes famine should get the toughest reaction from the world - President's speech at the Global Food Security Summit
EN 2022-09-21
Dear colleagues! Ladies and Gentlemen! I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in this meeting. Given the meeting is taking place on the margins of the UN General Assembly, I will mention one of the fundamental documents of the modern international legal system. This is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 30 articles about the most urgent things for every person out of the billions of people who have lived, live and will live on our planet. I will now quote Article 25: “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.” This is a very important definition - the definition of the right, not the privilege, the right, not the fortune, the right, not the vagaries of climate. The right to food. The right to protection against hunger. The right! Ukraine considers this right inalienable for all people, for all countries. Every person in the world should be free from hunger and even the threat of it. Every country in the world should be reliably protected from famine. And any state that provokes famine, that tries to make access to food a privilege, that tries to make the protection of nations from famine dependent on the smile of fortune or the mercy of some dictator - such a state must get the toughest reaction from the world. Reaction as for the use of weapons of mass destruction - chemical, biological or nuclear. Because the spread of famine is the same immoral and inhumane weapon of mass destruction as the spread of deadly bacteria or radiation. This is Ukraine's position. This is the position of a nation that has lost millions of people to Holodomors. Therefore, we particularly feel what the words "food security" really mean. What the right to protection against hunger is. What the right to food is. We feel why this is not a privilege, why it should not be an accident and why anyone who destroys this right should face a tough response. That is why we are making so much effort to restore our agricultural exports. This is not only an economic issue for us. This is a question of basic values and respect for life as such. In 8 months of last year, Ukraine exported almost 38 million tons of agricultural products. In 8 months of this year, the world market has received almost 10 million tons less already. Minus 10 million tons of our agricultural exports is plus tens of millions of people who found themselves on the brink of starvation or are starving. And these are only the initial consequences of the Russian blockade of our ports, Russian attempts with missile strikes to prevent us from building new export logistics, and the immoral political game with fluctuations in food prices. Russia must bear responsibility for this. Why did it need all this? To supposedly graciously give food in exchange for sovereignty. In exchange for political submission. In exchange for vulnerability. Vulnerability of many African, Asian and European countries. That is why Russia wants to make protection from hunger not a right, but a privilege, and wants to make food - not an inalienable right, but something to beg for. We categorically do not accept that. We consistently fight against that. Even in the conditions of a full-scale war, we help those who cannot provide agricultural products for themselves with our agricultural products. And I want to assure the UN that Ukraine will continue to be a guarantor of the UN World Food Programme. In particular, we are already helping Somalia and Ethiopia. Africa, Asia, Europe, the American continent... Wherever food is needed, we are ready to export and help. And we call for your solidarity. Stand in solidarity with us in holding Russia to account. Stand in solidarity with us in guaranteeing the right of any person and any country to protection from hunger, the right to food. This is a right, not a privilege. It should be so. I believe that we will be able to guarantee it. I am grateful to UN Secretary-General Guterres. I am grateful to Türkiye and President Erdoğan. Our grain export initiative is working steadily. And I am grateful to all Ukrainians - each and every one who turns our ability to guarantee global food security into an objective reality. I thank all of you for your support and attention! Glory to Ukraine!
Speech by the President of Ukraine at the General Debate of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly
EN 2022-09-22
Greetings to all people of the world who value peace and unity between different and equal nations! I wish you all peace! I thank you that we are united in our striving to restore peace and to guarantee peace for any nation that has become a victim of the armed aggression. A crime has been committed against Ukraine, and we demand just punishment. The crime was committed against our state borders. The crime was committed against the lives of our people. The crime was committed against the dignity of our women and men. The crime was committed against the values that make you and me a community of the united nations. And Ukraine demands punishment for trying to steal our territory. Punishment for the murders of thousands of people. Punishment for tortures and humiliations of women and men. Punishment for the catastrophic turbulence that Russia provoked with its illegal war and not only for us, Ukrainians, but for the whole world. For every nation that is represented in this Hall of the UN General Assembly. I am speaking on behalf of the state, which is forced to defend itself, but has the formula for peace. I am speaking to everyone who wants to hear how to achieve peace. I will present a formula that can work not only for us, but for anyone who may find themselves in similar circumstances as we did. It is a formula that punishes crime, protects life, restores security and territorial integrity, guarantees security, and provides determination. There are five preconditions for peace. Dear Mr. President of the General Assembly! Dear Secretary-General of the United Nations! Dear heads of states and governments! Dear journalists! Nations of the world! Ukraine wants peace. Europe wants peace. The world wants peace. And we have seen who is the only one who wants war. There is only one Entity among all UN Member States who would say now, if he could interrupt my speech, that he is happy with this war – with his war. But we will not let this Entity prevail over us, even though it is the largest state in the world. Ukraine showed strength on the battlefield, using its right to self-defense in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter. And no one will reproach us now or in the future with weakness or inability to fight for ourselves, for our independence. We are achieving a result in this fight and we see what the end of this war will be, and what will be the guarantees of a stable peace. The UN Charter proclaims the equality of nations – and we proved that Ukraine is equal among the equals. The UN Charter protects the inviolability of borders – and we confirm our state borderline by expelling the occupiers outside. The UN Charter stipulates the value of human rights, dignity and life, and we also stipulate them – with every Ukrainian city freed from Russian occupation. We did not provoke this war. We held 88 rounds of talks in various formats to prevent this war, just from the beginning of my presidency until February 24 this year. But Russia – instead of stopping the crime of aggression, which it started back in 2014 – turned it into a full-scale invasion. And we have no choice but to defend ourselves. We do it. We push the aggressor beyond the internationally recognized border of the Ukrainian state. And this is the first item of our peace formula. Comprehensive item. Punishment. Punishment for the crime of aggression. Punishment for violation of borders and territorial integrity. Punishment that must be in place until the internationally recognized border is restored. Until the aggression stops. And until the damages and losses for the war are fully compensated. Therefore, sanctions against the aggressor are part of the peace formula. Blocking the trade and relations with the aggressor is part of the peace formula. All this is a punishment. So long as the aggressor is a party to decision-making in the international organizations, he must be isolated from them – at least until aggression lasts. Reject the right to vote. Deprive delegation rights. Remove the right of veto – if it is a Member of the UN Security Council. In order to punish the aggressor within the institutions. We should not turn a blind eye to propagandists who justify aggression, but apply a full package of personal restrictions against them. That is a punishment for lying. Citizens of the aggressor state should not be allowed to enjoy tourism or shopping in the territory of those who value peace, but should be encouraged through visa restrictions to fight against the aggression of their own state. Punish for abetting the evil. A Special Tribunal should be created to punish Russia for the crime of aggression against our state. This will become signal to all “would-be” aggressors, that they must value peace or be brought to responsibility by the world. We have prepared precise steps to establish such Tribunal. They will be presented to all states. Ukraine will appeal to the UN General Assembly to support an international compensation mechanism. We count on your support. Russia should pay for this war with its assets. It is also a punishment. This is one of the most terrible punishments for Russian officials, who value money above everything else. The second item of the peace formula is the protection of life. The most concrete item. Now, while the sessions of the General Assembly continue, in the Ukrainian town of Izyum, Kharkiv region, the exhumation is under way... of bodies from a mass burial, which happened when the territory was controlled by Russian troops. The bodies of women and men, children and adults, civilians and soldiers were found there. 445 graves. There is a family that died under the rubble of a house after a Russian airstrike – father, mother, 6- and 8-year-old girls, grandparents. There is a man who was strangled with a rope. There is a woman with broken ribs and wounds on her body. There is a man who was castrated before the murder, and this is not the first case. Ask, please, the representatives of Russia why the Russian military are so obsessed with castration. What was done to them so that they want to do this to others? The only thing that differs the mass burial in Izyum from what the world saw in Bucha is, in fact, the burial. The Russian army was in Izyum for a longer time, and therefore the bodies of the killed people were buried, and not scattered on the streets. So, how can we allow the Russian army somewhere on Ukrainian soil, knowing that they are committing such mass murders everywhere? We cannot. We must protect life. The world must protect life. Every state suffering the armed aggression needs the opportunity to protect its citizens and liberate its territory. If it requires help with weapons or shells – they should be provided. If you need financial help for this, it should be given. If for this, it is necessary to help with the intelligence data – just do it. But what is not needed is lies. We can return the Ukrainian flag to our entire territory. We can do it with the force of arms. But we need time. We tried to speed it up. We tried to implement the basic provisions of the UN Charter for Ukraine through negotiations. But Russia is afraid of real negotiations and does not want to fulfill any fair international obligations. It lies to everyone. As it is typical for aggressors, for terrorists. Even now, when Russia talks about negotiations, it only wants to slow down its retreat. Russia wants to spend the winter on the occupied territory of Ukraine and prepare forces to attempt a new offensive. New Buchas, new Izyums... Or at least it wants to prepare fortifications on occupied land and carry out military mobilization at home. We cannot agree to a delayed war. Because it will be even hotter than the war now. For us, this is a war for life. That is why we need defense support – weapons, military equipment and shells. Offensive weapons, a long-range one is enough to liberate our land, and defensive systems, above all, air defense. And we need financial support – to keep internal stability and fulfill social obligations to our people. Physical and social protection are two elements of any nation's life. So, the second item of our peace formula is the protection of life. By all available means – allowed by the UN Charter. The third item of our peace formula is restoring security and territorial integrity. Look at how many elements of global security Russia has undermined with its war – maritime safety, food safety, radiation safety, energy safety and safety from weapons of mass destruction. We are already restoring maritime safety and food security. And I thank Mr. António Guterres for his personal involvement. Algeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Libya, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Bangladesh, Israel, India, Iran, Yemen, Cyprus, China, Korea, Lebanon, Türkiye, Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, Romania and France have already received Ukrainian agricultural products. And we have to increase the supply by sea. Both under market conditions and within the UN Food Program, for which Ukraine is always a reliable partner. By the way, despite all the difficulties caused by the war, we decided to provide humanitarian aid to Ethiopia and Somalia, so we will send them an additional amount of our wheat. But it is more difficult with other security elements. On the eve of the General Assembly meeting, Russia fired missiles at the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant. The explosion hit the station buildings – windows were broken, walls were damaged. The rockets exploded only three hundred meters from the walls of the reactors! And this is after the IAEA's clear appeal to Russia to stop any hostile activity against any nuclear facilities of Ukraine and, in particular, against the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station – the largest one in Europe, which Russia has turned into a target. And that makes all of you a target. Russian radiation blackmailing is something that should concern each and every one of you, because none of you will find a vaccine against radiation sickness. The cost of living crisis continues in dozens of countries, it roots in the destabilization of the energy market. It is necessary to remove the main factor of global price turbulence, namely: Russian energy blackmailing. It is necessary to cap the prices at which Russia exports its energy resources. It is necessary to make Russian oil and gas – just ordinary goods again. Currently, oil and gas are Russia’s energy weapons. And that is why it manipulates the markets so that electricity, gas, petrol and diesel become the privilege of few instead of being a common good available to all. Limiting prices is safeguarding the world. This is the way to restore energy and price security. But will the world go for it? Or will it be scared? Will it be scared of Russian threats? It is necessary to take only one strong step, after which everything will become clear. The time has come for this. This step will put everything in place. After the Russian missile terror. After the massacres. After Mariupol. After the burning of Ukrainian prisoners in Olenivka by the Russian military. After blocking the ports. After the strikes of Russian tanks and missiles on nuclear power plants. And after threats to use nuclear weapons, which have become the rule, not the exception, for Russian propagandists... We must finally recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. At all levels. In all countries that confess the values of peace and protection of human life. Legally. Politically. If you don't have a legal mechanism, you can make a political decision – in the parliaments. This is the foundation for restoring global security. If this strong step is taken, doubts will disappear – whether to take other important steps. And what is very sensitive – is the border, the territorial integrity. When one country tries to steal the territory of another state, it puts all world nations under attack. Global security cannot be restored without restoring the territorial integrity of the nation which suffered the armed aggression. So, the third item of the Ukrainian peace formula is the restoration of security and territorial integrity. The fourth item is security guarantees. Every nation has the right to security guarantees. Not only the largest nations. Not only the most fortunate ones. We have proposals to upgrade the security architecture for Ukraine, and for Europe and the world, which will not allow any more aggression against us. We are already presenting them to partners. Proposals for legally binding multilateral and bilateral treaties. These are the conditions for the guarantors to act, and the timeline for their actions to bring results – results on land, at sea and in the air; in diplomacy and politics, in economy and finance, in providing weapons and intelligence. Each of you, who will receive the text of our peace formula will also see the details of what we offer as security guarantees. I do not want to compare our offers with the guarantees of any alliances that exist on the planet now. I want to stress that it is always much better to guarantee the security of a nation, preventively, rather than to stop a war after it has already begun. And the fifth item of the Ukrainian peace formula is determination. Something without which the other four items will not work. This is our determination to fight. This is the determination of the partners to help us, and also themselves. And this is the determination of the world to unite around the one who fights against armed aggression and to call to order the one who threatens all. So, all five items of our formula: punishment for aggression; protection of life; restoration of security and territorial integrity; security guarantees; and determination to defend oneself. This is the formula of crime and punishment, which is already well known to Russia. And this is the formula of justice and law and order that Russia has yet to learn. As well as any other potential aggressors. What is not in our formula? Neutrality. Those who speak of neutrality, when human values and peace are under attack, mean something else. They talk about indifference – everyone for themselves. Here's what they say. They pretend to be interested in each other's problems. They take care of each other formally. They sympathize only for protocol. And that is why they pretend to protect someone, but in reality they protect only their vested interests. This is what creates the conditions for war. This is what needs to be corrected in order to create conditions for peace. All you need is determination. There was a lot of talking about reforming the UN. How did it all end? No result. If you look carefully at our peace formula, you will see that its implementation is already becoming a de-facto reform of the United Nations. Our formula is universal, and unites the North and the South of the world. It calls for the world's majority, and encourages to expand the representation of those who remained unheard. This is an imbalance when Africa, Latin America, most of Asia, Central and Eastern Europe comply with the right of veto, that they themselves never had. And this is what Ukraine is talking about. And have you ever heard such words from Russia? But it is a permanent member of the Security Council. For some reason. For what reason, not Japan or Brazil, not Türkiye or India, not Germany or Ukraine. The day will come when this will be resolved. As for the talks between Ukraine and Russia. Probably you have happened to hear different words from Russia about the talks – as if they were ready for them. But. They talk about the talks but announce military mobilization. They talk about the talks but announce pseudo referendums in the occupied territories of Ukraine. What is true then? The military mobilization in Russia is true. Sham referendums are also true. Russia wants war. It's true. But Russia will not be able to stop the course of history. Mankind and the international law are stronger than one terrorist state. Russia will be forced to end this war. The war it has started. I rule out that the settlement can happen on a different basis than the Ukrainian peace formula. The further the Russian terror reaches, the less likely it is that anyone in the world will agree to sit at one table with them. And if my words will be followed by new Russian missiles and acts of terrorism it will only prove the weakness. Russia’s weakness. Its inability to prevail over us, its inability to prevail over the world. It will only prove that 5 items of the Ukrainian peace formula must be implemented as soon as possible. We are ready for peace. But true, honest and fair peace. That’s why the world is on our side. And finally. I want to thank one hundred and one countries that voted for my video address to take place. It was a vote not only about the format. It was the vote about principles. Only seven countries voted against: Belarus, Cuba, North Korea, Eritrea, Nicaragua, Russia and Syria. Seven. Seven who are afraid of the video address. Seven who respond to principles with a red button. Only seven. One hundred and one – and seven. Friends! If this coalition is against our determination, then I congratulate you all. Because this means that peace will prevail over any aggression, and that there is no obstacle for us to implement the peace formula. I thank you for your attention! Once again, I wish you all peace! Glory to Ukraine!
Russia's decision on mobilization is an admission that their regular army did not withstand and crumbled - address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-09-22
Ukrainians! All our defenders! Today I want to say special words of gratitude. Gratitude to all our people who defend our state, defend independence. Ukraine held out after a full-scale attack by Russia. Ukraine managed to unite the world around the struggle for freedom. Ukraine managed to liberate a significant part of the territory the Russian troops invaded. Ukraine liberates people from Russian captivity. And Ukraine managed to change the course of the war so that every occupier, even the most inadequate one, felt that we can win and are moving towards victory. I am thankful to everyone who fights and works for this! For the sake of our victory. It is precisely to the fact of Ukrainian strength that the leadership of Russia reacts, changing tactics and trying to draw even more Russian citizens and resources into the war. Russia's decision on mobilization is a frank admission that their regular army, which has been prepared for decades to take over a foreign country, did not withstand and crumbled. And now, due to mobilization, Russia's war against Ukraine for the majority of Russian citizens is not something on TV or on the Internet, but something that has entered every Russian home. I’ve held a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief today. The questions are clear. Frontline. Provision of our military. And new threats created by Russia. I will note right away: any decisions of the Russian leadership do not change anything for Ukraine. We should care only about our tasks. This is the liberation of our country, the protection of our people and the mobilization of global support for the implementation of our tasks. Diplomatic mobilization of the entire international community is now taking place. The circle of those who support us now is not limited to our traditional partners and those who openly supported our state after February 24. Now almost everyone supports us - this is the reaction to new Russian escalation steps. In particular, the farce with the preparation of sham referenda in the occupied territory demonstrates what happened in 2014 in Crimea and Donbas. And I am grateful to everyone in the world who supported us. Who clearly condemned another Russian lie. Grateful to President Biden and all American friends. To President Macron, Chancellor Scholz, the President of Finland and all our Polish brothers, the Baltic states, Mr. Borrell, Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel, the OSCE and all Europeans from Iceland to Romania, who will never be deceived by Russia again. I am thankful to Britain for the support! Türkiye! Thank you Canada! Thanks also to all those who now privately express their support for Ukraine. When Russia declares that it supposedly wants negotiations, but announces mobilization... When Russia knows Ukraine's clear position about the impossibility of a diplomatic process after Russia holds any sham referenda... Everything is clear to everyone. Russia itself buries the prospect of negotiations with its own hands. I will explain to the Russians what is happening in Russian. Protests against mobilization took place in the cities of Russia - albeit not massive, but they took place. And they take place. And this is an indicator. Not only in Moscow and St. Petersburg. We know the real mood in the regions of Russia. We see that people in Dagestan, in Buryatia, in other national republics and regions of Russia understand that they were simply thrown. Thrown to death. Why, for example, Dagestanis or anyone else should die in the Kharkiv region or near Donetsk? Because one person in Russia decided so - for all the citizens of Russia. There is no other reason. That’s what he wants. You are already accomplices in all these crimes, murders and torture of Ukrainians. Because you were silent. Because you are silent. And now it's time for you to choose. For men in Russia, this is a choice to die or live, to become a cripple or to preserve health. For women in Russia, the choice is to lose their husbands, sons, grandchildren forever, or still try to protect them from death, from war, from one person. Just think about the number of people they want to take away! We know for sure that the conscription letters for 300,000 people were printed and signed in advance, even before this decision on mobilization appeared. Our intelligence has proven it. But the Russian leadership is preparing to take up to a million men into the army - this is the key thing they are now silent about. We know that they will take everyone indiscriminately. Not only the military in the reserve, but any men. Anyone who will be so intimidated that he will be more afraid of avoiding war than of dying in war. 55 thousand Russian soldiers died in this war in six months. Tens of thousands are wounded and maimed. Want more? No? Then protest. Fight back. Run away. Or surrender to Ukrainian captivity. These are options for you to survive. Russian mothers! Have no doubt that the children of the top officials of your state will not be sent to the war against Ukraine. Those who make decisions in your country take care of their children. And they do not even bury your children. And we return ours. A very important briefing was held today. Head of the Office Yermak, Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Budanov, Head of the Security Service Maliuk, Minister of Internal Affairs Monastyrskyi. They told the details of our operation to release 215 warriors, the details of the exchange. We do everything so that society and the world can see how Ukraine protects people and basic human values. Once again, I congratulate 215 families and our entire country on the return of the heroes. I am thankful to everyone who helps Ukraine! Eternal glory to all who fight for Ukraine! Glory to our indomitable and brave people! Glory to Ukraine!
The more added value Ukraine produces, the more added security the people of the world get – speech by the President of Ukraine at the Forbes 400 Summit on Philanthropy
EN 2022-09-23
Ladies and Gentlemen! Friends! Thank you for the invitation to participate in this summit. I am sure that today many wise words will be said about charity – about the experience of philanthropy and opportunities to help. Therefore, I do not want to waste your time now on what others may say. I want to draw your attention to one detail, which I think is very important – to the experience that Ukraine has acquired and that others can acquire - together with us, together with Ukraine. Ukraine is currently the only place on earth that very organically combines investment and philanthropy. In Ukraine, you can be an investor and, as a result, a de facto philanthropist in relation to others, you can even be just a businessman, and such quite ordinary economic activity is transformed into a real good help for hundreds of millions or even billions of people. Just look at how much the world depends on the supply of agricultural products from Ukraine to the global market. For subjects of the agricultural sector in Ukraine, for businessmen and farmers, this is business and this is work, this is the economy. But as a result, it is the right to food for hundreds of millions of people in the countries of Africa, Asia and Europe. We are currently sending agricultural products to Ethiopia, Somalia, Yemen, Lebanon and other countries. This is a real lifesaver. But how much depends on logistics! When Russia blocked our seaports, exports decreased significantly. Because grain, sunflower and other agricultural raw materials are such a cargo, the supply logistics of which is very, very difficult to rebuild. Large volumes can now be delivered primarily by sea. We need more investment in the expansion of export technologies. For example, we are preparing the construction of a pipeline with Poland for the export of sunflower oil. This is a pilot. A specific project, which is the economy for us, and for the global food market, it is an element of stability, an element of security. By investing in agro-processing in Ukraine and in the construction of food storage facilities, it is possible to expand not only the logistical possibilities for the supply of agricultural products, but also the range of goods that can be supplied. The more added value Ukraine produces, the more added security the people of the world get. Look at what the production of electricity in Ukraine means. On the one hand, it is business. Quite a profitable business - in particular, in the field of green energy production. But given our ability to export electricity, this is not just business – this is a real tool to prevent energy poverty for tens of millions of people in the countries of Europe with which we border. This is the stabilization of the energy situation on the entire European continent. We are approached by Moldova, Romania, Poland, and other neighbors to help them with electricity in the winter. And we are ready to help. And that is why investments in the expansion of our energy capacities are a salvation from the cold for various peoples. Moreover! Ukraine's ability to export tens of gigawatts of electricity is an important factor in European climate policy. Currently, Europe, unfortunately, is still heavily dependent on Russia's dirty energy resources. They are dirty not only because their sale is Russia's way of financing the war. Not only because their burning pollutes the atmosphere. But also because they are extracted so brutally and carelessly in relation to the environment that their extraction in Russia is synonymous with ecological disaster. Ukrainian electricity can help replace dirty Russian energy resources. And therefore, this is climate security. We also have tremendous opportunities in the development of hydrogen energy and transportation of green hydrogen to Europe. The sun, wind, nuclear energy, green hydrogen - all this is in Ukraine, and it's not just billions of dollars that can be invested and earned, but billions of dollars that will work to help different countries and peoples - tens of millions of people. New green clean energy requires lithium, graphite and other rare earth metals. We have enough of them. Therefore, by investing in Ukraine, one can accelerate the development of green energy in other countries as well. We generate tens of millions of cubic meters of wood annually. At the same time, we ensure the restoration of forests. Investing in the production of ecological products from wood and cellulose in Ukraine is a way to reduce the world's use of petroleum products and plastic, and it is part of the joint protection of our nature. Another example is that the whole world needs fertilizers for food production. Why make or buy them from Russian gas? It is possible to build facilities for the production of tens of millions of tons of pure green and cheap ammonia in Ukraine. You can make money from this and help not only food security, but also peace - peace on our planet. Ukraine has never waged illegal wars. We are not aggressors. We have never wished harm to other peoples. We have never made geopolitics a means of conquering someone else. Why is this important? When any economic player works with us, it means that the economic potential that he creates with his business helps realize only peace, only peaceful goals. For example, if any company now works in Russia, it indirectly helps evil - at least it pays taxes to the budget of the aggressor state, that is, it supports their economy, which serves terror. Or even supplies something to the Russian army, directly helping the killers. When any state gets carried away with geopolitics and becomes an aggressor, business can inevitably become an accomplice to this evil. Therefore, we are grateful to all companies and businessmen who left the Russian market. And that is why we offer all the companies and businesses of the world to come to us in Ukraine - to start a business here, to localize their production here, to work with Ukraine in order to have access to the huge markets of the European Union, Britain, Canada and other nations with which we are friends. We give priority to the development of our processing industry - its various directions. We have a special program for its development. And we offer all investors of the world to join in its implementation. This is the same process – when investments, when business, when the economy – simply by working – become philanthropy, because they can increase the potential of peace in the world and reduce the potential of aggressors. Look at the capabilities of our IT sector and industries such as drone production. Russia tried to destroy our digital resilience. But we did not allow that. Ukrainian digital potential has endured, it is very solid. Our digitization has a powerful social aspect – it is technology that really works for the welfare and protection of people. Our people have digital documents, access to digitized government services, and a high level of digitization of business. IT companies in Ukraine are profitable, and their business is both a boon for millions and an element of peace protection, if we take the context of cyber security and Russian cyber attacks. Just like, for example, the production of drones in Ukraine. For those who invest, this is the economy. And for those who then use drones - depending on their class - it's safety, it's comfort or work. Again: I don't want to take up a lot of your time and I don't want to repeat what you've probably already heard and know. But I want to emphasize this point - any significant human effort leads to a long chain of consequences. Any significant effort of a business or a businessman leads to such consequences that directly or indirectly can affect the lives of other people - can do good. And this is achieved not even simply by giving money somewhere. But also by the fact that you work morally, work consciously, conduct your business in such a way that your investments, which give you profit, simultaneously help others have a better life – safer, more satiated, more educated, healthier, wealthier. Business has this power. And I urge all of you to boldly use this power of business – to invest in such a way that it is at the same time an aid to the normal life of various peoples. I invite you all to Ukraine! Thank you for your interest and faith in Ukraine, which you definitely have, otherwise I would not have this address of mine now. I sincerely believe that we will be able to restore justice for our country and restore peace as soon as possible. Glory to Ukraine!
To give hope for the future, and to give people the feeling that they are respected - this is why the First Lady of Ukraine created the Foundation - President's speech at the presentation of the Olena Zelenska Foundation
EN 2022-09-23
Dear Friends! Ladies and Gentlemen! Dear Olena! Even if I am not with you now, I know that our unity does not stop for a minute. This unity is our most powerful force that help us make anything possible. And the most important that we made possible to provide reliable protection of freedom. You know… Every short question “What is freedom?” does not have a universal short answer. It is one of those questions, which will bring up many new answers as long as humankind lives. But there is one element which makes incomplete any answer to the question about freedom. This element is respect for a person. For a person of any age, property status, religion, race, gender. Respect is what free society is based on. Respect is the source of democracy. Respect is what every wise father, every wise mother teach their children. Respect is clearly displayed in the life of any country. Respect is education. It is medicine. It is help for those, who find themselves in a difficult life situation, and for those, who cannot support themselves and their children. Respect is institutions that provide justice. It is cultural institutions that keep the heritage of every community, every nation and whole humanity. When all this works, when there is respect, then any person can really enjoy freedom. So it's no surprise, when the enemy of freedom destroys infrastructure of respect – everything that provides humanitarian welfare. Twenty five hundred educational facilities in Ukraine were destroyed by Russian strikes – schools, universities, educational clubs and others. More than thousand medical facilities were destroyed by Russian missiles and shelling. Tens of thousands of houses were simply burned down. Millions of people became displaced persons. Russia has caused a humanitarian disaster in Ukraine because it hates freedom. And that is why the world supported our call for unity. The world sees what Russia attacks and what Ukraine defends. We protect freedom, we protect people and do everything, so that as many friends of freedom around the world as possible can contribute to this struggle. That is why the First Lady of Ukraine set up this foundation – Olena Zelenska Foundation. She chose the humanitarian dimension, and there are huge challenges in this dimension. To restore what has been destroyed, to help those who need protection, to give hope for the future, and to give people the feeling that they are respected. This is an extremely noble cause, and I encourage all of you to join in – people, companies, foundations. Ukraine knows how to be grateful! Thank you everyone who supports us! Thank you everyone who supports Olena Zelenska Foundation! Thank you, friends of freedom! Glory to Ukraine!
Ukraine has shown that the truth, strength, initiative and confidence in victory are on our side - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
EN 2022-09-23
Ukrainians! Today, the events in New York in the framework of our state's participation in the session of the UN General Assembly are coming to an end. It was a productive week for Ukraine. Many different activities – with my participation, with the participation of the First Lady of Ukraine, with the participation of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Ukraine has shown that not only the truth, but also strength, initiative and confidence in victory are on our side. The world is always sensitive to such things. Who is really strong, and who pretends to be strong. Who really feels his strength, and who tries his best to conceal weakness and insecurity. At the General Assembly, Ukraine proposed a formula of peace, its way to the stabilization of international relations. And it was definitely heard by the world. The reaction to my speech at the General Assembly was really positive. Different countries equally wanted to hear specifics. Specifics on how to restore peace, how to end this war. Ukraine presented its vision. Clear, logical, fair and realistic. Five points. The first: punishment for the aggressor. The second: protection of life, that is, all the necessary assistance to our state in defense. The third point: restoration of security and territorial integrity. The fourth point: security guarantees. And the fifth: the determination to achieve all this together with us – the determination of the world majority. And what did Russia present? Once again, lame excuses, complaints and constant lying propaganda, which the world has got tired of long ago, but Russian representatives still repeat it. A striking contrast with us. I am grateful to all the heads of state, all the politicians, public figures, cultural and business leaders who expressed their support for us at the General Assembly and at all the events in America this week. In particular, I participated in a special meeting on food security. This is one of the key topics in the UN this year – it was Russian aggression that made it so urgent. The world is looking for means to protect people from hunger and price crisis, and Ukraine has something to offer. We constantly increase food exports, we help the UN Food Program, we send grain as humanitarian aid to the countries that need it – Ethiopia, Somalia. And Ukraine has never ever provoked any crisis in the food market. The world appreciates all this. Due to the decency of Ukraine and the constructive desire of our state to help others, we have a unique result: Russian propaganda is losing its influence even in the world where we still have to secure a strong information position, in particular in the countries of the Global South. These are Latin America, Africa, South Asia. Also this week I participated in several important formats of communication with investors. The summit under the auspices of Forbes – a meeting of the world's largest businessmen engaged in philanthropy. Video conference with representatives of BlackRock and Goldman Sachs – important global players. Clinton Global Initiative. Each such event adds attention to Ukraine, adds specific projects and benefits to our state, strengthens our resilience, and brings our victory closer. The First Lady of Ukraine met in New York with Liz Truss, the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and it was a very substantive meeting. With First Lady of France Brigitte Macron. Together with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, she met with António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General. In total, she held almost 20 meetings. At the invitation of Charles Michel, Olena took part in the Women in Conflict forum, which took place within the General Assembly. She presented a special charity fund - the Olena Zelenska Foundation, in order to accumulate even more support for Ukrainians, specifically for the humanitarian direction - primarily education, medicine and the restoration of what was destroyed by Russian strikes. We are creating all the necessary institutional framework so that anyone in the world can help us as efficiently, quickly and reliably as possible. The Prime Minister of Ukraine held dozens of high-level meetings. Accents are clear. The situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP. The expansion of defense, financial and sanction support. Support in preparing our country for winter, support in reconstruction. During each meeting, there was an emphasis that Russian terror must receive a clear global response - military, economic and legal, including the recognition of Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. Our proposals for security guarantees for Ukraine, for Europe and the world - a project developed by the Yermak-Rasmussen group - were outlined in New York. Denys Shmyhal also met with the heads of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other major financial and investment organizations of the world. I am grateful to all of them for their support! It is important to note the negotiations with the Prime Minister of Japan, the country that will soon chair the G7 and the UN Security Council. We discussed our priorities. Negotiations took place with the Prime Minister of Iraq - this is a new partner for Ukraine, an important partner. The Minister of Foreign Affairs held more than 30 meetings, and the vast majority of them were with representatives of countries that are not our traditional partners. We are strengthening our position in relations with Africa, Asia and Latin America. Probably, this is the most meaningful and positive participation of Ukraine in the UN General Assembly in all years of our independence. The world not only talks about Ukraine, but also realizes that by helping Ukraine, it also helps solve urgent global problems and crises. We offer a way to make the world more stable and safer. The world heard it. A very important event took place today in Izyum, Kharkiv region. Representatives of almost twenty diplomatic missions - the Baltic states and Eastern Europe, Germany, France, Spain, Slovenia, Croatia, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, the EU Ambassador - saw with their own eyes what the Russian occupiers left behind. Ruined houses, torture chambers, mass burial site... The world will know full information about every crime committed by Russia in the temporarily occupied territories. The world will react absolutely justly to the sham referenda - they will be unequivocally condemned, and to the criminal mobilization that the occupiers are currently trying to carry out in Crimea and other parts of Ukraine, which they so far control. These are not just crimes against international law and the law of Ukraine. These are crimes against specific people, against the nation. Now in Crimea, in places of dense residence of qırımlılar, there are attempts to find and mobilize as many men as possible. We already have evidence of this. This is a deliberate attempt by Russia to destroy the Crimean Tatar people, this is a deliberate attempt by the aggressor state to take the lives of as many residents of the territory the Russian troops invaded as possible. I have a simple request to all our people in the temporarily occupied territory: do the main thing – save your lives and help us weaken and destroy the occupiers. Hide from the Russian mobilization by any means. Avoid conscription letters. Try to get to the free territory of Ukraine. But if you get into the Russian army, sabotage any activity of the enemy, hinder any Russian operations, provide us with any important information about the occupiers – their bases, headquarters, warehouses with ammunition. And at the first opportunity, switch to our positions. Do everything to save your life and help liberate Ukraine. Since the beginning of active actions in the east of our country in September, about 9 thousand square kilometers of territory and about 400 settlements have already been liberated. This tangible result was achieved in particular thanks to the fact that our people in the temporarily occupied territory helped us. Please do everything to increase such help. Give our special services all the information about those who organize and help conduct this farce with sham referenda. Provide all information about the Russian mobilization, about the Russian army in general. Help those in the occupied areas who need it: elderly people, single people, families with children. Ukraine will return to all its lands, and we must save as many of our people there as possible. Pursuant to my instruction, Head of the Office Andriy Yermak held a meeting today regarding assistance to Ukrainians whom we have freed from captivity. The Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, the Head of the National Guard, the ministers of internal affairs, defense, healthcare, social policy, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, our ombudsman were present. Our warriors must receive everything the necessary, real help, any assistance. The state knows how to be grateful to its heroes. I am waiting for a report at the beginning of the week with a specific plan on supporting each person. Today, the Russian army used Iranian drones for attacking the Dnipropetrovsk region and Odesa. I commissioned the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide a tough response to this fact. The world will know about every fact of collaboration with evil, and it will have corresponding consequences. It has already been decided to deprive the Ambassador of Iran to Ukraine of accreditation, as well as to significantly reduce the number of diplomatic personnel of the Iranian Embassy. Six of these Iranian drones were shot down by our anti-aircraft troops of the "East" and "South" air commands. Another one was shot down by the anti-aircraft defense of the Naval Forces. In addition, the “Center” air command shot down a Russian strike aircraft and a helicopter today in the south of our country. And I was just informed about another Iranian combat drone shot down by the anti-aircraft troops of the "South" command. I am grateful to our warriors for accuracy! I am grateful to everyone who fights and works for the victory of Ukraine! I am grateful to everyone in the world who helps us protect life and freedom! Glory to Ukraine!
The heroism and grit of our warriors leave no doubt that Ukraine will prevail - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
EN 2022-09-24
Ukrainians! Today, I signed the decree awarding the title of Hero of Ukraine to Serhiy Sova. A fighter of the glorious 93rd mechanized brigade "Kholodnyi Yar". He has defended our state - Ukraine since the beginning of the war in 2014, fought for Pisky, for the Donetsk airport. After February 24, he fought in the Kharkiv region. Serhiy Sova gave his life for Ukraine. We've all seen the photo of his hand with blue and yellow bracelets on his wrist. He has worn them as a talisman since 2014. And this photo was one of the first from Izyum, from the mass burial site in the forest that was discovered when the occupiers fled. He was a true warrior and a father that one can be proud of. Eternal memory and honor to the hero! Eternal glory to all our warriors who gave their lives in battles for our state! Today I awarded the honorary award "For Courage and Bravery" to three of our brigades. The 1st separate tank Siversk brigade, the 40th separate artillery brigade, the 57th separate motorized infantry brigade. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia, the fighters of the 1st separate tank brigade have performed their tasks with dignity and courage. First in the Chernihiv region, and now in the hottest spots of the south and east of our country. In six months, more than a thousand warriors of this brigade were awarded state awards. Units of the 40th separate artillery brigade defend the state in the Kharkiv direction and do it very bravely and effectively. The proven losses of the Russian army from the fire of this brigade of ours make it clear to all the occupiers that there will be no place for the enemy on our land. This month, the 57th separate motorized infantry brigade achieved good results in the south of our country, liberating a number of settlements in the Kherson region. During the period of the full-scale invasion of Russia, three warriors in the 57th brigade were already awarded the "Gold Star" Order and 275 servicemen received state awards. By the way, since the establishment of such an award for our military units - and it was established in May of this year - 46 military units have already been awarded for courage and bravery. Of them, 38 military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, four military units of the State Border Service, four military units of the National Guard. I am grateful to all of you, guys! Well done! The heroism and grit of our warriors, the striving for independence and justice, which united all our people, do not leave a single doubt that Ukraine will prevail and that all invaders on our territory will definitely be defeated. Unless they run away. Indeed, it is true. Once again I want to say to Russians in Russian. It was no coincidence that the criminal mobilization declared by Russia was immediately called a “mobilization to graves” by the citizens of Russia themselves. Mobilization to graves. The Russian authorities are well aware that they are sending their citizens to death - there are no other options. Russian commanders do not care about the lives of Russians - they just need to replenish the empty spaces left by the dead, wounded, those who fled or the Russian soldiers that were captured. Your government does not care who will take these places. Either young IT specialists who did not serve at all, or pensioners who served only in the Soviet army. So, the key moment has come for you: right now it is being decided whether your life will end or not. It is better not to take a conscription letter than to die in a foreign land as a war criminal. It is better to run away from criminal mobilization than to be crippled and then bear responsibility in the court for participating in the war of aggression. It is better to surrender to Ukrainian captivity than to be killed by the strikes of our weapons, absolutely fair strikes, as Ukraine defends itself in this war. We defend the brightest - we defend our lives, our children, our freedom. What is Russia fighting for? Every citizen of Russia knows - even if many do not admit it, they know for sure - that it is Russia that brings evil. Ukraine guarantees every Russian soldier who surrenders three things. First, you will be treated in a civilized manner, in accordance with all conventions. Second, no one will know the circumstances of your surrender, no one in Russia will know that your surrender was voluntary. And third, if you are afraid to return to Russia and do not want an exchange, we will find a way to ensure this as well. Ukraine will do everything for its victory. And every citizen of Russia should understand: no tricks will help the occupier. I promise you that. We will retaliate against every strike of the aggressor - at Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Nikopol, Donbas, at all our cities and regions... We will definitely liberate our entire country - from Kherson to the Luhansk region, from Crimea, I emphasize that, to the Donetsk region. We will not allow the occupier to go unpunished. Every murderer and torturer will be brought to justice for what he did against us, Ukrainians. Eternal glory to all our heroes! Glory to our indomitable people! Eternal memory to all those who gave their lives for our homeland - for Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine!
Criminal mobilization is used by Russia not only to prolong the suffering of Ukrainians, but also to exterminate representatives of indigenous peoples - address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-09-25
Ukrainians! Today we have great news. Maryana Mamonova, a combat medic, defender of Azovstal whom we freed from Russian captivity gave birth to a daughter. I sincerely congratulate Maryana from the bottom of my heart and wish the girls only the best - peace and victory. This is another proof that life always triumphs over any evil. And evil under the Russian flag is no exception to this rule. Now all our state structures, which are needed, are fully working to help our released warriors. Medical aid, social, legal... Treatment, rehabilitation, restoration of documents, bank cards, housing, etc. Rustem Umerov, pursuant to my instruction, visited our commanders from "Azovstal" in Turkey today. He checked their living conditions - the conditions are comfortable. The boys are provided with everything they need. Rustem controls that. Soon we will ensure that the boys meet their relatives and friends. This week, on Tuesday, I am to receive a clear plan for each of those released - how their normal lives will be restored. Just as the process of releasing our heroes from captivity, this process of normalization is managed by Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office. He is also assisted by Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as our ombudsman, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Security Service, etc. I would like to emphasize: work is ongoing regarding the next exchanges. No matter how difficult it may be, we must free all our people, all Ukrainians. We do not forget about anyone. But we should still remember: it is not easy, it requires the efforts of many people, and it is directly related to the situation on the frontline. Our active actions include, in particular, the increase of those whom we can exchange. The more Russian soldiers are detained by Ukrainian forces, the faster we will be able to free our warriors, our heroes from Russian captivity. Fierce fighting takes place in many sections of the front with a total length of more than 2,000 kilometers. This is the Donetsk region, this is our Kharkiv region, Kherson region, as well as Mykolaiv and Zaporizhia regions. We have positive results in several directions. And no matter what happens this week in Russia, no matter what steps the terrorist state plans - political or military - the tasks of our state, the tasks of Ukraine, cannot change: we are fighting for life and freedom for all Ukrainians. This week there will be a new wave of our diplomatic activity. My new appeals to the political, business and student communities abroad. Our needs, our positions, our view on how to stop Russian evil will be heard everywhere in the world, absolutely everywhere. We will also make a special emphasis. Emphasis on the fact that criminal mobilization is used by Russia not only to prolong the suffering of people in Ukraine and to further destabilize the world, but also to physically exterminate men - representatives of indigenous peoples who live in the territories controlled so far, temporarily, by the Russian Federation. The situation in the occupied Crimea is catastrophic. The information about the Crimean Tatar people is fully confirmed: most of the mobilization letters are given there specifically to qırımlılar. This is another element of Russia's policy of genocide, another reason for the immediate and tough reaction of the whole world. The same is happening on the territory of Russia itself. This is a deliberate imperial policy. This is a blow to the peoples of, for example, Dagestan and the entire Caucasus, to the indigenous peoples of Siberia and other territories. And I want to repeat it once again. Again in Russian, specially for Russian "comrades". And this is not a kind of collection of peoples in Russia, not badges or flags somewhere on the map, no. These are not candy wrappers - these are real people. And only now you are beginning to hear it, yet still not everywhere. We see that people, in particular, in Dagestan, began to fight for their lives. We see that they are beginning to understand that this is a question of their lives. Why should their husbands, brothers, sons die in this war? In a war that one man wants. In a war against our people, on our land. He does not send his children to war. Fight to ensure that your children are not sent to die - everyone who can be taken by this criminal Russian mobilization. Because if you come to take the lives of our children - I will tell you as a father - we will not let you go alive. I want to emphasize once again: there is a way out. Do not submit to criminal mobilization. Flee. Or surrender to Ukrainian captivity at the first opportunity. I urge all our friends in the information field to spread this appeal. The more citizens of the Russian Federation at least try to protect their own lives, the sooner this criminal war of Russia against the people of Ukraine will end. I am thankful to everyone who fights and works for our victory! A difficult week is ahead. A difficult path. Difficult challenges. But ahead is our victory. And it is inevitable. This evening, I want to congratulate the Ukrainian Jewish community and all the Jews of the world on Rosh Hashanah. May all prayers for victory, all prayers for peace for Ukraine be heard. Keep defending Ukraine! Keep defending life! Glory to Ukraine!
Russia felt that it will lose and is now trying to delay this moment, to ensure some activity at the front - address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-09-26
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! I held another meeting of the Staff today. The main focus is on the operational situation on the frontline. We heard the report by the Commander-in-Chief, commanders, head of intelligence, Minister of Defense. We discussed the use of new weapons by the occupiers, in particular, Iranian drones. We are constantly working to provide our warriors with weapons and ammunition. All active actions of the Ukrainian military must be synchronized with the use of high-precision weapons. This is one of the basic priorities. The situation is particularly tough in the Donetsk region. We are doing everything to curb enemy activity. This is where our number one goal is right now, as Donbas is still the number one goal for the occupiers. Despite the obvious senselessness of the war for Russia and the occupiers' loss of initiative, the command of the Russian military still drives them to their death. Constant attempts of the Russian offensive in the Donetsk region will surely go down in the history of wars as one of the most cynical murders of one’s own soldiers. When we see this, when we see these offensives, we are once again convinced that the Russian mobilization is a frank attempt to give commanders on the ground a constant stream of "cannon fodder." There is simply no other point in the Russian mobilization. They felt that they will lose, and they are simply trying to delay this moment, to ensure at least some activity at the front, to replace the dead with at least someone with weapons in their hands. Unfortunately, Russian society is not yet aware of all the brutality of the Russian government towards its own people. But we must do everything so that every citizen of Russia recognizes that his own state is depriving him of the most important thing - the right to life. I spoke today with Mark Rutte, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands. In particular about the criminal mobilization that Russia is carrying out in the occupied territory, trying to throw our citizens to death under the Russian flag. We also talked about sham referenda - the world's reaction to them and to any further steps taken by the occupiers will be tough. I am thankful to the Prime Minister for his clear support and willingness to increase sanction pressure on Russia. We coordinated our steps in international organizations, discussed defense cooperation. I held a meeting with the head of our Government, Denys Shmyhal. We summarized the results of our international activity in September, the results of contacts with partners. No matter how difficult it is, the state fulfills all its social obligations. We are carrying out work as part of Fast Recovery, returning normal life to the territory liberated from the occupiers. We are taking the necessary steps in preparation for the winter period. I took part in the launch of a special investment fund to support our Ukrainian entrepreneurs and export-oriented companies. The fund has already attracted 125 million dollars, and the amount will be doubled. The most esteemed Western funds, banks and institutions have invested in this fund, Horizon Capital Growth - that's what it's called. I am grateful to everyone who prepared and implemented this investment project. And I believe that it can become a special signal for investors - a signal that it is possible and necessary to invest in the Ukrainian economy already now, as we are on the path to our victory. An important political and diplomatic event took place in the Office today. A project on the establishment of a Special International Tribunal to punish Russia for the crime of aggression against our state was presented to the ambassadors of thirty states - our partners. The difficulty of prosecuting Russia for this crime is that the existing international legal instruments are not enough. What is needed is a Special International Tribunal. And we are working on this project in great detail and meticulously. I have no doubt - the Tribunal will take place. Everyone who unleashed this criminal war against Ukraine and freedom in Europe will be brought to account. I thank everyone who defends our country! Today I especially want to celebrate the warriors who are defending Ukraine now in the Donetsk region. Warriors of the 93rd separate mechanized brigade "Kholodnyi Yar" and the 10th separate mountain assault brigade - for heroic defense in the Bakhmut direction. And I also want to praise the warriors of the 80th airborne assault brigade for their decisive and competent actions during the liberation of our territory. Thank you guys! A total of 2135 warriors of these three brigades have already been awarded state awards. Eternal glory to all those who gain victory for Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine!
Speech by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the meeting of the UN Security Council convened at the initiative of Ukraine
EN 2022-09-27
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen! Dear members of the UN Security Council who respect and adhere to the UN Charter! Dear representatives of states and leaders who are listening to me now! The UN Security Council is an institution that functions according to well-known and defined rules - according to the regulations, which are still observed even by the representatives of Russia. So far they do not use weapons instead of words in this hall and do not knock their neighbors' seats out. But surely no one will be surprised if this hall of the UN Security Council is also turned into a zone of violence by representatives of Russia. Russia already despises the UN Charter. Russia already breaks any rules of this world. So it's only a matter of time before it destroys this last international institution that can still act. It can! I urge you to act now. Anyone in the world can now name hundreds of examples of how Russia violates the international legal order and destroys the body of international law. It constantly provokes escalation and constantly responds to any proposals for talks with new brutality on the battlefield, even greater crises and threats to Ukraine and the world. And these are obvious things. I will name only five, just what is happening right now. First, Russia ignored the IAEA's call for the immediate de-occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and the cessation of any hostilities against any nuclear facilities of Ukraine. This fact once again proves that Russia is deliberately keeping the world on the verge of a radiation disaster. The second is nuclear blackmail. Threats to use nuclear weapons have become a constant narrative of Russian officials and propagandists. This proves that Russia has no right to possess nuclear weapons, as it is not capable, simply not capable of guaranteeing the safety of the world even against the threat of using nuclear weapons. Third, last week I presented the Ukrainian peace formula at the UN General Assembly. Russia's response to this real path to peace was the announcement of mobilization. Moreover, Russia deliberately focuses its mobilization on the indigenous peoples of the territories it controls. And these are not only the territories of the Caucasus or Siberia, where everything is being done to mobilize as many men as possible from indigenous peoples. This is also Crimea, Ukrainian Crimea, which Russia seized in 2014. Among all the ethnic groups of Crimea, it was the men of the indigenous people - the Crimean Tatars - who received the most Russian mobilization letters in proportion to the total number. This is an outright policy of genocide! Fourth, before the eyes of the whole world, Russia is conducting an outright farce called a "referendum" on the occupied territory of Ukraine. Under the guns people are forced to fill out some papers - for a TV picture. The figures of the alleged results of the sham referendum were drawn in advance. Just as the compulsory issuance of passports to the population of the occupied territories was held in advance. And what is it for? The answer is in the next point. The fifth is the annexation of seized territories. The most brutal violation of the UN Charter. This is an attempt to steal the territory of another state. This is an attempt to erase the norms of international law. And this is a very cynical attempt to forcibly mobilize men in the occupied territory of Ukraine into the Russian army in order to send them to fight against their own homeland! There is only one way to stop all this. First – complete isolation of Russia in response to everything it does. A state that is implementing a policy of genocide right now, keeping the world one step away from a radiation disaster, and at the same time threatening nuclear strikes cannot remain a permanent member of the UN Security Council with veto power. Russia must be excluded from all international organizations. If such exclusion is complicated by the procedure, its participation must be suspended. Second – new and tough global sanctions against Russia are needed. Any annexation in the modern world is simultaneously a crime against all states that consider the inviolability of borders vital for themselves. Third – any Russian criminal actions do not change anything for us. We do not give in to the blackmail of terrorists. It is in Ukraine and in this war that not only our independence is being defended, not only the right to life for our people, but also international law as such. Ukraine must receive all the necessary defense and financial aid so that the aggressor loses. Fourth – Ukraine must receive clear and legally binding guarantees of collective security. Since it is the independence of our country that is of such fundamental importance for many elements of global security, the world needs a corresponding security architecture. And fifth – very important. I want everyone to understand this. Russia's recognition of these sham referenda as allegedly normal, implementation of the so-called “Crimean scenario” and another attempt to annex the territory of Ukraine will mean that there is nothing to talk about with this President of Russia. Annexation is the kind of move that pits him alone against the whole of humanity. Such a clear signal is now needed from every country in the world. I believe in your ability to act! I am very grateful to the French Presidency for the opportunity to participate in this meeting. Thank you all for your attention! Glory to Ukraine!
The only rational response to the audacity of the Russian Federation is even more support for Ukraine - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
EN 2022-09-27
Ukrainians! I have just taken part in a meeting of the UN Security Council. This is a special meeting convened at our initiative. I am grateful to all partners who supported the convening of this meeting and clearly spoke in defense of Ukraine and international law. Fundamental norms of international law! The crime of aggression against our state, the farce in the occupied territory, which the occupiers call referenda, the preparation of another attempt to annex Ukrainian territory - all these are steps Russia is taking to finish off the UN Charter. I called on the members of the Security Council to stop the one who sets himself against everyone in the world. It is possible. It is possible right now, when the final destructive steps have not yet been taken. I emphasized at the Security Council meeting: Russia's implementation of the so-called Crimean scenario and another attempt to annex Ukrainian territory will mean that there is nothing to talk about with this President of Russia. This is clear and obvious. None of Russia’s criminal actions will change anything for Ukraine. We recognize the UN Charter, we recognize the basic principles of coexistence of peoples. And we will continue to act in order to protect normal life in Ukraine, in Europe, and in the world. We will act to protect our people in the Kherson region, in the Zaporizhzhia region, in Donbas, in the currently occupied areas of the Kharkiv region, and in Crimea. This farce in the occupied territory cannot even be called an imitation of referenda. We knew in advance what would be drawn instead of the result. Even intelligence didn't have to work very hard. The agreed figures for this farce were thrown into the media. Russia is not even hiding. The only rational response to such audacity of the occupier is even more support for Ukraine. And I am thankful to our partners who confirm such support: defense, financial, sanctions. I spoke today with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. I thanked him for his firm condemnation of the Russian sham referenda. The situation on the frontline and further support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine by the Alliance members were discussed in detail. Every new Russian strike on Ukrainian cities and our civilian objects proves that the existing defense support for Ukraine is not enough. We make this clear to our partners. And they hear us. And this is important. Today in Kyiv, I held talks with the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France. France is making significant efforts to really help our country and to solve the crises created by Russia. The situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP was discussed in detail with the minister. Our defense needs were discussed in detail. We also discussed in detail our joint reaction to each further provocative step by Russia with sham referenda. Today in Moscow, yet another false statement was made regarding a very important achievement of Ukraine and our partners - the restoration of our seaborne grain export. It is obvious that Russia is preparing the ground for an attempt to disrupt the grain initiative. We inform partners about this. Export statistics is crystal clear and available to everyone in the international community. More than 5 million tons of agricultural products were exported from our three ports. 232 vessels departed. If we take only African countries, our agricultural products have already been exported to Algeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Libya, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia. It is necessary to act immediately so that Russia does not again put these and other countries in the conditions of a food crisis. And I am grateful to everyone who opposes the Russian destabilization policy! I am grateful to everyone who helps protect our state! As for the frontline, I will say it briefly and for now without details, although they will be good: we are moving forward and liberating our land. Glory to Ukraine!
To act preventively means to prevent catastrophic damage from further actions of Russia - address by the President of Ukraine to students and lecturers of Harvard University
EN 2022-09-28
Dear students and lecturers! The great Harvard community! Thank you for the opportunity to address you. I have a little more than a few words as in the invitation to this speech I was offered to focus on two topics: peace and leadership. And it seems to me this is a good offer. So I'd like to talk about that first, and then I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to talk and I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have. What we all strive for is peace. And what makes it possible to realize our aspirations is leadership. I'll start with a few examples. Literally today, another blackmailing statement about nuclear weapons was made in Moscow. The Russian leadership is trying its hardest to give us all the impression that they are willing to use nuclear weapons. All day long there are statements that they are willing to annex another part of the Ukrainian territory. They say that there are supposedly no obstacles to annexation. A statement on the grain export corridor was also made. A statement, which obviously prepares the conditions for Russia to once again disrupt the export of agricultural products of Ukraine and thereby again put dozens of African and Asian countries at risk of starvation. What is accompanied by all this? That’s my question. Russia either speaks openly or means that the world will simply "swallow" all this: nuclear blackmail, criminal annexation, and yet another mass famine, which the Kremlin knows well how to organize. Do you consider such a situation tolerable? When someone alone threatens everyone. When someone alone thinks he has the right to kill and starve. When someone alone has become so insolent that it is no longer enough for him to steal money or resources from his own territory, now he wants to steal from the territory of others as well. I think this is not normal for all of us. Even at the level of rhetoric, these are already crimes. Nuclear blackmail, annexations, starvation and anything of a kind even at the level of claims about it deserve tough actions. I think so. Actions to prevent any catastrophic scenario. But what actions do we see in response to the statements coming from Russia? This is a fundamental question about leadership. You must have a special sense of leadership here at Harvard University. Harvard is one of the world's most powerful sources of leadership. Hundreds of different leaders of politics, jurisprudence, science, business, and other spheres of human activity received education and key skills here. And in those who were really successful, you can notice one common feature. It is the ability to act first. To act in advance. To act when the majority does not yet understand that it is necessary to act. Or vice versa - when everyone already understands everything, but is so afraid of terrible consequences that they simply freeze when it is necessary to neutralize their cause before it explodes into a catastrophe. This is prevention. Prevention is a key aspect of leadership. And it is in politics that it works most obviously. We all know that seat belts should be used in the car. They save us from the consequences that may occur if an accident occurs. We don't wait for an accident to personally verify that seat belts are required. We trust the experience of those accidents that have already happened. Many of us - if not all - use insurance services. They may be different, but they are arranged in approximately the same way: in case of negative consequences, a person receives compensation according to the terms of the contract. The insurance contract enters into force before anything happens and acts as a guarantee - a guarantee of protection. For all of us, it is normal when a murderer is isolated after a conviction. We know that this is not only a retribution for the crime committed, but also a way to protect society from another murder that could happen if the murderer remains at large. No one wants to wait for the second murder to make sure that the killer is definitely a killer. He is convicted for the very first murder. And that's right. And it can be life imprisonment - in the case of a particularly dangerous act committed by a person. All these are realities. All this is the principle of prevention. It is with us in ordinary life to give us the security of this life. This is also how prevention should work when solving political issues and in international relations. Should work. This is what we’ve been saying last year, when the world watched as Russia brought its army to the border of Ukraine for a full-scale strike. We said: let's act preemptively, right now, right away, without waiting for the strike to happen. We said: let's act in relation to the preparation of the strike as if it had happened. So that the aggressor feels the painful consequences in advance - before he does the irreparable and starts a brutal war. But... But... But... You know how things turned out. When there are no preventive actions, there is only one thing left - to react. And this is always a less strong position. Because when you act preventively, you are automatically the leader of the situation, you determine its development. And when you are forced to react, you still have to fight for leadership. You must first win the initiative, and then you can work for success. Your success. And now we are at the same critical moment that was on the eve of a full-scale invasion. This is the moment for preventive actions. Russia started talking about nuclear weapons. Russian propagandists are saying even louder than before that strikes and annexations are waiting not only for our state, but also for others - from Kazakhstan to the Baltic countries, from Georgia to Moldova and Poland. The Russian President says again - and very frankly, by the way - that he wants to undermine the grain export initiative, on which the food security of tens of millions of people depends. Look at the situation with nuclear facilities in Ukraine. For the first time in history, a nuclear power plant was directly fired at from tanks. For the first time in history, cruise missiles were struck on the territory of the nuclear power plant. Why is Russia doing all this? It sees a lack of prevention in the world. Russia must feel devastating consequences already now. For the very fact of such threats, the very fact of such rhetoric. Only preventive actions can show that the world will not "swallow" anything and that the aggressor will have to pay a severe price for all this. To do it now, to act preemptively, is to prevent catastrophic damage. To react when the Russian strikes have already happened, is to receive damage and find yourself at a new level of escalation. These days, Russia hopes to announce a new annexation of the occupied territories of Ukraine. This has been in preparation for a long time, this has been obvious for a long time. We see these sham referenda in those territories that Russia wants to "devour". And we know that the mobilization in Russia was announced on the eve of this new criminal annexation not by chance. The goal is obvious - the occupier wants to take the residents of the occupied territory into the army. Either you are killed, or you kill - Russia wants to force hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians in the occupied lands to make such a choice. And there is no preventive sanctions strike that would show Russia that it will not be able to "devour" any part of Ukraine. When there is such a lack of preventive measures, when leadership is manifested afterwards - in response, in adaptation to the negative consequences of certain actions of Russia, this leads to a loss of time, a loss of opportunities. It makes the path to peace longer. Leadership and peace are two things that are directly related. The fact is that we have become leaders in the war. We were all forced to become leaders in the war - in the fight against the evil that started this war. We have achieved an unprecedented unification of the free world. And by the way, I want to thank the United States of America and President Biden, all our American friends for their contribution to this unification. This is an invaluable contribution. Second, millions of Ukrainians demonstrate unprecedented personal leadership every day. Think of only one number - 30 thousand. Almost as many Ukrainian warriors have already been awarded state awards for bravery over these six months. But it is not only about our warriors. For Ukraine, this is a people's war. Millions of people stood up to defend freedom, to defend independence. These are children who support the military: they raise money for defense, write letters to the front and even just carry water to our men at checkpoints. These are thousands of volunteers. These are our heroic doctors and nurses. They carry out surgeries under shelling, help deliver babies in bomb shelters, help those who were crippled by Russian strikes. I can cite many examples when the personal leadership of one or another person now - from the presidents of the countries that support us to the ordinary people who expel the invaders from Ukraine - is a component of our common leadership in the war and a part of our future victory. But we must learn to be leaders in peace! We have to draw the main conclusion now. Prevention is a basic thing. This is something that can do the most to maintain peace. This is what can stop aggression faster. This is what can save more lives than any response to a disaster that has already occurred. And this is what can maintain peace for a long time, when the principle of prevention is laid as the basis of the post-war architecture of security guarantees. This is precisely our Ukrainian view of leadership, security, and peacekeeping. This is something that can and should work. This is what we call for. What we put as the basis of specific draft solutions. Leadership without prevention is not complete. Without the ability to act in advance. Without the ability to hit when you see that you are about to be hit. Even the best teamwork post hoc does not give you the opportunities you have when you know how to use the moment for preventive actions. When you know how to act first. The free world is definitely stronger than any aggressors and terrorists. The free world will definitely prevail in this confrontation with Russia. We will be able to restore peace - I have no doubt about it. But the answer to the question of when this will happen depends on the answer to the question of how often we will act first. I thank you for your attention! Thank you for supporting Ukraine! And I sincerely wish all of you to be leaders in the field that you have chosen for yourself or about to choose. Glory to Ukraine!
Ukraine cannot and will not put up with Russia's attempts to seize any part of our land - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
EN 2022-09-28
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! Our key task now is to coordinate actions with partners in response to sham referenda organized by Russia and all related threats. This is not 2014. Everything is clear for everyone. And there will certainly be actions. I’ve held a whole series of negotiations today. President of Türkiye Erdoğan, Chancellor of Germany Scholz, Prime Minister of Canada Trudeau, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Truss, Secretary-General of the UN Guterres, President of the European Council Charles Michel. Thank you all for your clear and unequivocal support. Thank you all for understanding our position. Ukraine cannot and will not put up with any attempts by Russia to seize any part of our land. I once again thanked President Erdoğan today for his help in freeing our people from Russian captivity. Commanders from Azovstal, who are in Türkiye, will soon be able to see their relatives. We are working on it. Also, by the way, the implementation of the plan to help each of those recently released from captivity has already begun. They receive priority elements of assistance. First of all, it is medical support - they all need recovery after what they had to go through in captivity. This work is under the control of the Ombudsman, representatives of the Office, intelligence, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Health, and the command of the Medical Forces. And we will extend the appropriate measures, which are being worked out in detail now, to all our people whom we free from the captivity of the occupiers. I will emphasize once again: we remember all our people and try to free each and every one of them from captivity, not a single Ukrainian has been forgotten. We discussed today with President Erdoğan our further defense cooperation, our response to all the aggressive steps that Russia has already taken and is still preparing to take. We discussed a wide range of issues with the Chancellor of Germany - political, financial, defense, energy. In the defense topic, I emphasized that we are waiting for an anti-missile defense system from Germany - I’m grateful for the willingness to help with air defense. Other points of defense cooperation were also discussed in detail - there are quite a lot of them, they are clear. Of course, energy issues were touched upon, including the supply of gas to Europe and sabotage at the Nord Stream gas pipeline. We discussed with Mr. Chancellor the preparation of the new sanctions package of the European Union - together we must make it really powerful, not symbolic. As of today, there is still something to add to the eighth sanctions package. The conversation with the Prime Minister of Canada was, as always, very specific and concerned primarily how Canada can increase support for Ukraine. Among other things, demining was discussed. Canada has both the appropriate technology and the appropriate humanitarian ambitions. I invited Prime Minister Trudeau to lead a global effort to clear our land of Russian mines and projectiles. Due to the Russian war, Ukrainian land is one of the most contaminated by mines in the world. And while there are similar examples of large-scale mine contamination around the world, we must do what others have not done: we must set a precedent for rapid and large-scale demining, not leave this problem for decades. I thank Canada for its willingness to help us. With Mrs. Liz Truss, we discussed the possibilities of Britain in enhancing sanctions on Russia, as well as in increasing defense aid for our country. I am grateful for the principled condemnation of the Russian farce under the guise of a referendum, for the full support and willingness to move with us towards the return of freedom to all our people - in all parts of Ukraine, without any exceptions. The conversation with the Secretary-General of the UN also concerned sham referenda and Russia's apparent preparation of the ground for an attempt to annex our territory. These brutal violations of the UN Charter must be punished. We discussed the implementation of our grain export initiative with Mr. Guterres. We agreed that the initiative should not only be preserved, not only protected from any attempts to disrupt it, but also expanded. Ukraine is ready to significantly increase the export of our agricultural products to the countries that need them and the corresponding interaction with the UN for humanitarian purposes and assistance to such countries as Somalia, Ethiopia, etc. I have just finished a call with Charles Michel. As always, it was a conversation between real friends. Thank you for your full support in the issue of sham referenda and for your willingness to extend aid to Ukraine. Of course, we also discussed the preparation of new sanctions. Tomorrow I will continue intensive communication with the leaders. And today I want to once again thank the United States of America and personally President Biden for the new package of defense support for our country in the amount of more than 1 billion dollars. This is really important. If someone in Russia thinks they can "get away" with everything they are doing in the occupied territory, if someone in Russia hopes the world will abandon its own values, frightened by another Russian announcement of annexation, they in Russia are wrong. Each subsequent escalating step by the occupier only confirms the fact that the world must act even tougher. In the evening, I signed another decree awarding our defenders. State awards were awarded to: 71 warriors of the National Guard, 21 employees of the State Emergency Service, 52 border guards. 320 combatants were awarded for their brave and effective actions during the liberation of the districts of the Kharkiv region from the occupation. As for the situation at the front, everything is clear to us. Therefore, I repeat again… For those who understand only Russian. If you want to live, run. If you want to live, surrender. If you want to live, fight on your streets for your freedom. Everything was taken from you anyway. Or maybe any of you have oil rigs? Palaces? Vineyards? Maybe yachts? Or some bank? What are you fighting for? The only thing you have is loans, something to eat in the evening and now there’s mobilization. Fight for what’s yours! Stay away from our land, our soul and our culture. Glory to Ukraine!
The greater unity we have, the more tangible Russian defeats are - President of Ukraine at the Athens Democracy Forum
EN 2022-09-28
Dear Mrs. President! Dear forum participants! Everyone who values the democratic system and wants to preserve it for future generations! There are many discussions about democracy in the world now. About what threatens democracy. About how democracy can be protected. And about what needs to be done so that democracy still prevails in the global confrontation. People feel that right now something is happening that could become decisive in the centuries-old confrontation between democracy and tyranny. And it is precisely in this address, precisely to the Athens Democracy Forum, that I want to say that I am sure: we will be able to guarantee the future of democracy, we will be able to protect it. We will, because we know what gives democracy strength, what serves as its heart, ensuring the supply of freedom, like blood, to every part of a democratic society - to every person. This is unity. Unity is the most important thing. Democracy is the rule of law, it is respect, it is procedures, it is the equality of the free and freedom for all. But all this works only under the condition of unity, only then is all this saturated with real freedom, all this is solid. Unity makes democracy alive. When societies are completely atomized, when there are no stable ties between peoples, when someone may not come to the aid of another in a democratic community, democracy gets weaker, lags behind, falls apart. We have seen this more than once in history. We have seen how a small but energetic and maximally united tyrannical minority or party is able to subjugate the social majority, if the majority of people are scattered and do not trust each other. We have seen how some democracies decided not to intervene when other democracies were threatened, but later everyone had to defend themselves, not just those who were threatened at the beginning. We have seen that people can become disillusioned with democracy if they feel unequal and humiliated, if people lose emotional connection with their representatives in power. The consequence of this can be fascination with someone autocratic. And then?... Often a tyrant begins to destroy his own society just to retain his personal power. This is exactly what happened in Russia over the past 30 years. So unity is the universal answer. Unity in society - for people to feel a connection with each other, for people to have something in common and for this commonality to develop, giving more freedom, more comfort, more well-being. Unity between societies, between states. All democracies should act in a united fashion, be a real community, and help each other when necessary. This is not only a matter of relations between the leaders of the states. This is not a question of who is or is not historically related to whom. This is a question of struggle for a democratic system. When we are truly together, no one will be an insurmountable threat to us. We see this now in the war that Russia has waged against our people and against our common democratic system. The greater unity we have, the more tangible Russian defeats are. And the third element - this is very important for every democratic country - unity between those in whose hands the power is and those who entrusted this power. Democracy does not live in the government offices or even in the parliament hall. Democracy lives between people. And that is why it is so important that there are no isolated groups in societies - be it the ruling group, or any other privileged groups, or any unintegrated minorities. After the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine, we managed to achieve the greatest unity of Europe and the democratic community of the whole world in decades. But the greatest does not mean the maximum. We have a lot to do to further strengthen our unity. And every such step to strengthen is a step to protect democracy. Not just somewhere, not just in some country, but in general – for all of us and for our children. For all free nations. Forever free. I thank you for your attention! Thank you, Greece, for your significant support! And it is with great honor that I accept the award of the city of Athens for the Ukrainian people, for our people, for their contribution to the protection of democratic values. Glory to Ukraine!
Address by the President of Ukraine to the indigenous peoples of Russia: Fight to avoid death, defend your freedom in the streets and squares
EN 2022-09-29
Peoples of the Caucasus! Now I am in that part of Kyiv, where Imam Shamil, the hero of Dagestan and the entire Caucasus, lived in the 1860s. As you can see, Ukraine knows how to honor your heroes. We preserve the memory of those places that combined the cultures of our peoples. This is the center of our capital. One of the hundreds of Ukrainian cities against which the Russian authorities direct missiles, bombs and troops. The Caucasus knows what this means. The Caucasus saw it. For 218 days, we have been defending ourselves against those who have more missiles and people than we do, but who are completely devoid of decency. This is a vile war on the part of Russia, a criminal one. And we do everything to protect our people and the independence of Ukraine. This is our sacred duty. Duty to our parents. Duty to our children. Duty to all generations of our people - those who lived and those who will live on our land. We don't need what’s not ours! Already 58,500 Russian soldiers have died in Ukraine. They came to kill us and died. You are not told this number. You are being lied to about the alleged death toll of about six thousand. 58.5! That's the truth. All of them died because one person wanted this war. Only one, which many people serve. Peoples of the Caucasus! All peoples on the territory of Russia! You have no reason to be among these many who still serve the one who wants this war. You do not have to die in Ukraine. Your sons do not have to die in Ukraine. You have no such obligation. Not to your parents, not to your children, not to your future, not to the future of your land. And you know it. We see that you are resisting the criminal mobilization with which the Russian authorities want to cover up their failure. The failure of their regular army, their criminal orders. You are being lied to that there are allegedly no such failures. Instead of ending the senseless war for Russia, the Russian authorities are trying to send new people to replace the dead. What awaits them all? You know the answer. Ukraine will continue to defend itself and will win in this war waged against us. Because we are on our land. The truth is on our side. And the whole civilized world is with us. We are fighting for what is true for any people on the planet - for life and freedom, for the right to happiness for all our families, for all our children. Russia was left alone. It is already isolated and will be condemned for this war. "Anyone who raises a weapon against the truth raises it to his own destruction," the Kremlin seems not to be aware of these words by Imam Shamil. But these words should be known in the Caucasus. They should be heard in Siberia and in all other lands from which people are being sent to this war. And now there’s mobilization. Fight to avoid death! Defend your freedom now in the streets and squares, so that later you don't have to fight in the mountains and forests simply for your right to live, when the Russian authorities start the next waves of mobilization. Did you believe that they would take only 300 thousand people? The one who started this war will not stop at the first wave of mobilization, there will be more. He will try to take other lives as well. He doesn’t care about people. He respects neither the living nor the dead… Thousands of bodies of dead Russian soldiers from various regions remain in Ukraine. They rot in the fields, they are stored in morgues. Those that were not burned by the Russian army itself. The only army in the world that carries around mobile crematoria to dispose of the bodies of its fallen soldiers when it has time to do so. But now it is fleeing so fast that it even leaves tanks and MLRS behind, not just the bodies of the dead. Just think about what it has come to! We are forced to start informational work on conveying to the citizens of Russia, who are being mobilized now, a special thesis: at least get a tattoo with your name and surname so that we know how to find your relatives when you are killed and do not even have an army token with you. The Russian authorities send people to this war without army tokens, often without documents! They do this on purpose to make it easier to lie to you about how many people actually die here. This is their special operation. Special operation on lies, terror, extermination of indigenous peoples. During the first week of criminal mobilization, more men fled from Russia than the Russian authorities were officially going to send to war. And how does the Kremlin react to this? It is sending troops to the border of Russia against the very citizens of Russia! This is a disgrace! And lies with some sham referenda, with some confessions and annexations will end in even greater disgrace for Russia. No one has to take part in a disgraceful war. Dagestanis do not have to die in Ukraine. Chechens, Ingush, Ossetians, Circassians and any other peoples who came under the Russian flag. In total, almost 200 different peoples... You know who sends them to Ukraine. The one who sends wants to make them "cargo 200". Do you want that? No? I'm sure you want to live. I'm sure you're tired of being lied to. I’m sure you know that it is necessary to fight now! In order for Russian citizens to go to war, they are artificially driven into poverty. Into loans. People are intimidated by repressions, harassed by propaganda. You can change it. You just need to understand who is a real symbol for you, who is a hero for you, who is the pride of your history, and who just wants to take advantage of you. Fight! And you are sure to win!
When we oust Russia, normal life will return to Ukrainian land – address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
EN 2022-09-29
Ukrainians! We continue our diplomatic activity to ensure that all partners of Ukraine and the countries of the world understand what new steps towards escalation are being taken by the terrorist state these days. I spoke today with President of Poland Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister of Italy Mario Draghi. I had a meeting with the President of the National Assembly of France. I am grateful to our partners for clearly condemning the Russian sham referenda, for condemning the attempted annexation of our territory, which the Kremlin is currently preparing. I am grateful to our Polish brothers for their invaluable defense support and our cooperation for the sake of common security. And today, in a conversation with Andrzej Duda, with Mr. President, we discussed how we can further strengthen our relations. We also discussed cross-border cooperation. We must do everything so that our nations face no obstacles for economic and any other relations. I would like to thank Prime Minister Draghi for his principled condemnation of Russia's steps towards escalation. We exchanged views on further steps in our bilateral relations with Italy and in multilateral relations at the EU level that could give all of us in Europe more protection. The first ever visit to Ukraine by the President of the National Assembly of France is taking place at a truly historic time. At a time when solidarity between leaders at all levels is critical to the future of a democratic world. I thanked Mrs. President of the National Assembly of France and her fellow parliamentarians for their willingness to continue to help us defend the independence of Ukraine and the freedom of the whole of Europe. I talked today with the university community and public figures of Switzerland on the basis of the University of Zurich. It is very important that Switzerland and its citizens do not remain neutral, and support our aspiration to live - to live freely and in peace. Everyone in the world understands well what such an attempted annexation would actually mean. It will not mean what the Kremlin hopes for. Today I explained this to the peoples of the Caucasus, Siberia, and other indigenous peoples of Russia. And now I repeat for everyone in this country: Russia will not get a new territory of Ukraine. Russia will annex itself to the catastrophe that it has brought to the occupied territory of our country. Russia will equate itself with the so-called "DPR" and "LPR", and will completely finish off those institutions of normal statehood that still remained in Russia. The occupier fills the occupied territory of Ukraine with graves, and there are more and more graves on the territory of Russia itself. The occupier sets up torture chambers in the occupied territory - and will fill the entire territory of Russia with torture chambers. This is the only way the Russian police and Russian special services will work now. The law in Russia has been obliterated. And those who brought all these deaths, torture, rape from Russia will take them home. Everywhere in the seized territory, the occupier destroys any basis for life - economy, social sphere, culture... Depriving the entire Russian society of a normal economy, a decent life and respect for any human value will be the price for the fact that one person in Russia wants this war to continue. This can still be stopped. But to stop it, you have to stop that one in Russia who wants war more than life. Your life, citizens of Russia. Today, the Russian army inflicted another vile attack on civilians in Mykolaiv - a shell exploded near a public transport stop. There are dead, there are wounded... Again shelling of Kharkiv, the Sumy region, fierce shelling in Donbas, in the south of Ukraine. All this can be stopped in only one way: liberation. And before Russia came, there was normal life everywhere on Ukrainian land. And when Russia leaves, when we oust it, normal life will return. This is the only way. This is the way to our victory. We cannot know how long it will take to complete this path. But we know that no Russian manipulation and no Russian crime can push us off this path. Today we managed to release six more of our citizens from Russian captivity. I am thankful to everyone who ensures this work! Today we have new results on the frontline. Today we received additional elements of aid from partners. It will continue to be so. Tomorrow is another day of our struggle, another day on the path to victory. Will it be special for us? It will be another day that will bring us closer to security and peace, to restoration of our territorial integrity. Because millions of Ukrainians fight and work for this. A special meeting of the National Security and Defense Council, which I convened, will take place tomorrow. There will be decisions. We know how to react to any Russian actions. And finally. This morning I honored the memory of all the victims of the Babyn Yar. Eternal memory to the victims of Nazism! Eternal damnation to those who repeat the crimes of the Nazis! Glory to Ukraine!
We are taking our decisive step by signing Ukraine's application for accelerated accession to NATO - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
EN 2022-09-30
Ukrainians! And all our friends and allies! De facto allies. Today, here in Kyiv, in the heart of our country, we are taking a decisive step for the security of the entire community of free nations. We see who threatens us. Who is ready to kill and maim. Who in order to expand his zone of control does not stop at any savagery. On February 24, the first full-scale attack on Ukraine was carried out. The first! Russia would not have stopped at our borders if we had not stopped it. Other states would have been under attack. The Baltic countries, Poland, Moldova and Georgia, Kazakhstan... Russia claimed to subjugate various nations of Europe and Asia. Claimed six months ago. This criminal ambition is breaking down in Ukraine. It was broken down in the suburbs of Kyiv and Chernihiv. In "Azovstal". In the Sumy region and Kharkiv region. On Zmiinyi Island. It will be broken down in Donbas and in the south of Ukraine when we liberate them. Definitely - in Crimea, in the free Ukrainian Crimea. The entire territory of our country will be liberated from this enemy - the enemy not only of Ukraine, but also of life itself, humanity, law and truth. Russia already knows this. It feels our power. It sees that it is here, in Ukraine, that we prove the strength of our values. And that is why it is in a hurry. Organizes this farce with the attempted annexation. Tries to steal something that does not belong to it. Wants to rewrite history and redraw borders with murders, torture, blackmail and lies. Ukraine will not allow that. Today I held a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. The meeting of the National Security and Defense Council has just ended. We have a decision. First – it is only the path of strengthening Ukraine and ousting the occupiers from our entire territory that restores peace. We will complete this path. Second – Ukraine was and remains a leader in negotiation efforts. It was our state that always offered Russia to reach an agreement on coexistence on equal, honest, decent and fair terms. It is obvious that this is impossible with this Russian president. He does not know what dignity and honesty are. Therefore, we are ready for a dialogue with Russia, but already with another president of Russia. And third – we must de jure record everything we have already achieved de facto. It is in Ukraine that the fate of democracy in the confrontation with tyranny is being decided. It is here, with the firmness of our state borders, that we can secure the firmness of the borders of all European states. We can guarantee that no one else will dare to bring war back to our continent. It is here, in Ukraine, that the values of our Euro-Atlantic community have obtained real vital energy. The strength of the nation that fights for freedom, and the strength of the nations that help in this fight. We are de facto allies. This has already been achieved. De facto, we have already completed our path to NATO. De facto, we have already proven interoperability with the Alliance’s standards, they are real for Ukraine - real on the battlefield and in all aspects of our interaction. We trust each other, we help each other and we protect each other. This is what the Alliance is. De facto. Today, Ukraine is applying to make it de jure. Under a procedure consistent with our significance for the protection of our entire community. Under an accelerated procedure. We know it's possible. We have seen Finland and Sweden start accession to the Alliance this year without a Membership Action Plan. This is fair. This is also fair for Ukraine. This is the consolidation at the level of the treaty of what has already been achieved in life and what are our values. We understand that this requires the consensus of all members of the Alliance. We understand that it is necessary to reach such a consensus. And therefore, while this is happening, we offer to implement our proposals regarding security guarantees for Ukraine and all of Europe in accordance with the Kyiv Security Compact, which was developed and presented to our partners. Security has no alternatives. But determination is needed to guarantee it. We are taking our decisive step by signing Ukraine's application for accelerated accession to NATO. Today, the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine adopted a decision to impose sanctions on significant individuals and legal entities of Russia who did not have the courage to speak out in defense of humanity and international law, or who in one way or another are involved in aggressive steps against Ukraine and the community of democratic nations. And at the same time, I am addressing the people's deputies of Ukraine: at the next session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, a draft law on the nationalization of all Russian assets will be considered, which should significantly simplify this procedure. Please endorse this bill without delay. We are completing the dismantling of Russian influence on Ukraine, Europe and the world. Glory to Ukraine!
Our path is path of independence, territorial integrity, integration with civilized world, path of Russia is defeat and shame – address of President of Ukraine
EN 2022-09-30
Dear Ukrainians! The enemy started this day with a deliberate and absolutely premeditated murder of Ukrainians in Zaporizhzhia. A missile attack on a civilian convoy of cars. As of now, 30 dead are reported. Almost a hundred wounded and traumatized. The Russian military knew where their missiles would hit. Non-humans did it. From the first to the last. From the one who gave this order and to everyone who executed this order. They will answer. For sure. Before the law and before people. People! That is why we are confident of our victory. That is why we took the initiative in the war. That is why we're getting tangible results on the battlefield right now... and that's very important. Congratulations to the heroes! As we remain human and gain support from people – from all the people of the world. From everyone who feels pain when they learn about the deliberate killing of innocent people. Another farce took place in Moscow today. Something was celebrated there. They were chanting something there. They sang in the square. They were talking about Zaporizhzhia... When they themselves arranged such a thing in Zaporizhzhia. They are non-humans. Eternal memory to all those killed in Russian terrorist attacks! Today, Ukraine made decisions to defend itself. All of them will be implemented. Decisions of the National Security and Defense Council and the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Headquarters. I already reported in detail this afternoon about our request for an accelerated accession to join NATO. And about the obvious readiness of Ukraine for negotiations with the Russian Federation – but with another President of Russia, who will understand what is happening. Now, I want to add something about the decision of the National Security and Defense Council regarding sanctions against Russian individuals and legal entities. There is a really long list, quite famous names. However, we are not focused on volume, but on actually dismantling Russian influence and at the same time influencing the state of affairs in the Russian Federation itself. Therefore, restrictions are introduced against several thousand individuals and entities. Sanctions of Ukraine and our partners are synchronized. New sanctions are being introduced against key persons and significant Russian enterprises. Of course, sanctions will also be applied to those citizens of other countries who took part in the Russian farce on the occupied territory of our country. Pseudo-referendums are elements of aggression against a sovereign state, and anyone involved in organizing or conducting this farce will be held accountable. Today, I spoke with the Prime Ministers of Japan and Denmark. Of course, they condemned the new Russian steps towards escalation. Thanks to them for their support! Thanks also to all the leaders of the partner states, to all the political and public figures of the world, who have already quite promptly spoken out in defense of Ukraine and international law! I personally thank President Biden, Congress, our friends in Europe and everyone who is already strengthening sanctions against Russia and is already taking powerful steps to increase defense and financial support for Ukraine! We must liberate our entire land, and this will be the best proof that international law and human values cannot be broken by any terrorist state, even one as insolent as Russia. We have substantial results in the east of our country. There is already enough public information about this. Everyone has heard what is happening in Lyman, Donetsk region. These are steps that mean a lot to us. And I am thankful to all our fighters for implementing this element of our defense plan! It is very important. Today, I especially want to recognize the fighters of the 10th separate mountain assault brigade and the 54th separate mechanized brigade for their constant bravery and heroism in the Siversky and Bakhmut areas. And also our servicemen of the 214th separate rifle battalion, the Special Operations Forces and the 103rd separate ground defense brigade for the liberation of Yampil. I am also thankful to our intelligence units – Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense, as well as the Security Service of Ukraine. The path of our country is difficult. The path is clear. This is the path of independence, territorial integrity, integration with the civilized world and social development. The path of our enemy is also completely clear – defeat, shame and condemnation. And one more. Every year on the last day of September, Ukraine celebrates Adoption Day. This, in my opinion, is an important day. It is a day of special respect for those whose hearts are big enough to give family warmth to children left without parental care. Today, I thank all such Ukrainian men and women! I dream that we will come to such a result, when every child of Ukraine will feel family warmth, no matter what the circumstances of life are. Eternal glory to our beautiful people! Eternal glory to everyone who fights for Ukraine! We work for one thing – victory! Glory to Ukraine!
During this week more Ukrainian flags appeared in Donbas, there will be even more – address of President of Ukraine
EN 2022-10-01
Dear Ukrainians! Dear all our defenders! Another week of our war for our independence comes to an end. The week that the enemy really wanted to make especially hard for us, but he made it really hard, but for himself. For Russia itself. Today, even more voices in the world have joined in condemning the pseudo-referendums and Russia's attempt to annex our territory – the territory of Ukraine. I am grateful for every such voice. As a result, we already have dozens of statements that clearly support Ukraine and international law and condemn Russia for this new aggressive step. I would like to especially note the statement of UN Secretary General António Guterres. He bluntly said that Russia violates the goals and principles of the UN, the UN Charter and that the pseudo-referendums and attempted annexation will have no legal force. When such words are heard at the highest level in the UN, everyone in the world understands everything. And Russia has no such veto right that can stop or cancel this understanding of the world. Russia is losing the fight for the international community. The world will not allow a return to the times of colonial conquests, criminal annexations and total arbitrariness instead of international law. And the main thing... The main thing is our resistance with you, our protection with you, our movement with you towards the liberation of the entire Ukrainian territory. It is our movement that puts everything in its place. Russia has staged a farce in Donbas. An absolute farce, which it wanted to present as an alleged referendum. They depicted something there, drove machine gunners around the houses, carried pieces of paper, the propagandists filmed all this in the part of Donbas they controlled. And now a Ukrainian flag is there. During this week, there were more Ukrainian flags in Donbas. It will be even more in a week. What then is a pseudo-referendum? Are there two Donetsk regions? Two villages of Yampil, Donetsk region? Are there two villages of Torske? The Ukrainian movement will continue. The Ukrainian flag is already in Lyman, Donetsk region. Fighting is still going on there. But there is no trace of any pseudo-referendum there. It is logical for Ukraine. And for the enemy, there will be more and more such "mismatches." By the way, they have already started biting each other there: they are looking for the culprits, accusing some generals of failures... This is the first bell that should be heard at all levels of the Russian government. Until you all solve the problem with the one who started it all, who started this senseless for Russia war against Ukraine, you will be eliminated one by one, making scapegoats, so as not to admit that this war is a historical mistake for Russia. Ukraine will return its own. Both in the east and in the south. And what they tried to annex now, and Crimea, which has been called annexed since 2014. Our flag will be everywhere. There will be punishment for those who committed this crime of aggression against our independent state. On October 1, 76 years ago, the Nuremberg Tribunal ended its work. In many ways, it was this process that laid the foundations of the modern world – the legal foundations of justice. Everything that ruscism is trying to destroy. Therefore, another tribunal will inevitably take place, which will put an end to the careers of all those responsible for this Russian "special operation" against the international system, which began in 2014 and became full-scale on February 24, and will end thanks to the heroism of our people. Today, we still do not know on which day it will happen. But we know that the day of our victory will come. It will definitely be. And after it the day of judgment for the ruscists will be. It will definitely be. I thank everyone who brings this time closer. Who is approaching it daily. Thanks to everyone who fights and works for our victory! Thanks to everyone who helps! Thank you to President Biden and the US Congress for providing more than $12 billion in supplemental support. It will definitely strengthen our common freedom. Glory to the invincible people of Ukraine! Glory to our soldiers! Glory to Ukraine!
Ukraine was and will be one of the European centers of the military and aviation industry – address of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
EN 2022-10-02
Dear Ukrainians! I wish you health! Important events took place today in Turkey during a visit of the First Lady of Ukraine, the head of the President's Office and other our representatives. In the presence of Olena, the first corvette for our country from those, which will be built by the Turkish side, was launched. It is corvette Hetman Ivan Mazepa. Its building began in 2021 and will be completed in due time. I consider it very symbolic that it got this name. Despite a century of Russian false propaganda, historical truth and justice still prevail. And there is no reason for our project to build a new fleet for Ukraine to fail. We will implement all the shaped plans. Our goal is to create a full-fledged base for ship maintenance and building in Ukraine. Today, Andriy Yermak together with the Ukrainian delegation visited the facilities of the Baykar company, which produces, in particular, well-known Bayraktar UCAVs for us. On behalf of all Ukrainians, Andriy thanked the company's managers and presented Selçuk Bayraktar, the chairman of the Baykar's Board, with the Order of Merit, which was awarded to him on the anniversary of Ukraine's Independence. However, this meeting is not symbolic, it is quite practical. We are preparing to create a training center and a plant of the Baykar company in Ukraine, as well as joint manufacturing of aircraft engines. We will definitely implement these projects. Ukraine has always been and will be one of the European centers of the military and aviation industry. And I am proud that I can say these words with absolute confidence and justification based on the results of the 221st day of Russia's full-scale war against our state. Something went wrong with someone... And these meetings are not the end of our diplomatic activity today. There was also a meeting of the first ladies of Ukraine and Turkey – and I thank President Erdoğan and his wife Emine for their continued support of our efforts to restore peace. The First Lady of Ukraine and our delegation met with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Patriarch Bartholomew's view on the war unleashed by Russia and his position on supporting our state are well known. And today they sounded again – very powerfully. I thank you for this, thank you for understanding the needs of our people. The head of the Office held talks with the advisors to the President of the United States and the President of Turkey – Jake Sullivan and İbrahim Kalın. Very substantive negotiations. Absolutely in the interests of Ukraine. To strengthen our security. Today, I held talks with President of France Emmanuel Macron. We discussed in detail the situation on the front line, our successes at the front. President Macron clearly supported our state and condemned the Russian pseudo-referendums and the attempt to annex our territory. The strengthening of sanctions against Russia was discussed. We also discussed the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and the abduction of Director General of the ZNPP Ihor Murashov by the Russian occupiers. This is another manifestation of completely frank Russian terror, for which the terrorist state must bear an ever-increasing punishment. Today, we have a powerful joint statement from the leaders of nine NATO states: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. They condemned Russia's escalating moves and, most importantly, supported our aspiration to become a full member of NATO. We are moving in this direction. I am sure that we will implement this project. At least twice a day – in the morning and in the evening – I receive reports from our military. This week, the largest part of the reports is the list of settlements liberated from the enemy as part of our defense operation. The story of the liberation of Lyman in Donetsk region has now become the most popular in the media. But the successes of our soldiers are not limited to Lyman. This, you know, is the trend... Recently, someone somewhere held pseudo-referendums, and when the Ukrainian flag is returned, no one remembers the Russian farce with some pieces of paper and some annexations. Except, of course, law enforcement agencies of Ukraine. Because everyone who is involved in any elements of aggression against our state will be accountable for it. And I thank everyone who brings these moments of victory closer, who returns the Ukrainian flag to its rightful place on Ukrainian land. I thank everyone: from generals to ordinary soldiers, from professional soldiers, intelligence and special forces to volunteers and everyone who helps defend our state. And I would especially like to mention the 25th, 80th, 81st, and 95th brigades of amphibious assault troops for their successes in the east of our country; 14th and 92nd separate mechanized brigades; 1st, 4th and 17th tank brigades; Special Operations Forces; units of the National Guard and the National Police; SBU employees; and our intelligence – Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense. Thank you, warriors! And one more thing. Today, two professional holidays are celebrated in Ukraine – Teacher's Day (Educator's Day) and Territorial Defense Forces Day. Of course, a lot of kind and warm words have already been said to both educators and our Territorial Defense Forces men. But I want to add something. Effective defense is impossible without good national education. And there will be no good national education without effective defense. Fortunately, we have both of these elements. Thanks to the professionalism and conscientiousness of Ukrainian educators, teachers, and professors, we have soldiers who know what humanity is and appreciate everything that Ukraine represents. And thanks to our brave soldiers, Ukrainian education on Ukrainian land will transmit our values to all generations of our people. I thank every Ukrainian educator, teacher and lecturer! I thank each of our defenders! I'm thankful to the soldiers of the 127th Territorial Defense Brigade for defending the city of Kharkiv and liberating the territory of Kharkiv region. To the soldiers of the 110th brigade, who bravely repulsed the invaders in the Zaporizhzhia direction. To the soldiers of the 129th brigade of my native Kryvy Rih, who distinguished themselves with good results and liberated, in particular, Arkhanhelske and Myroliubivka. To the soldiers of the 115th Territorial Defense Brigade, who made a significant contribution to the defense of Zhytomyr region. And also to the soldiers of the 117th brigade, who defend the north-eastern direction in Sumy region. Ukraine will win! Glory to Ukraine!
Ukraine appreciates people, saves people – these are fundamental rules for our state – address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
EN 2022-10-03
Ukrainians! Today, I will also begin my address with a message about what happened in Türkiye. Finally, we managed to organize a meeting of our boys, commanders from "Azovstal", with their relatives. The meeting is in Türkiye, where our warriors stay in accordance with the agreement on their release. They are completely safe – with the guarantees of President of Türkiye Erdoğan. They are provided with proper conditions. And now they can see their relatives. They have not seen each other for many months. And now I thank everyone who made it possible for them to be with their families again. And we will do everything to make such a meeting possible for the families of all Ukrainians who are still in Russian captivity one day – a meeting with their relatives. Ukraine appreciates people. Saves people. And helps all those who need help. These are fundamental rules for our state. And it will always be so. A large group of our officials continues the work on providing the necessary assistance to all those released from Russian captivity. As you understand, there are a lot of issues. This is not only treatment and rehabilitation, but also a large volume of social issues, often legal. The state will certainly help solve all of them. At the same time, everything is being done quite intensively at various levels of government to restore normal life in the areas liberated from the occupiers. In total, these are more than 450 settlements in the Kharkiv region alone – those that were liberated thanks to the defense operation that began in September and is still ongoing. The work of transport, post office, police, normal supply of water, gas, electricity is being restored – as much as possible. The occupiers left many mined areas, many tripwires, almost all infrastructure was destroyed. The damage is colossal. But life is returning – it is returning wherever the occupiers were driven out. We also make social payments – pensions, salaries. In particular, to the teachers who remained loyal to Ukraine and did not switch to the curriculum of the occupiers. This is actually very important. Russian propagandists intimidate people in the areas still under the control of the occupiers that Ukraine will allegedly consider almost everyone who remains in the occupied territory as collaborators. Absolute nonsense. Our approach has always been and remains clear and fair. If a person did not serve the occupiers and did not betray Ukraine, then there is no reason to consider such a person a collaborator. These are elementary things. If the teacher remained a Ukrainian teacher and did not lie to the children about who is the enemy... Or if a person remained a Ukrainian employee of the Ukrainian utilities service and, for example, helped preserve the energy supply for people, then such a person cannot be blamed for anything. Hundreds of thousands of our people were in the temporarily occupied territory. Many helped our military and special services. Many simply tried to survive and waited for the return of the Ukrainian flag. Of course, there were those who betrayed Ukraine. But such cases are quickly established by the Security Service of Ukraine and are not massive. Russia did not meet mass support in Ukraine, and this is a fact. Today, the offensive movement of our army and all our defenders continued. There are new liberated settlements in several regions. Fierce fighting continues in many areas of the front. But the perspective of these hostilities remains obvious - more and more occupiers are trying to escape, more and more losses are being inflicted on the enemy army, and there is a growing understanding that Russia made a mistake by starting a war against Ukraine. Of course, there are many fanatics out there. Those who will never admit the obvious, that this is a pointless war for Russia that Russia cannot win. Because it is impossible to defeat a nation that preserves unity and knows what they are fighting for. The same cannot be said about the people of Russia as about the Ukrainian people. None of those who are now being sent to war after criminal mobilization will be able to explain: what is the point of this for him personally? Why should he risk his life? Among the dead occupiers we can already see those who were taken just a week or two ago. People were not trained for combat, they have no experience to fight in such a war. But the Russian command just needs some people - any kind - to replace the dead. And when these new ones die, more people will be sent. This is how Russia fights. That's how it will lose as well. No sham referenda, announcements about annexations, conversations about the borders they invented and drew somewhere, will help them. There is a clear and internationally recognized border of Ukraine. There are lives we must protect. There is security we must restore. And all this will happen. We are doing all this. And one more thing. Today, Russia was ultimately removed from decision-making in world aviation. There will be no more representatives of the terrorist state in the governing body – the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization. This is a crucially important world institution, a specialized agency of the UN, and this is a quite eloquent signal to all other international organizations. A state that has violated so many norms of international law cannot be kept in any international organizations as a supposedly normal participant. Russia has no place in the global community. I thank everyone who helps us defend freedom! Glory to all who fight for Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine!
The Ukrainian army is carrying out a pretty fast and powerful advance in the south of our country - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
EN 2022-10-04
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! Today we’ve got some good news both from the frontline and from the diplomatic front. First: the Ukrainian army is carrying out a pretty fast and powerful advance in the south of our country as part of the current defense operation. Dozens of settlements have already been liberated from the Russian sham referendum this week alone. In Kherson region, Kharkiv region, Luhansk region and Donetsk region altogether. In particular, according to the military reports from the Kherson region: the settlements of Lyubymivka, Khreshchenivka, Zolota Balka, Bilyaivka, Ukrainka, Velyka and Mala Oleksandrivka, and Davydiv Brid were liberated from the occupier and stabilized. And this is far from a complete list... Our warriors do not stop. And it's only a matter of time before we oust the occupier from all our land. I’ve held a series of important negotiations today. First, in the afternoon, I spoke with the Prime Minister of India. I informed Mr. Modi about the situation on the frontline, about the success of our military. I presented in detail our view of Russia's recent escalation steps. It is the Kremlin that is doing absolutely everything for this war to end only on the battlefield, not at the negotiating table. Russia responds to various Ukrainian proposals to stop aggression and liberate our territory with terror, criminal mobilization and political farce. And this is a threat to any state in any part of the world. After all, if someone tries to steal the territory of a neighboring people, then some others may have a similar desire. And that is why we call on all subjects of international relations who respect international law to stand up for its basic principles and confirm their respect, in particular, for the principle of the inviolability of borders and the territorial integrity of states. I believe this is the same fundamental principle for India as it is for Ukraine. Also this afternoon I spoke with Giorgia Meloni, leader of the Brothers of Italy political force that won the recent elections by a landslide. It was a very substantive conversation on the ways to further increase our interstate cooperation and strengthen our capabilities - both of Ukraine and Italy. On behalf of all Ukrainians, I thanked Italy for the powerful packages of defense support. We are looking forward to Mrs. Meloni’s official visit to Kyiv. And in the evening I spoke with U.S. President Biden. First of all, I thanked him for another package of defense support for our country, in particular for new HIMARS. And in general, I noted that the successes of our military - all successes in returning freedom to our people - are our joint successes, our joint victories. Due to the unity of Ukraine, the United States of America and all our partners in the free world, today freedom has the highest strength in decades and demonstrates concrete victories in the confrontation with tyranny. Of course, the key aspects of our cooperation outside the defense sphere were also discussed with President Biden, in particular financial support - in particular, the support package in the amount of more than 12 billion dollars. We also discussed political steps, cooperation in international organizations. And I was especially pleased to hear President Biden's words that our servicemen inspire the whole world, our people inspire the whole world. And rightly so. Our victory in this war will show how much Ukraine can contribute to the global strength of freedom, the global strength of democracy. I thank everyone who fights and works for our victory! Today, I would especially like to celebrate the concerted and heroic actions of the warriors of the 35th separate marine brigade named after Rear Admiral Mykhailo Ostrogradsky, the 46th separate assault brigade and the 57th separate motorized infantry brigade named after Kosh otaman Kost Hordiyenko. Thank you guys! And I always thank everyone who helps our defenders protect freedom! And one more important emphasis. I signed a decree designating null and void all decrees of the President of the Russian Federation and all acts adopted to implement these decrees for attempted annexation of our territory from 2014 until today. Any Russian decisions, any treaties with which they try to seize our land - all this is worthless. Glory to Ukraine!
We must create a Special Tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the participants of the public debate "War and Law" in Paris
EN 2022-10-05
Dear Mr. Fabius! Ladies and Gentlemen! I thank you for the opportunity to present our Ukrainian perspective on how law can guarantee peace. I will start with one example. An example, which demonstrates the need for a comprehensive legal response to aggression. September 30 of this year. Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine. Morning - 7:10 am. The Russian army fires 16 missiles at the territory of the region and the city of Zaporizhzhia. Of them, 4 missiles are shot down by our air defense forces. 9 missiles hit one of the plants, the enterprise was destroyed. And 3 more Russian missiles hit the checkpoint on the road - the place where dozens of people were. Ordinary people in ordinary cars. A total of 122 people were wounded that morning. 30 people died. Including 2 children. The girl was 10 years old. And the boy, he was 14 years old. And this is just one Russian missile strike. A deliberate attack on civilians. A deliberate crime. This is one of thousands of strikes that have occurred since 2014, when Russia began its aggression against Ukraine, and since February 24 of this year, when Russia turned this aggression into a full-scale war. You all know what is happening in Ukraine. All of you have heard about Bucha and Mariupol, about burned cities and tortured people. And I think many of you have read or heard words that explain very clearly why all this is happening. I will quote these words now: "To initiate a war of aggression, therefore, is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." End of quote. These are wise words. The words of people who saw full-scale war with their own eyes. They saw - and know that all war crimes begin with one original crime - the crime of aggression. What is the missile strike at ordinary people in ordinary cars at a checkpoint somewhere in the middle of the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine? This is the crime committed by the specific Russian soldiers who launched the missiles. This is the crime of the specific commander who ordered the missile strike. And this is the crime of those who started the armed aggression against Ukraine, in the framework of which this and thousands of other similar strikes became possible. And also - in the framework of which the execution of civilians, the torture and execution of prisoners, the rape of women and children, airstrikes on ordinary residential buildings, the use of prohibited mines and ammunition became possible. All the crimes of the Russian occupiers on Ukrainian soil can be investigated and the perpetrators can be brought to justice. All perpetrators! But... We must bring to justice those whose decisions started all this. Those who committed the original crime. A crime in which all the evil shown by the Russian occupiers is concentrated. And we still do not have such an institutional basis to hold the Russian political and military leadership accountable for the crime of aggression. Ladies and Gentlemen! Ukraine offers a real way to bring to justice the perpetrators of the original crime that spawned all other crimes committed since the beginning of Russian aggression. For many years, the world has been looking for ways to prevent the recurrence of a full-scale war in Europe and to ensure the inevitability of punishment for war criminals, whoever they are, wherever they are and wherever they commit crimes against the basics of human life. Thanks to these searches and the efforts of many conscientious people, we now have, in particular, the International Criminal Court - one of the most important global legal institutions that ensures justice and protects humanity. Ukraine fully supports the activities of this court. We accepted the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court over all events on the territory of Ukraine. We introduced changes in the legislation of Ukraine to simplify and make our cooperation with this court more effective. We are in constant and quite practical communication with representatives of the International Criminal Court in order to achieve the common goal of bringing the Russian occupiers to justice for the crimes committed by them on the territory of Ukraine. I am grateful to all states and specialists who contribute to this work - with their financial, technical, analytical, legal and expert support. I am grateful to France, in particular, whose contribution is already tangible. And I believe that the International Criminal Court will be able to create a historical precedent of an absolutely legal response to the crimes committed by the Russian occupiers, as large-scale as the Russian war against Ukraine. But for the original crime of armed aggression to receive a fair answer as well, we must supplement the activities of the International Criminal Court. A Special Tribunal should be established for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. So that it can punish those who, unfortunately, cannot be reached by the International Criminal Court and all other available judicial institutions of the world. You all know how the leadership of Russia, hiding behind false stories about state sovereignty, avoids fair responsibility for what it has done. We have to overcome that. The draft of the corresponding international agreement for the establishment of the Special Tribunal was recently presented in Kyiv to diplomats from our partner countries. However, we offer this agreement not only to our partners, but also to everyone in the world who values international law and order. I will give you another quote: “The charges in the Indictment that the defendants planned and waged aggressive wars are charges of the utmost gravity. War is essentially an evil thing. Its consequences are not confined to the belligerent States alone, but affect the whole world.” End of quote. When we conclude an agreement and establish a Special Tribunal for Russian aggression, the very fact of preparing indictments and issuing arrest warrants for those who planned and ordered the beginning of this aggression will be the most powerful signal to all other potential aggressors in the world that war is inevitably punished, and the guilty are held accountable; that the law is always valid and the law always prevails; and humanity is guaranteed to be protected. That is why we say that law can guarantee peace and justice. It can! To all. But only if we create the necessary institution. And I invite France, in particular, your Constitutional Council to actively participate in the negotiations on the establishment of the Special Tribunal. And one more thing. Something without which post-war justice is simply impossible. This is the compensation for all losses and destruction. Already now, in October, we offer everyone who values international law to support a fundamental resolution at the UN General Assembly. A resolution confirming Russia's international legal obligation to pay reparations for this war and recognizing the need for a compensation mechanism through which such an obligation can be implemented. The aggressor must fully pay for the cruelty and destruction he unleashed. And although it is not easy in the case of Russia, it is quite possible. The corresponding order of legal steps is clear. We can present it to all interested parties. And I will now add one more quote: "Crimes against International Law are committed by men, not by abstract entities, and only by punishing individuals who commit such crimes can the provisions of International Law be enforced." End of quote. Probably, you have read or heard these and other words that I have just given - they are from the verdict of the Nuremberg trials. The trials established by an international treaty. The trials that punished the perpetrators of the previous full-scale war in Europe and proved that justice exists in the world. All of us who have studied jurisprudence have seen and analyzed this fundamental document – the Nuremberg verdict. And I am sure that there will be times when students who study law in the same way will be able to compare the text of the Nuremberg verdict with the text of the verdict that will be passed by the Special Tribunal regarding the crime of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. But not only. They will also study the experience of Russia’s compensation for all the losses caused by this war. So, colleagues! Friends! I invite all of you to participate in the establishment of appropriate legal institutions. Anyone who joins in restoring justice now will join in guaranteeing long-term peace for all of us in Europe and the world. No chance for the guilty! No chance for aggression! Let the law prevail. Thank you for your attention! Thank you, France, for your support. Glory to Ukraine!
The return of the flag of Ukraine to the de-occupied territories means that a peaceful and socially secure life becomes possible again - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
EN 2022-10-05
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! I held a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief today. The main item on the agenda is our movement towards the liberation of all Ukrainian land and everything that is necessary for the implementation of our defense operation. The supply of weapons and ammunition, interaction with partners, material provision, countering new types of weapons that the occupiers have... Of course, I cannot disclose specific issues that were discussed by the Staff. But most of the reports, accepted reports and approved plans will definitely please Ukrainians. And they will definitely upset the occupiers. Because they will be responsible for all their evil. They will be responsible before our weapons, the Ukrainian court and international law. None of them will avoid it. By the way, today I want to celebrate the personnel of the operative-strategic group "Oleksandriya" for creating conditions for a successful offensive, for planning and preparing active actions in the Kherson region. Those of our actions that already yield a tangible result. And there will be more. Only during this day in the Kherson region, such settlements as Novovoskresenske, Novohryhorivka and Petropavlivka were liberated from the sham referendum and stabilized. The movement continues. I also want to celebrate the warriors of our Air Forces, who today managed to shoot down six Iranian-made drones that the occupiers tried to use against our cities. Three drones were shot down by anti-aircraft troops of the 302nd anti-aircraft missile Kharkiv regiment, and three more were shot down by our fighter pilots from the 204th Sevastopol tactical aviation brigade. Thanks for the precision, guys! And now I will address the occupiers. Even if you find some other weapon somewhere in the world with the same “natural” name for your “Russian world”, like these Iranian “Shahed”, with which you are trying to bomb our cities, such as Bila Tserkva... It won't help you anyway. You have already lost. You’ve lost because even now, on the 224th day of the full-scale war, you have to explain to your society why all this is needed: this war, the false mobilization and self-destruction of all the prospects of your people. When people feel they are right and when they are on their own land, they themselves know everything. They do not need fanatic lectures on "alternative history" and political information sessions every day - either at a meeting with teachers, or at a meeting about the progress of seasonal harvesting work. Ukrainians know what they are fighting for. And more and more citizens of Russia are realizing that they must die simply because one person does not want to end the war. It's obvious who will win. Today in Lyman, Sviatohirsk and Yarova of the Donetsk region, another sign of the return to normal life was added - we resumed the payment of pensions there. We also provide food kits and humanitarian aid. The return of the Ukrainian flag means that a peaceful and socially secure life is once again possible for Donbas and all other territories that were temporarily occupied by Russia. Today, we have several events that strongly confirm the world's faith in the future of Ukraine, the world's trust in our strength. First, we are starting Ukraine's accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. It is one of the most prestigious global organizations, it unites 38 strongest states. These are democracies, these are market economies, this is the majority of the world's economic potential. From Austria to Japan, from the United States of America to South Korea, from Canada to Türkiye. Ukraine will be among them in this format as well. We submitted our application for admission, it was endorsed by the Organization. Ukraine received the special status of the acceding country. And we will fulfill all the necessary conditions for full membership. And already this year, the regional office of the Organization will start working in Kyiv. For us, this will mean another powerful line of economic, technological and value cooperation with the global community. The second event: together with our friends - Spain and Portugal - we submit a bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup. This is our joint bid. The chances of its success are quite high. And it's not just that our countries meet the criteria that must be complied with in order to gain the right to host the championship. The point is also that it will be very symbolic when three countries of the European Union: Spain, Portugal and Ukraine, will be able to hold the World Cup together. I spoke today with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. A very positive conversation. I thanked him for his support. We coordinated our next joint steps and interaction. I had a very substantive meeting in the afternoon regarding our preparations for the winter season. We are fully aware of all risks. And we know that the occupiers are also... preparing for winter. At all levels of government, scenarios are being worked out to protect people. We speak honestly: winter will be difficult. But in order to endure it, we accumulate gas, coal and everything else that is necessary. We are working to be ready. And it is important that our partners approach this period with the same preparedness. The more we do together now to bring peace closer, the more we cooperate and put pressure on Russia, the safer this winter can be for all of us in Europe. I will talk about this in particular tomorrow in my speech at the first summit of the European political community, which will be held in Prague. In addition, tomorrow I will speak with representatives of one of the most esteemed think tanks in the English-speaking world - the Lowy Institute in Australia. There will be other diplomatic activities. I thank everyone who fights and works for our victory! I thank everyone who helps Ukraine and puts pressure on Russia for peace! We will definitely win. Glory to Ukraine!
We need your support to bring back peace faster - address by the President to the participants of the session of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States, which is ongoing in Lima
EN 2022-10-06
Dear Secretary-General! Dear representatives of the free nations of America! Dear friends! I am grateful for the opportunity to address you at this particular time when we have entered a defining phase of our war for independence – when our heroes drive the occupying army out of our land. Russia sent this army to our country to turn us into their colony. As it was, unfortunately, before – in the time of empires. But millions of Ukrainians stood up to defend our freedom and our country and will definitely not allow Russia to bring back that old unfair time. We have no doubts about winning this war and our ability to protect the independence of Ukraine. Daily victories at the front and dozens of liberated Ukrainian cities and villages prove it. There is only one question for us right now – how many of our people Russia will manage to kill before it admits a defeat. How much more will Russia manage to steal from Ukraine – grain; resources; industrial enterprises, which the occupiers simply disassemble and take out to Russia; as well as people. They are stealing people. More than one million and six hundred thousands of Ukrainians were forcibly deported to Russia. They are dispersed across the territory of this state, scattered throughout remote Russian regions. Many of them had their documents taken away, and many of them passed through terrible Russia's filtration camps, where they were abused and intimidated. These are people. But for Russia, it is also a resource. We are doing everything to free our land as soon as possible, to save all our people from this invasion as fast as we can. We are doing everything to put an end to the long list of Ukrainian victims that Russia is creating. This is the reason I am addressing you. We need your support to bring back peace faster for our people. I will be honest – I know that in some member countries of your Organization, unfortunately, the Russian view of this war is dominant. And this is a false view. It is possible in your part of the world simply due to the fact that Russia spends billions of dollars annually on its propaganda media and other projects that create an illusory impression about it. But there are facts on the side of Ukraine. And I am asking you just to look at these facts. Look – from your point of view. In terms of what your great American continent has been through. From the point of view of the struggle for independence that your people led. In terms of simple human justice, which means so much to your countries and people. And in terms of what your national heroes fought for. I am turning to the pages of the history of the American continent and asking: On whose side would Simon Bolivar be in such a war that Russia unleashed against Ukraine? Who would Jose de San Martin support? Who would Miguel Hidalgo sympathize with? I think they would not help someone who is just looting a smaller country as a typical colonizer. I think they would not support someone who constantly lies and does not even call a war a war, hiding behind the definition of "special military operation". I think they would not sympathize with someone who deliberately puts different countries on the brink of starvation – through an artificial food crisis. Who drives people into poverty – through price and energy crisis, both artificial. And who is so mean that he makes war against civilians, destroying all the foundations of normal social life using rockets and artillery against residential buildings, hospitals, schools, churches. I thank those of you who have already strongly supported Ukraine and condemned Russian war against our freedom and independence. I thank your Organization for suspending Russia's observer status. But we need more for the sake of peace and for the Russian army to leave all captured Ukrainian land. So I am asking you to support us on several levels. The first level – international organizations, particularly the UN General Assembly. Please support us in voting to condemn Russia's aggressive policy. It is of our common interest – so that no one in the world can start wars of aggression like the Russian war against Ukraine. And so that no one in the world thinks that he has right to illegally annex lands of other nations, as Russia thinks. The second level is national. We need integrity from your states. Do not allow your economies to be used to finance criminal war and war crimes. Do not associate yourself with those who will inevitably be condemned by the international community. The crime of Russia's aggression against our country, the mass murders of civilians on Ukrainian soil, forced deportations, numerous cases of torture and rape – all this will certainly receive its verdicts. Please avoid your companies and countries to be connected with those individuals and legal entities in Russia through which it carries out its terror against Ukraine. Support sanctions against Russia. Limit your trade operations with Russia. Protect yourself from the risk of tarnishing your reputation with ties to a terrorist state and its companies, and limit its opportunities to continue this war of aggression against Ukraine. And the third level of support we need – is the level of ordinary people. I'm not asking for much. Just spread the truth about this war and the casualties caused by the Russian aggression. Just talk about it. Let your people know what evil Russia has brought to the absolutely peaceful Ukrainian people. A nation that has never started any wars of aggression. The greater the support for those who fight for freedom and independence – the stronger freedom will be in general in the world and the faster we will go all the way to freeing our land from the Russian invaders. I thank you for your attention! Long live freedom! ¡Viva la Libertad! Слава Україні!
The world must show the strength needed to put an end to the aggressor's ability to escalate - President during a speech in the Australian Lowy Institute
EN 2022-10-06
Thank you very much, dear Mr. Lowy! Dear Mr. Fullilove! Ladies and Gentlemen! Thank you for this opportunity to address you today and answer the most pressing questions of our time. A time that has such a strong connection with the past. Almost 8 years ago, in November 2014, here in Sydney, at the Lowy Institute, you had a speech by Angela Merkel, then Federal Chancellor of Germany. She in particular touched upon the topic of the Russian war against Ukraine - the criminal annexation of our Crimea, hostilities in Donbas and destruction of the Malaysian Boeing in the sky over Ukraine. Mrs. Merkel then noted that "the Ukrainian crisis is really more than a regional crisis, it affects all of us." Let me remind you once again - these words were said almost 8 years ago, i.e. 8 years before Russia was able to turn a hybrid war against Ukraine - a war, not a crisis after all - into a full-scale invasion, the likes of which Europe has not seen since World War II. Why was this possible? Why, despite the understanding already in 2014 that Russian aggression is not something local, but really a global threat, Russia still had the possibility of such an escalation, which began on February 24 of this year? This question reveals the connection between our time with even more ancient history. With a history that still hasn't really become history. It is still with us - in the present. On September 30 of this year, the head of Russia announced the purported annexation of part of the territory of Ukraine. Four of our regions, from which the Russian occupation contingent has not yet been ousted. This new attempt by Russia to grab someone else's property is an obvious attempt to repeat 2014 - to repeat Crimea. And not just annexation as such. Russia is trying to put the international community in such conditions now that the reaction to yet another Russian crime against international law does not correspond to its severity in the same way as it did then - with Crimea. In 2014, we did not see, for example, really tough sanctions against Russia. It was not punished for this crime. At that time, there was a very strong desire among many in the world to turn a blind eye to the annexation, to consider the war simply a "crisis" and to continue relations with Russia. Although they said then that the threat was global, they acted as if it was something purely local… And to say that this increased the aggressor's sense of impunity is an understatement. But this always happens: when a criminal does not receive an adequate punishment for a crime he has committed, he perceives it as permission for further criminal acts. "They are weak," is how the aggressor reacts when he feels no response. Will he feel it now? Knowingly or not, the Russian leader chose a very symbolic date to start this attempt to annex our territory. September 30. This day takes us back 84 years in the history of Europe and the world. It was on this day that another aggressor – yet so similar to this one – succeeded in signing the Munich Agreement. Also to annex someone else's land. Now we remember that agreement more often under the name of the "Munich conspiracy" and consider it an example of political cynicism and a fatal mistake. A mistake that cost humanity tens of millions of lives. But after the signing of "Munich", such evaluations sounded different. They even said that the agreement would give peace to the generation at that time... In different countries and with different voices, the thesis that it is possible to simply agree that the aggressor has seized something is heard again. That it is possible to draw some kind of conditional line somewhere that will satisfy Russia's appetite, and supposedly after that the war will die down. And that one should not react toughly to this annexation attempt, which Russia started on September 30. But this thesis sounds nothing but the year 2014 - the mistakes of the then leaders. It sounds like 1938. It only says that the criminal can go unpunished. And so, with the temptation to continue. Be sure - the head of Russia is now carefully analyzing the world's reaction to the sham referenda he organized on Ukrainian soil and to the announcement of the annexation of our territory. What exactly is he interested in? It’s simple: he is interested in whether he still has the potential for escalation. If the world's reaction is weak now, Russia will come up with some new escalation. You can see that the range of criminal actions of this state is very wide - missile terror, mass murders, criminal deportations, radiation blackmail at, for example, our captured Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, food crisis, energy crisis, etc. The recent sabotage with gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea was also very eloquent. These are actions that can destabilize life on the entire continent. This is a real energy weapon of mass destruction. Absolutely every country in the world depends on underwater cables and pipelines, which can be destroyed by an aggressor in the same way as gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. Therefore, the world must now show strength. Strength is needed to finally put an end to aggression - to the aggressor's ability to escalate. On international platforms, a clear and principled condemnation of Russia for this attempt to annex Ukrainian territory is needed, for it to be utterly different from what happened in 2014. At the level of states and unions of states, new and tough sanctions against Russia are needed so that the situation is also dramatically different from 2014. At the level of cooperation with Ukraine, regular and demonstrative support packages are needed, primarily defensive and financial, so that the aggressor sees that his criminal actions only complicate the situation for him. Now, at a time that has such a strong connection with the past, we have a historic opportunity to set a precedent that will make the history of aggression truly history and that will teach any aggressor that no crime against international law will ever again remain unpunished. Next week, a resolution on non-recognition and condemnation of Russia's new attempt to annex our territories will be submitted to the UN General Assembly. We and Australia have long had a principled and effective cooperation at all international platforms, and in particular at the UN. And we must now direct our joint capabilities in such a way as to make the vote at the General Assembly for this resolution as unequivocal as possible. I am asking you, I am asking Australia to use all its influence to persuade as many countries as possible not to remain neutral and to vote for - for international law and against Russian annexation. Ukraine has a very meaningful defense cooperation with Australia as well. Even after my first address to the Parliament and people of Australia in March, your Government decided to provide Ukraine with bushmasters. I’m deeply grateful. These vehicles have proven themselves in real combat. The more weapons and ammunition we receive, in particular, artillery, drones, anti-aircraft defense, anti-tank and anti-ship weapons, the more tangible the responsibility for violation of international law will be for Russia and the less the aggressor will feel that he supposedly has room for escalation. The third element is sanctions. I thank Australia for participating in the global effort to impose sanctions on the aggressor for the war. But this pressure makes sense when it is constantly growing and when the aggressor does not have time to adapt to sanctions, does not have time to find ways to circumvent them. Now is the time to increase this pressure. Just now. Right after Russia staged this farce with sham referenda and this annexation. The price of such actions must be tangible, the consequences - devastating. The aggressor should have no illusions that 2014 can still happen again. And the last one. The world has seen many wars. It has seen how wars somewhere in one part of the world affect everyone in the world. It should be considered not only from the point of view of the direct negative impact of the war. But also from the point of view of the impact of its result. If the aggressor does gain a result for himself, if the aggressive ambition is satisfied, then such a result affects everyone in the world even more and even longer than the war itself. Affects by cynicism. Affects by the inevitable destruction of international law, the weakening of the truth. That is why the criminal war must end with the just defeat of the one who started it. The aggressor must lose. This is what gives peace to generations. Not any conspiracies with the aggressor, not appeasement of the aggressor, but his defeat. And therefore, the restoration of peace. And therefore, Ukraine must win. This is not just something about our state. This is about all of us in the world. This is also about Australia. About your freedom. About your security. About our common values. About our common peace. Which our victory can historically strengthen. I thank you for your attention! I thank you for the support, Australia! Glory to Ukraine!
Russian evil will lose when our peace formula prevails - speech by the President of Ukraine at the meeting of the leaders of the European Political Community
EN 2022-10-06
Ladies and Gentlemen! Dear hosts of our meeting and inspirators of the idea of our meeting! Dear Prime Minister Fiala! Dear President Michel! Dear Mr. President Macron! Dear leaders of Europe! At this first meeting of ours in this format, I would like to congratulate you on the establishment of our new political initiative. I would like to congratulate you on the fact that, thanks to this initiative, we have received not just another format of cooperation in Europe, but an extremely powerful opportunity to restore peace in Europe. This gathering, the European Political Community, has a real possibility of becoming a European Community of Peace. Peace! That Ukraine needs so much. That absolutely every country presented here today needs. Currently, representatives of all existing formats of cooperation in Europe based on our common values are participating in this meeting. Here with us are those who joined the EU and those who are preparing to join. Here with us are those who are part of NATO, and those who are building cooperation with the Alliance as candidate countries or partners of NATO. Here with us are representatives of various regional associations of Europeans. And there are no representatives of Russia with us here - a state that geographically seems to belong to Europe, but from the point of view of its values and behavior is the most anti-European state in the world. We are now in a strong position to direct all possible powers of Europe to end the war and guarantee long-term peace - for Ukraine, for Europe, for the world. Ukraine never wanted this war. Ukraine did nothing to provoke it. Ukraine has always been a leader in peaceful settlement. And all of you are well informed about how much Ukraine has done to try to convince Russia to live without war. Many of you personally participated in these efforts and helped us. Helped us in almost a hundred rounds of negotiations of various levels, at which peace was offered to Russia. I thank each and every one of you for this effort. But we must admit the obvious: we are forced to deal with a state that does not want peace. Which responds to all proposals for real peace with missile strikes, provocation of artificial crises and ridicule. Russia subordinated its entire policy to only one task, namely, waging war. War against Ukraine, against Europe, against the world. Ladies and Gentlemen! Colleagues! Peace is needed! Russia kills. It kills on the battlefield in Ukraine, in our peaceful cities... And on the streets of your cities. Russian killers made attempts on people in various European countries. And organized sabotage in Europe - against warehouses with weapons, against factories, and now against gas pipelines. Russia intimidates and blackmails for the world to stop helping those it kills. It uses everything from the food crisis to radiation blackmail, from destabilizing energy markets to nuclear blackmail. All in order to break the unity of allies and partners, to intimidate nations, to make millions of people afraid and on the basis of this fear - to give in. Give up values, first of all. Our common values of freedom, democracy and the right of nations to live freely. Russia is trying to fix every danger and every manifestation of instability that it has already created. This is exactly what it calls negotiations, this is exactly how it perceives any agreements. Russia wants to redraw the borders - to once again divide the world into zones of influence, destroying our common space of cooperation and development. Russia corrupts. It corrupts with the billions it earns from trading in energy resources. This is the Russian formula for war: kill, intimidate, fix threats to free states and their losses, destroy borders and corrupt. And each of these elements is anti-European. All of them are directed against Europe. Ukraine is only the first battlefield this state has entered. And it is in Ukraine that it is necessary to defeat it. We must implement our peace formula. I presented it in my speech at the UN General Assembly. It must be fully implemented. The items of our peace formula neutralize everything that Russia does to fight. The first is to punish the aggressor. Increase sanctions against Russia. Stop any cooperation with Russia and its companies. Exclude it from all international organizations or at least suspend its membership, its ability to distort the activities of international institutions - first of all, the UN. Russia is making the United Nations a gathering of 192 who are simply forced to put up with one state lying and mocking and vetoing when it wants to block the UN's real ability to restore peace. Of course, in order to punish the aggressor, we need a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression by Russia against Ukraine and an international compensation mechanism that will force Russia to compensate for the damages they caused. The second is aid to Ukraine. By helping us, each of your states is helping itself. Look at the battlefield in Ukraine now - it is such an intense war that the absolute majority of states simply would not be able to wage it. And that is why this war must be won now - in Ukraine. So that the Russian fleet cannot block other ports in the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea or any other sea. So that Russian tanks do not advance on Warsaw or again on Prague. So that Russian artillery does not fire at the Baltic states. So that Russian missiles do not hit the territory of Finland or any other country. Such a threat exists. We reduce such a threat every day when we destroy the occupiers in Ukraine. The third point of our peace formula is the restoration of security and territorial integrity. We do it. We do it together with you. With your help. The fourth point is security guarantees. We need security guarantees before we join NATO. And on this path. And we will do it. We will also do it together with you. Our proposals for security guarantees are presented to partners. The fifth is determination. In 225 days of full-scale war, we have all already shown that Europe can influence the issues of war and peace. But now - all together - we must ensure that the formula for war is completely blocked and the formula for peace is fully implemented. Today, Russia launched another airstrike on Ukrainian cities. It used Iranian drones again. By the way, they are used every day, and so far Iran says every day that there are allegedly no such drones here. And again hit with rockets. Unfortunately, there are victims again - dead and wounded people, burnt houses. In Zaporizhzhia, after the first missile strike today, when people came to clear the debris, Russia launched a second missile strike... Absolute meanness. Absolute evil. There have already been thousands of manifestations of such evil. Unfortunately, there may be thousands more. But the day will come when Russian evil will lose. This will be the very day when our peace formula will prevail. When we will fully use all the possibilities of our unity. Here and now, I urge you to make a basic decision. A decision about purpose for this community of ours. For this format of ours. We, the leaders of Europe, can become the leaders of peace. Our European political community can become a European community of peace. So, let's do it! And let today be the starting point. The point from which Europe and the entire free world will move to guaranteed peace for all of us. It is possible. Thank you for your attention! Thank you all for your support! Glory to Ukraine!
Since the beginning of October, more than half a thousand square kilometers have been liberated from the Russian occupiers in the Kherson region alone - address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-10-06
Ukrainians! Today is the day of active diplomacy. We inform our partners about the latest manifestations of Russian terror. About missile strikes on Zaporizhzhia and other cities of Ukraine. About the use of Iranian drones against our people and infrastructure. For some reason, Iran claims that there are no Iranian-made drones in Ukraine. People see them in the sky. We shoot them down. But we are told that there are allegedly no Iranian drones in Ukraine. Well, we’ll find ways to ensure that there aren't any left indeed. We also provide information about our movement on the frontline. Since October 1, more than half a thousand square kilometers of territory and dozens of settlements have been liberated from the Russian sham referendum and stabilized only in the Kherson region. There are also successes in the eastern direction. The day will surely come when we will report on successes in the Zaporizhzhia region as well - in those areas that are still under the control of the occupiers. The day will come when we will also talk about the liberation of Crimea. This perspective is obvious. It is also obvious that there is still some way to go. There is still a lot to endure, a lot to do. Both for Ukrainians and for our partners - all who value freedom and international law. I’ve talked today with representatives of political, business and expert circles of Australia. I felt full support and interest in our victory. By the way, Australia is among the top 10 countries that provide us with defense aid. This is a very significant contribution to the protection of our state, the international legal order and humanity as such. I’ve addressed the European leaders at the summit of the European Political Community held today in Prague. I called on them to do everything so that this new format of our cooperation in Europe, which unites different states: from Iceland to Azerbaijan, from Spain to Turkey, could become not just a gathering of politicians, but a gathering of peacemakers. Europe needs a community of those who know how to protect peace and put any terrorists in their place. These days, the European Union is moving towards the introduction of the eighth package of sanctions against Russia. In particular, this package envisages limiting the sea transportation of Russian oil and creates a toolkit to limit the oil revenues of the terrorist state. This is good. But this is only the beginning. We must ensure that the terrorist state does not receive any profit from the sale of oil and gas. So that not a single oil dollar and not a single gas euro could go to the continuation of the Russian war against Ukraine and the entire civilized world. I am confident that it will be ensured in due time. And I thank all Europeans, all in the free world, who work for this result. Who promote the necessary political decisions and who create the necessary economic alternatives to Russian energy resources. I will continue working in this direction tomorrow. I will address the participants of the meeting of the European Council. Today in Kyiv I met with Samantha Power, head of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). We discussed the existing and prospective programs of our cooperation, the implementation of our plan for the rapid reconstruction of Ukraine. The main focus of these programs is security. And we will soon introduce this new security approach to our civil infrastructure to the public. I thanked Mrs. Power for allocating funds to prepare our infrastructure for the winter period, in particular heating. I held a meeting today with IAEA Head Grossi, who arrived in Kyiv. It is clear that our negotiations primarily concerned the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant captured by Russian terrorists. But in fact, this topic is much broader. It concerns not only Ukraine and not only in the context of radiation safety. Of course, any decisions of the current head of Russia regarding the Zaporizhzhia station and any attempts by Russia to transfer the station to its alleged ownership are worthless and, frankly speaking, stupid. This is a nuclear power plant. This is not some palace, Yukos or something else that the Russian leadership has already managed to steal. Only Ukrainian specialists can guarantee that there will be no radiation incidents at the Zaporizhzhia station. And it was important to hear from Mr. Grossi that the international community will only contact Ukraine regarding the ZNPP, because it is Ukrainian property. Was, is and will be. Now there are about five hundred occupiers at the station. And this is nothing but five hundred risks of disaster. The world understands this. And I am grateful for the support of everyone who is fighting for the return of full Ukrainian control over the station and for its complete demilitarization. Another aspect of this topic is electricity itself. And if the Zaporizhzhia station is not working, we in Ukraine face certain difficulties. We are getting a situation where we do not have a surplus of electricity, which we can, in particular, export to EU countries. This is a disadvantage for the people of the EU, who lose a reliable source of energy supply. This is a disadvantage for us, Ukrainians. We are honest about it. We say honestly that all of us in Europe must fight for our interests together - in complete unity. I thank everyone who helps Ukraine! I thank everyone who fights and works for our victory! Glory to Ukraine!
We must never stop defending freedom and democracy - speech of the President of Ukraine at the European Council meeting
EN 2022-10-07
Dear friends! Dear colleagues! First of all, I want to thank you, Charles, and I also want to thank the Czech Presidency for this opportunity and Prime Minister Fiala personally for the invitation to participate in this event. Ukraine – as it should be – together with all Europeans. This is a familiar thing for everyone now – and at our level, when we regularly meet and work together in various European formats. Also it is familiar for people in our countries – because for most Europeans, Ukraine is an integral part of the European space. The space of freedom, democracy, social development and fundamental values that unite us all. It makes Europe so attractive to many people from other parts of the world. But let's look back for a moment – to the very recent past. Just a few generations before us the European space that we have today could have been nothing more than a dream. And such a bold dream that it was very difficult to believe that it could be realized. Europe was a continent of discord, warlike ambitions, clannishness, lack of freedom, inequality, and poverty. And Europeans had to flee to other parts of the world just to survive and develop their potential. So it was. Europe has done a lot to overcome this. And even Russia will not be able to push our common continent into such a past. Although Russia openly seeks this, it spends a lot of energy, a lot of money, resources on it, fights for this and provokes anti-European crises, the impact of which is felt by everyone in Europe – from Portugal to Finland. But what gives confidence that the European path is irreversible? There is only one answer – unity. And it is the unity of not only leaders and states. Not only in the legal space. Not only in our institutions – EU institutions and others, it is not only in their work. It is very important that the unity of our perception of Europe as a task remains. Yesterday, Mr. Fiala, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, while addressing the European leaders gathered in Prague for the inaugural meeting of the new format of cooperation on our continent, recalled this image that was proposed by Václav Havel. Europe as a task. Today, at the meeting of the European Council, I would like to emphasize once again exactly this image. Because this is the source of our strength. Europe will remain exactly as it is now, as long as Europeans perceive what they have, how they live, what they received from previous generations, not as a givenness, but as a task. Peace in Europe is not a state, but a task. Our values, their popularity and strength are not a givenness, but a task. And democracy is not something that can always be, because it already exists now, it is also the task. Social development, the pursuit of equality in diversity, which distinguishes Europe from other parts of the world, is also not something that we can simply get from our parents or simply pass on to our children, it is the task. And security... Security is also not a state, not a givenness, not an inheritance that can be received or transferred, but the task. It is a constantly renewing task that can never be abandoned and that constantly needs new thoughts, steps and solutions to preserve all that you and I value so much and that is so familiar to us. And especially now – at a time when Europe is being so brutally attacked at many levels by the most anti-European state of the modern world – Russia. Russia brought war to our land – to the Ukrainian part of Europe. And only thanks to the fact that the Ukrainian people stopped this invasion of Russia, Russia cannot yet bring the same war to other parts of Europe, in particular, the Baltic countries, Poland, and Moldova. The whole of Europe is placed in the conditions of a severe price crisis, when through the manipulation of the energy market Russia achieves unprecedented pressure on the standard of living of the absolute majority of Europeans. And all of us are on the brink of a nuclear disaster due to the capture of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant by Russian troops. These are terrible conditions. But we are all together, we defend ourselves vigorously, we have not abandoned our task. We have established and should only increase our cooperation in the security and defense areas. Increase the supply of weapons and ammunition to defend against the Russian pressure. Increase the manufacture of weapons and ammunition in Europe to be always ready to defend our common space. Indeed, I understand, and all of us would rather spend the money we spend on armaments on completely different goals – peaceful goals, social needs. But who and what will be able to protect such goals and such needs? We have to be especially careful about the protection of our critical infrastructure – and especially after the sabotage that happened at gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. Never before has our continent faced such a threat – the threat of destroying underwater pipelines, cables, and tunnels. But now you can expect this from Russia. At the same time, we must strengthen our cooperation to help each other, provide all Europeans with adequate energy guarantees. Russia must not succeed in its effort to force Europeans into energy poverty or even a complete lack of energy. The key challenge is in Ukraine. The first is the physical protection of energy facilities from Russian strikes. We need enough air defense systems to prevent Russia from leaving people without heat and electricity in the winter. The second is the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. We must finally force Russia to immediately comply with the demands of the IAEA and all normal people of the world and demilitarize the plant. And this is not only about Russian military equipment, but also about the removal of all troops from the plants. Right now there are 500 Russian terrorists at the Zaporizhzhia plant. And there is no place for them there! This is essential for nuclear safety. This is absolutely essential for Ukraine to have the necessary volume of electricity for export. For export, which is fundamentally important for our neighbors in the EU this winter. The third is reconstruction. Fast restoration of facilities destroyed by Russia during hostilities. I am grateful to those countries that have already started working under our Fast Recovery Plan. And we expect a substantive discussion on this during the Conference in Germany on October 25. We have already created and must constantly strengthen the system of sanction pressure on the aggressor. I thank you very much for the adoption of the eighth package of EU sanctions, which includes, in particular, Russian oil. We must continue moving in this direction – the direction of pressure on the Russian energy sector, on this main source of income of the aggressor state. And we must maintain political leadership. This is especially important right now – when Russian forces have finally arrived on the battlefield, and our heroes are liberating Ukrainian land every day – village after village, city after city. To stop the liberation of Ukraine, Russia began to manipulate the topic of negotiations, and allegedly mentioned the dialogue, which it rejected, starting this war against Ukraine and against all of you, against all of Europe. It is obvious that Russia does not want any real negotiations. Because if it wanted to, it would have responded to dozens of our proposals and efforts. Russia just wants to save time. Wants to regroup forces. And accumulate resources. To strike again. We have to stop it from doing that. Like everything else in Europe, security is not something you can get by giving up something or signing a treaty. Security is a task. The task of expelling the occupier from the territory occupied by it. The task of holding murderers and executioners to account. The task of restoring the validity of the fundamental standards and conventions approved by the international community for all states without exception. We must be strong – until our common victory to preserve all that we value so much. We must never stop defending freedom and democracy so that our children and grandchildren can enjoy at least the same amount of rights and freedoms that we have. And we must invest now in our defense, in our security, in our cooperation as much as possible, so that anyone in the world, who might even have a thought to start an anti-European path, will forever be aware that the strength of European unity is insuperable. I thank you for your attention! I thank you for your support! Long live united Europe! United also as a task. A task for us and you. Equal leaders of European countries – countries of the European Union. All de facto, but not all de jure yet. And this is also a task for you and me – a task for the sake of our Europe. The space of freedom, democracy, social development and fundamental values that unite us all. Thank you! Thank you, Charles! Glory to Ukraine!
We must de-occupy all lands that Russia is trying to keep for itself – address of President of Ukraine
EN 2022-10-07
Dear Ukrainians! An important decision was made today. It's fair. Legally perfect. Historical. Ukraine confirmed its respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Japan, including its Northern territories, which are still under Russian occupation. Today, I signed the relevant decree. There is a corresponding statement of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. And we call on everyone in the world to make similar decisions. Russia has no right to these territories. Everyone in the world knows this well. And we must finally act. We must de-occupy all the lands that the Russian occupiers are trying to keep for themselves. Only in this way can we return the full force to international law. The UN Charter and the entire complex of treaties and conventions on which the international legal order is based will work only when the occupiers lose and the nations in the world are protected from any occupations. With this war against Ukraine, against the international legal order, against our people, Russia has put itself in conditions – and it is now only a matter of time – of the real liberation of everything that once was seized and is now under the control of the Kremlin. Russia, by its example, will show all potential aggressors of the world that an aggressive terrorist war in our time is a way to weaken and inevitably destroy the one who starts such a war. The aggressor must lose. So be it. So that such wars do not happen again and that the peace is really long-term. Nothing should be left for the invaders. I believe: justice will be restored for our partners as well. This week alone, our soldiers liberated 776 square kilometers of territory in the east of our country and 29 settlements, including six in Luhansk region, from the Russian pseudo-referendum. In total, 2,434 square kilometers of our land and 96 settlements have already been liberated since the beginning of this offensive operation. And today I want to mention the fighters of the 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, the 80th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade and the 25th Separate Airborne Brigade and note their heroic efforts to liberate Ukrainian land. There are also good results in the south of Ukraine this week – we are liberating our land and our people there from the pseudo-referendum every day. We will certainly come to the lands that were occupied by Russia earlier. I'm thankful to all our defenders who ensure this! During these 225 days, 29,887 Ukrainian soldiers were awarded state awards. A total of 178 soldiers were awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine. Such a scale of courage and heroism of our fighters unequivocally proves that Ukraine cannot be stopped. And each of the Russian attacks, all manifestations of Russian terror – against Zaporizhzhia, against Kharkiv, against Mykolaiv, against Donbas and all our other territories – only prove that the liberation of our entire land is the only foundation of peace and security for all Ukrainians. Today, I took part in the meeting of the European Council. I thanked our partners for the eighth package of sanctions against Russia and for all the support for Ukraine that is already provided. We are working together to increase our common capabilities – of everyone in Europe. Preparations have already begun for important events planned for next week, both in Ukraine and at the international level. It will be a strong week for our state, it will be a strong week for our defense. Eternal glory to all those who fight and work for peace for Ukraine! Eternal glory to our heroes! Glory to Ukraine!
We must strengthen our alliances and cooperation, we must get rid of all types of dependence on Russia - address by the President of Ukraine to the participants of the 2BS FORUM in Montenegro
EN 2022-10-08
Dear friends! Mr. Presidents! Thank you for this opportunity to address the members and guests of your security forum. Security is a key issue of our time. And, without exaggeration, everything depends on what answer we offer now. Not only our state institutions, our sovereignty, borders, and political system depend on it. It is literally about life. About peace for all of us. For the first time in many decades, we found ourselves in such conditions when we have to defend the right to life for our nations. Not just one or another living conditions, not just one or another concept for life in Europe or in certain regions, but life itself. Russia's war against Ukraine is only a harbinger of what can await any state on our continent or in other parts of the world that this aggressor can reach. And I am grateful to everyone who understands the meaning of Russian aggression and helps us - us as ourselves. So, analyzing the elements of the Russian war against our state and the specific steps of the aggressor, we can draw conclusions about what forms and methods of protection we need for the sake of security. The first is unity. This is the foundation. This is something that should always be not only formally, but also in essence. Not only at summits, but also in deeds. Not only with those with whom you are used to cooperating, but with everyone whose values are common and whose way of life is freedom. Russia is afraid of our unity. So it goes to great lengths to break it. But we are only strengthening our unity. And therefore, we cannot be conquered by Russia. Neither Ukraine, nor Montenegro, nor any other state of the free world. Where real unity is achieved, there will be peace. Just as it will be in Ukraine. The second is democracy. This is our character. We can see that the current leaders of Russia have an obsessive desire to break the principle of democratic change of power in all countries regarding which they have aggressive ambitions. They do not recognize the results of elections and people’s movements when they lose influence because of them. And they try to stage coups or corrupt the political process when they choose a puppet to represent their interests. We have to strictly oppose this. All European states must dismantle any Russian networks of influence. So that there is no spread of misinformation, corruption and criminal politics. It is no less important for the Balkans than for our part of Europe. The third is independence. We should recognize the obvious at all levels in Europe and the world: Russia is not a threat to one, but to everyone. Therefore, everyone must achieve complete independence from Russia, so that it cannot turn dependence on it into shackles: economic dependence, energy dependence, political dependence - any. The fourth is weapons. It sounds a little unusual in Europe, but now we see what kind of war Russia can make literally out of nothing. Russia can block the sea for a country it wants to capture. It can burn cities and villages. It can arrange missile terror. Look at the intensity of the war we are now waging for our defense. Take a look - and you will be able to estimate the amount of weapons that may be needed for defense in such a war, if Russia turns the territory of another country into a battlefield. No matter how difficult it may be, we must ensure for Ukraine now, so that we can restore peace to all its citizens, and for Europe after this war such a volume of weapons, such a power of weapons, that Russia will never again have the desire to destroy peace. And the fifth point is responsibility. For many years, the head of Russia and his entourage have felt complete impunity. They destroyed democracy in their country. And they began to destroy everything around Russia. They are used to stealing what they like and buying those who were supposed to protect the national interests of this or that state from them. They started a war against Ukraine in 2014 because they felt that they would not be punished for it. The war against Georgia showed them this. They carried out a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, because they do not believe that the world will be able to hold them accountable not just for the crime of aggression against a sovereign state, but for any crime imaginable. So to bring them to justice is to guarantee long-term peace after this war. The inevitability of punishment is one of the key principles of criminal justice. And we must apply this principle to the Russian leadership as they deserve it. Ladies and Gentlemen! Dear friends! We must strengthen our alliances and cooperation. We must get rid of all kinds of dependence on Russia. We must ensure that we have sufficient weapons and effectiveness to provide full protection in the air, on land, at sea, and in cyberspace – in this war that Russia is already waging against Ukraine, and in any new war if Russia wants to expand hostilities now or to repeat the aggression in the future. By the way, all this is taken into account in our proposals for updating the security architecture of Ukraine and Europe, which we presented. And I ask all of you to familiarize yourself with the draft Kyiv Security Compact, which can become a fundamental prerequisite for peace in Eastern Europe. And, finally, punishment for aggression. Sanctions against Russia are mandatory. They should not just act, but regularly be intensified so that the aggressor state does not have time to adapt. I am grateful to everyone who supports such a policy! And I am grateful to everyone who works together with us to ensure that every Russian murderer and torturer receives a legal punishment. I have no doubts about the victory of Ukraine. We can restore peace and freedom to the entire Ukrainian territory. The successes of our warriors on the frontline prove this. But I want to be able to say that I do not doubt the complete security of Europe and each of our nations after this war. This is also possible. We know the right answers to the key question of our time, and therefore there will be peace. I thank you for your attention! Thank you for your support! Glory to Ukraine!
If occupiers flee, this will be the best option for them – address of President of Ukraine
EN 2022-10-08
Dear Ukrainians! Today was a good and mostly sunny day on the territory of our state. It was about 20 degrees and sunny in large parts of the country. Unfortunately, it was cloudy in Crimea. Although it is also warm. But no matter what the clouds are, Ukrainians know what to do. And they know that our future is sunny. This is a future without occupiers. Throughout our territory, in particular in Crimea. If the occupiers flee while they have a chance, this will be the best option for them. If they are forced to stay, any occupier can find a way to surrender to Ukrainian captivity. We guarantee the preservation of lives to all Russian military servicemen who voluntarily lay down their arms and surrender. Ukraine always adheres to all international norms and conventions. We will not leave any other options for the occupiers to rely on. And again and again I want to thank all our citizens who are fighting and working for peace for Ukraine, for the liberation of our entire land. This day, the movement of our military, the Security Service of Ukraine, the National Guard and all those who take part in active actions – actions in the east, actions in the south of our country – continued. We are holding positions in Donbas, in particular in the Bakhmut direction, where now it is very, very hard, very tough fighting. Today, I would like to once again mention our soldiers from the Kholodny Yar 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade for their courage and sustained power in this direction. Thanks to all our anti-aircraft gunners and everyone involved in the air defense of Ukraine. We are doing everything we can to defend Ukrainian skies, and it is one of the highest priorities for our diplomats to speed up the decision of our partners to provide Ukraine with modern and effective anti-aircraft systems in sufficient quantity. We will definitely come to that. In the de-occupied territories, we do not slow down the pace of reconstruction work for a single day. It's transport, it's electricity, it's gas supply, it's postal services, social benefits – wherever there is a real possibility to provide it, we provide it. I must ask all Ukrainians in the territory where the occupiers were to be especially attentive to the mine threat. Our explosive ordnance disposal teams, our bomb disposal engineers are working at their maximum, but after the occupiers, a very large area is contaminated with mines. Please do not ignore mine warnings, do not visit areas closed due to danger, please report any mines or unexploded ordnance found to the police, emergency services or local authorities. And I want to add one more thing. Lawyer's Day is celebrated in Ukraine today. Not everyone who has a law degree works in law. But among those who still work in this field, there are people whose contribution is truly historic. Very important. Those who investigate into the crimes of the occupiers. Those who help to restore justice, in particular by working in the field of human rights. Those who do everything so that every Russian murderer and the aggressor state itself are inevitably punished for this war. I thank all of you for this very important work! I'm thankful to investigators, prosecutors, human rights defenders, lawyers, civil servants, and employees of public organizations. I'm thankful to everyone who teaches law, fights for the rule of law and helps people defend their rights, freedoms and legitimate interests. Justice for Ukraine, for Europe, for the world must and will be restored. Thanks to our indomitable, strong, conscientious and educated people. Eternal glory to all who defend Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine!
The constant terror against the civilian population is an obvious Russian refusal to engage in real negotiations - address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-10-09
Today I want to address those in the world who give in to Russian manipulations about the alleged negotiations. About an assumption that it is supposedly only negotiations that can end this brutal Russian terrorist war. Does the terrorist state want peace? Obviously not. It proves that every day and every night. Zaporizhzhia. One of the Ukrainian cities against which Russia directs its missile terror. At least 14 people died last night as a result of Russian strikes on ordinary residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia. Unfortunately, this number may increase. Debris is still being cleared. More than 70 people were injured, including 11 children. All of them are provided with proper aid. Hundreds of families were left homeless. An entire block, from the first to the sixth floor, was destroyed by one of the missiles - a heavy anti-ship missile Kh-22 - aimed at an ordinary nine-story residential building. It was a deliberate strike. The one who gave the order and those who carried it out knew what they were targeting. The strikes this night continued a series of Russian missile strikes on Zaporizhzhia, which have killed at least 43 people since October 3 this week alone. And there were also strikes on Kharkiv, on the cities of Donbas, on other cities of Ukraine... There were also strikes by Iranian drones. Airstrikes. The absolute majority of them were aimed at the civil infrastructure of Ukraine and civilians. When someone wants to negotiate, he does not do so. And when someone is a terrorist, that’s exactly what he does. Do negotiations really help overcome terror? Now everyone has to answer this question honestly. Terrorists are neutralized. Terrorism is a crime that must be punished. Terrorism at the state level is one of the most heinous international crimes, which threatens not just someone in the world, but the entire international community. If terror goes unpunished, if the terrorist succeeds in intimidation so much that someone in the world is willing to simply turn a blind eye to terror, then that will be a loss - a loss of freedom, a loss of humanity and a loss of democracy. This is exactly what Russia longs for. This is why it needs all this terror - from missile strikes to global crises provoked by a terrorist state. This has already happened in history. Last time another terrorist state was allowed to do what it wanted because the world powers were afraid of its terror, World War II started. Now the world is united. Now everyone in the world understands what this war in Ukraine is actually being waged against by Russia. This is a Russian war against all those values that make people human and life peaceful. Ukraine will win this war. We can liberate our entire land and we can put the terrorist state in place. Russia must be punished for terror. Only this guarantees that the confrontation will not grow to an even greater scale and will not spread to other countries. But for this we must preserve the maximum unity - the unity of all the people of the world who value peace, respect the right to life for everyone and are honest enough to admit: the constant terror against the civilian population is an obvious Russian refusal to engage in real negotiations. Therefore, official designation of Russia as a terrorist state is needed - designation at all levels. It is necessary to limit any economic contacts with any Russian subjects - you cannot be a sponsor of terrorism. We need a clear condemnation at all levels of every escalating step by Russia - from terrorist attacks to the criminal attempt to annex our territory. The relevant resolution will be considered by the UN General Assembly in a few days. We will see from the vote who and how treat terrorists in reality. And Ukraine needs principled and sufficient aid. Aid to our people who are targeted by the terrorist state. It is necessary to accelerate the provision of a sufficient number of effective air defense systems to Ukraine. The negotiations on the provision of such air defense systems, the negotiations on increasing other defense, political and financial support for Ukraine are the only possible negotiation format that can really bring peace closer. I am grateful to everyone who helps us resist terror! I am grateful to everyone who fights and works for the return of peace to Ukraine and guarantees of the right to life and security to every Ukrainian. Eternal memory to all victims of Russian terror! Glory to Ukraine!
We are Ukrainians, we help each other, we believe in ourselves, we restore the destroyed - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
EN 2022-10-10
Ukrainians! The morning is tough. We are dealing with terrorists. Dozens of missiles, Iranian "Shaheds". They have two targets. Energy facilities throughout the country. Kyiv region and Khmelnytskyi region, Lviv and Dnipro, Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk region, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy region, Kharkiv region, Zhytomyr region, Kirovohrad region, the south of the country. They want panic and chaos, they want to destroy our energy system. They are incorrigible. The second target is people. Such a time and such goals were specially chosen to cause as much damage as possible. But. We are Ukrainians. We help each other. We believe in ourselves. We restore everything destroyed. There may be temporary power outages now, but there will never be an outage of our confidence - our confidence in victory. Why such strikes exactly? The enemy wants us to be afraid, wants to make people run. But we can only run forward - and we demonstrate this on the battlefield. It will continue to be so. Rescuers are working now. Our air defense system is working. 38 aerial targets have already been shot down. Please stay in shelters today. Thanks to the help of our military, everything will be fine. Always follow the safety rules. And always remember: Ukraine existed before this enemy appeared, and Ukraine will exist after it. Glory to Ukraine!
Ukraine cannot be intimidated, we united even more instead - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
EN 2022-10-10
Fellow Ukrainians! Another day of our defense. A difficult day. Restoration work is currently underway across the country. We will restore all objects that were damaged by today's attack by Russian terrorists. It's only a matter of time. I tasked all structures of our state to ensure recovery as fast as possible. In some cities and regions, where there were blackouts due to shelling, the electricity supply has already been restored. As of now: Kharkiv region - 50% of energy supply has been restored. Energy crews need several hours to restore electricity supply to the majority of districts. Poltava region - restored almost everywhere. Mykolaiv region, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa region - connected. Cherkasy - connected. Khmelnytskyi - there is light in most parts of the city. In some cities and districts, efforts are still needed to give people electricity. Chernihiv region, Sumy region, Kyiv and Kyiv region, Lviv region, Ternopil region, Dnipropetrovsk region - we are working. Somewhere it takes hours, somewhere you have to wait a little longer, but the result will be everywhere. Unfortunately, 12 people died today in this terrorist attack. More than 80 were wounded or injured. Everyone who applied for help gets it. The Armed Forces of Ukraine, intelligence, the Security Service of Ukraine and all those involved in the defense of our state also perform their tasks. Of the 84 Russian missiles launched against Ukraine, 43 were shot down. Out of 24 Russian drones, 13 were shot down. And even after that, every ten minutes I get a message about the downing of Iranian "Shaheds". Only in the last hours... 16:28 – "Shahed" was destroyed, Litky district. 17:26 – Kremenchuk, "Shahed" was destroyed. 17:36 – Cherkasy, "Shahed" was destroyed. 17:40 – Dovhyntseve, Kryvyi Rih, "Shahed" was destroyed. 17:50 – Apostolove, "Shahed" was destroyed. And it’s like that all day long. Now as I speak I continue to receive such messages. Therefore, please follow the safety rules and pay attention to the air alarm. The danger is still there. But we are fighting. I am grateful to our Air Forces and Ground Forces units that were involved today! The leaders of the terrorists say that they hit all the targets they planned. First, they lie, as usual. Secondly, they lie, as usual. Take a look at their real targets, apart from energy facilities. Look at just one example of our capital... The crossroads in Kyiv where I stand. The crossroads of Volodymyrska Street and Shevchenko Boulevard. That's the target. Seven hundred meters from here is the bell tower of St. Sophia’s Cathedral. Moscow did not yet exist when it was already standing. A little further there is Volodymyr’s Hill, a place that became the source of Christianity and culture for Eastern Europe. In particular, for the territory that much later came to be called Russia. Next to me are the buildings of the Shevchenko University, which will soon celebrate its 190th anniversary. They are damaged now by this Russian strike. But we will restore everything. The Teacher's House was also damaged today. At one time, the Central Council of Ukraine worked there, and for Ukrainians this place will always be a place of memory about our glorious history of statehood. And right behind me there is a playground in Shevchenko Park, which also became a target for a Russian missile. But it is not just in Shevchenko Park. It is on one of the main museum streets of Kyiv. In particular, the Khanenko Art Museum was damaged by this attack by terrorists. And it’s like this in all the cities of our state - civil, cultural, educational facilities. Who can fight all this? Who can rejoice at strikes on such objects and such land? They say they want to push Ukraine back into the XVIII century. But they pushed themselves back into a much older era, in the era of savages, which they became quite consciously. And Ukraine will still remain in the XXI century. Kyiv saw various strangers. And survived them all. Kyiv will also survive this onslaught of terrorists who have no history, no tradition, no culture. They are temporary. And even if they live for 70 years, they still don't have enough time to understand anything. Ukraine cannot be intimidated. We united even more instead. Ukraine cannot be stopped. We are convinced even more that terrorists must be neutralized. The Russian army carried out these strikes during the morning rush hour on purpose. This is a typical terrorist tactic. They wanted to incite more fear and affect more people. They affected. They affected the whole world. Today I have already spoken with the Chancellor of Germany, the President of France, the Emir of Qatar, the President of Poland, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Secretary-General of the United Nations. I had a meeting with the U.S. Ambassador. Now I have conversations scheduled with the Prime Minister of Canada and the President of the United States. Tomorrow - with the Prime Minister of Italy. I am grateful to all for the unambiguous support! We’re consolidating the world. And I feel that the world is with us. An extraordinary meeting of the G7 is already scheduled for tomorrow. We are working on a resolution for the UN General Assembly to condemn Russia for all its escalating steps, for its terror. Terror inevitably receives a global response. And the blatant nature of Russian terror only encourages everyone to be more determined. Regarding energy. We will do everything to restore normal production and supply of electricity. We need electricity to be supplied for all families, regardless of any manifestations of Russian terror. We need energy to be supplied to all our homes, in all regions. Therefore, we need a reasonable consumption of electricity now. There are hours of peak load on the power system - from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. I am asking you, please, at this time, consume electricity in such a way as not to overload the power system. Please postpone washing, ironing, repairing and using other electrical appliances that consume a lot of energy before 5 p.m. or after 10 p.m. A strong request. The more Ukrainians consume electricity in this way, the more stable our energy system will be. We are doing everything to get modern air defense systems. And I am grateful to the partners who are already speeding up the delivery. We are doing everything to strengthen our Armed Forces. And now the occupiers already cannot oppose us on the battlefield, that is why they resort to this terror. Well, we’ll make the battlefield even more excruciating for the enemy. And we will restore everything that was destroyed. Please help each other! Please take care of those who are left alone in such circumstances! Believe in yourself, in Ukraine, in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and in our victory! Glory to Ukraine!
It is necessary to intensify common efforts to create an air shield for Ukraine - speech by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the video conference of the leaders of the Group of Seven and Ukraine
EN 2022-10-11
Dear colleagues, dear friends! Thank you Chancellor Scholz for convening this extraordinary G7 summit and thank you to all the countries that supported this initiative and to all the leaders who are here today. For the second day now, Ukraine has been suffering from massive Russian missile strikes. And for the 230th day – from the Russian terrorist war. Starting from yesterday, the enemy used more than a hundred cruise missiles and dozens of different drones, including Iranian "Shaheds". And every ten minutes I receive a message about the enemy's use of Iranian "Shaheds". As an example, here’s one hour of this morning: 5:01 – "Shahed” was shot down over the Black Sea. 5:11 – one more down. 5:13 – one more. 5:28 – "Shahed” again. 5:30 – one more "Shahed”. 5:36, 5:49 – two more "Shaheds”. And it’s like that almost every hour! Plus 28 launches of Russian missiles today. And that's just this morning. And 84 missiles yesterday. We should all be aware that this is the enemy not only of Ukraine. It is the enemy of each of you. It is not limited to missiles. We see sabotage against gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea and against critical cables in Europe. We see an energy crisis. Food crisis and artificial threat of famine for African and Asian countries. And who does all that? Who provokes and incites that? A terrorist state. And this is Russia. Today it is so. Russia wants to provoke chaos in Ukraine and in the entire democratic world, and therefore uses everything - from missile strikes to the seizure of a nuclear plant, threats of a radiation disaster, from sabotage against infrastructure in Europe to a deliberate attempt to destroy Ukraine's energy facilities. Destroy all of them. We must stop all this. I thank you for all the help already provided. It is big, it is significant. But the Russian leader, who is now in the final stage of his reign, still has room for further escalation. This possibility of his is a threat to all of us. But we can overcome this threat. We have a formula for peace. And now, reacting to Russian terror, sham referenda and the attempt to annex our territory, we can apply the peace formula so that the terrorist state stands no chance. The first point is defense support. Air shield for Ukraine. This is part of the security guarantees that are an element of our peace formula. When Ukraine receives a sufficient number of modern and effective air defense systems, the key element of Russian terror - missile strikes - will cease to work. I thank Germany and Chancellor Scholz personally for speeding up the delivery of IRIS. I thank the USA and personally President Biden for the decision to provide modern missile defense and air defense systems. And we believe, Mr. President, that these will be medium and long-range systems that will allow us to create an echeloned defense system. I thank everyone who has already helped us secure our air defense system, which allows us to neutralize some of the Russian missiles and drones. But! According to our intelligence, Russia ordered 2,400 "Shaheds" alone from Iran. And that’s why, dear Mr. Chancellor, dear President of the United States, it is important that we have sufficient missiles for the air defense and anti-missile systems provided and that these systems are integrated with our defense system. Tomorrow in the format of Ramstein I would ask that our defense ministers discuss this. Mr. President of France! Mr. Prime Minister of Italy! We are very much looking forward to the delivery of the SAMP-T systems. And if possible, they are needed in the coming months. Dear friends! Mrs. Prime Minister Truss! Prime Minister Trudeau! Prime Minister Kishida! Dear President Charles Michel! Dear Ursula von der Leyen! I am asking you to strengthen the overall effort to help financially with the creation of an air shield for Ukraine. Millions of people will be grateful to the Group of Seven for such assistance. The second point is the territorial integrity of Ukraine. It is also an element of our peace formula. And it is logically combined with the third point - with punishment, which is an integral element of any peace formula. The one who started the armed aggression is an international criminal. He must be convicted. The protection of the territorial integrity of Ukraine is the protection of the entire international legal order, starting from the UN Charter. Various potential aggressors in the world are now watching the reaction of democracies to the farce arranged by Russia with sham referenda and attempted annexation. Russia must be completely isolated and punished. Punished both politically and in terms of sanctions. I thank our European friends for the eighth sanctions package. But look - the eighth package is not a punishment for Russia. Russia has started a new stage of escalation, and therefore a new sanctions package is needed - a strong package. And I ask you to develop it! We have to respond symmetrically at the level of the entire Group of Seven, our entire democratic world: when Russia attacks the energy sector and energy stability of our countries, we must block its energy sector with sanctions, break the stability of Russian revenues from oil and gas trade. A tough price cap is needed for the exports of oil and gas from Russia - zero profit for the terrorist state. Such steps can bring peace closer - they will encourage the terrorist state to think about peace, about the unprofitability of war. We must also recognize the obvious fact: there can be no dialogue with this leader of Russia, who has no future. He himself rejected the dialogue. Despite all our efforts to negotiate peace over the years! He speaks with ultimata, terror is his attitude to the world, to other people. After the Russian strikes, all the murders, all the abuse of civilians and international law, your societies will not understand you if you do not cut off any prospects for this leader of terror. All of us in the world should realize: talks can be either with another head of Russia - who will comply with the UN Charter, the basic principles of humanity and territorial integrity of Ukraine - or in a different configuration, so that the key terrorist does not have the opportunity to influence key decisions through terror. Now one person is blocking peace - and this person is in Moscow. Now, while we have no opportunity for diplomacy because this Russian leader only believes in terror, we need defense support. It is on the battlefield that peace is gained. But also in the sphere of diplomacy - in our work on security guarantees for Ukraine and supplementing the existing security architecture in Europe. The Kyiv Security Compact project is a real contribution to security, it is a visionary element of the peace formula for all of us. I am asking you to support this Compact! And one more thing. Peace is possible not only when there is peace with one neighbor, but when there is peace with all neighbors. And I want to draw attention to one country. The territory of Belarus is already used for strikes against Ukraine. And now we see a bigger threat. Russia is trying to directly draw Belarus into this war, playing a provocation that we are allegedly preparing an attack on this country. Indirectly it has already involved them. And now it wants to involve them directly. Ukraine did not plan and does not plan military actions against Belarus. We are only interested in restoring our territorial integrity. But in order to completely remove this provocation, to remove these narratives by Lukashenko, to remove even the assumption of any alleged threat from us, we offer our solution. A mission of international observers may be stationed on the border of Ukraine and Belarus to monitor the security situation. The format can be worked out by our diplomats. And I ask you at the level of the Group of Seven to support this initiative of ours. Dear colleagues! Now is the crucial time. This leader of Russia, feeling the approach of his end, is trying to force the democratic world to surrender with a terrorist rush. To retreat. To lose. This can only be the desire of an insane person - more than a hundred missile strikes in less than two days against civilians, against civilian infrastructure, sham referenda, a criminal attempt at annexation... Think about it - radiation blackmail! The terrorist must lose. He must constantly feel that there is responsibility for terror. Let's make it happen! I thank you for your help! I apologize for not having time to thank each country separately, each leader personally. But Ukraine knows how to be grateful, we will be grateful, we are grateful. We bring peace together! Glory to Ukraine!
We prepared the nomination file of Odesa for inclusion in the World Heritage List - address by the President of Ukraine to the participants of the 215th session of the UNESCO Executive Board
EN 2022-10-11
Ladies and Gentlemen! Dear defenders of the educational, scientific and cultural heritage of mankind! Today, Ukraine is going through the 230th day of a full-scale war. How was your morning today? I will tell you what ours was like. At eight o'clock in the morning, most of the territory of Ukraine was already in a state of air alert. Russia launched cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea. Today, children in Ukraine didn’t go to kindergartens, schools, or universities again. Online learning is introduced everywhere. In this war, we cannot know who and what will be targeted by Russian missiles. Children or adults... An educational facility or a cultural object... A critical infrastructure facility or, for example, a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. All of these are equal targets for Russia. This night, a Russian missile hit the premises of the Khortytsia Academy in the Zaporizhzhia region. For what? This is their tactic. The tactic of terrorists. More than 2,600 educational facilities have already been destroyed or damaged by such terrorist attacks by Russia. Yesterday in Kyiv, our capital, a Russian missile hit the crossroads in the central part of the city. People died - literally burned in cars. And it was 700 meters from the bell tower of St. Sophia’s Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At the same crossroads are the buildings of Shevchenko University, one of the most important universities in Eastern Europe. It was affected by this strike. The Institute of Philology is damaged. Russia can award itself the special title of winner of universities, institutes, academies and schools. How many cruise missiles do educational institutions have? Zero. And Russia has hundreds of missiles. This is what its victory is like. Another Russian missile hit Tereshchenkivska Street in Kyiv yesterday. The premises of the Khanenko Museum were damaged, masterpieces by Velázquez, Canova, and Cellini are stored there. The premises of the Shevchenko Museum. One of the most renowned Kyiv publishing houses. Can you imagine a missile attack on Babyn Yar in Kyiv, the burial place of a hundred thousand victims of Nazi executions? And this strike took place. Can you imagine the shelling of the Menorah in Drobytsky Yar, Kharkiv region, where 20,000 Nazi victims are buried? And this shelling also took place. 540 is the total number of objects of cultural heritage, cultural institutions and religious buildings damaged by Russian strikes in Ukraine during the full-scale war since February 24. Almost 200 destroyed or damaged temples! And it is possible - while I am addressing you now - that one of the Russian strikes damaged other cultural or educational objects, other memorials or temples. Ladies and Gentlemen! Dear defenders of the educational, scientific and cultural heritage of mankind! Please tell me why the representatives of Russia are still among you? What are they doing at UNESCO? How can there be representatives of a terrorist state in UNESCO, which is proud of the destruction it causes in another country? I am grateful to UNESCO for supporting Ukraine at this time and for all the principled statements that were made to protect Ukraine and culture from Russian aggression. But still, new steps are needed - steps that Russia will feel. A terrorist state definitely has no right to chair one of the key bodies for the protection of cultural and natural heritage - the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. Such a Russian presidency devalues the institution itself - its significance, its reputation. It is inadmissible to let Russia destroy the authority of UNESCO. The terrorist state must be excluded from all UNESCO bodies and from the Organization itself. Let it be a historical example for everyone in the world that no one will tolerate an enemy of culture, an enemy of history, an enemy of education, an enemy of science. Unfortunately, this is Russia's choice - to oppose everything that matters to humanity. This is its deliberate choice. The second thing that is needed now is the expansion of our joint efforts to protect cultural heritage in Ukraine. Just now! Given daily threats of Russian strikes. We must provide a clear signal that the world will not turn a blind eye to the destruction of our common history, our common culture, our common heritage. One of the steps for this should be the preservation of the historical center of Odesa - a beautiful city, an important port of the Black Sea and a source of culture for millions of people in different countries. Together with our partners, we prepared the nomination file of Odesa for inclusion in the World Heritage List. We are passing this on to UNESCO. And I am asking you to initiate an extraordinary session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee to resolve this issue for Odesa. And please, it cannot be delayed, it cannot be postponed. Odesa, like all other cities of Ukraine, is a target for Russian strikes. Please support Odesa! Show at the level of UNESCO precisely that Russian terror must end. Colleagues! Ukraine has been a conscientious member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization since May 12, 1954. Our state always invests only in the preservation of our common heritage and never in destruction! Now we need your support. Support in the preservation and protection of education, science and culture. I would like to express my gratitude to UNESCO and its partners for their willingness to provide 50,000 computers for Ukrainian teachers to ensure online education. But we need more. We already offer partners - both at the state level, and at the level of international and non-governmental organizations, businesses - to join the reconstruction of Ukraine after hostilities. Some partners have joined. Now I am addressing those who have not yet decided to support Ukrainian recovery. This project will definitely become the largest economic and infrastructure project in Europe over the last 50 years. And this is a historic opportunity for each of you - to be participants in this project, to be historically significant defenders of education, culture and science - our joint heritage. I believe that our common strength will be enough so that terror can never win. I thank you for your attention! Thank you for this opportunity to address you! Glory to Ukraine!
Restoration works are taking place quite quickly and effectively all over Ukraine - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
EN 2022-10-11
Ukrainians! The enemy launched a second wave of terrorist attacks against our country. As of this morning, there were 28 missiles, of which 20 were shot down. More than 15 drones, almost all of them are Iranian combat drones. Most were shot down. I am thankful to all our warriors of the Air Forces, Ground Forces and Intelligence involved in defense against these Russian strikes! And, by the way, at the request of the military command, I want to celebrate soldier Dmytro Shumskyi (anti-aircraft missile platoon of the 57th separate radio engineering battalion, Chernihiv direction) for yesterday. On October 10, Dmytro Shumskyi showed excellent skills and reaction and shot down two terrorists' cruise missiles with the help of Stinger MANPADS. One person saved dozens of lives. Thank you for that! Restoration works are taking place quite quickly and efficiently throughout the country. If it wasn't for today's strikes, we would have already restored the energy supply, water supply and communications that the terrorists damaged yesterday. And today, Russia will achieve only one additional thing: it will delay our recovery a little. Where there was destruction, the infrastructure will be renewed everywhere. Where there were losses, there is already or will be construction. Where there were any hopes of the enemy, there will be ruins of Russian statehood. And I thank everyone who, at their level, provides recovery after terrorist attacks. I am grateful to the rescuers - more than a thousand employees of the State Emergency Service, who immediately arrived on calls and began neutralizing the consequences of terrorist attacks. At the suggestion of the Minister of Internal Affairs, I would like to especially note the selfless and determined actions of senior ensign Borys Shapovalov, commander of the department in the Zaporizhzhia region; sergeant Oleksandr Smiyan, firefighter-rescuer, Zaporizhzhia region; ensign Yuriy Lozynskyi and junior sergeant Oleksiy Biletskyi, respirator workers of the mining and rescue department, Kyiv city. I am grateful to all the doctors who helped the wounded and injured! I am grateful to all energy workers and utility workers for their high-quality response and quick work. I am grateful to the local government workers, heads of local government and government officials who worked together, truly in unity and excellently. Now most of the cities and villages that the terrorists wanted to leave without electricity and communication are already with electricity and communication. In some cities and districts, work is still ongoing. In some cities and districts, energy workers apply temporary restrictions on energy supply according to the schedule - this is necessary solely in order to maintain the stability of the energy system. The government controls all this - we are trying to restore normal conditions as quickly as possible. I would also like to thank all Ukrainians who listened yesterday and limited their own electricity consumption during peak hours - from 17:00 to 22:00. Thanks to our conscientiousness, we managed to save a tenth of the energy on average in the country, which allowed the system to work more stably. And our goal should be to save a quarter of electricity precisely during these peak hours. It should be done today and in the near future. Please postpone the energy consumption of appliances that require a lot of electricity to other hours of the day. It is not difficult for an individual, and it gives a great result within the scale of our entire country. I took part today in the extraordinary summit of the Group of Seven, which was convened by the German presidency on our initiative. We discussed the response of the most powerful democracies to this new Russian escalation. For such a new wave of terror there must be a new wave of responsibility for Russia. New sanctions, new forms of political pressure and new forms of support for Ukraine. Tomorrow, the defense support for Ukraine will be discussed in the "Ramstein" format. I expect progress from our partners on the issue of air and anti-missile defense, agreements on new supplies of other weapons and ammunition we need. The terrorist state must be deprived of even the thought that any wave of terror can bring it anything. A separate task for intelligence is to establish all those involved in these missile attacks against Ukraine, in schemes with Iranian drones. The individual responsibility of terrorists should be the same as the responsibility of the terrorist state. We work for this. Today I had separate conversations with the Prime Minister of Italy and the Prime Minister of Australia. I heard absolutely clear support, absolutely clear condemnation of all manifestations of Russian aggression against Ukraine and international law. We also have a detailed statement from the Group of Seven, in particular, that all those responsible for terror against Ukraine will be brought to justice. Starting with the current political leadership of Russia and ending with everyone who serves these terrorist interests. Mankind and humanity are stronger than any terrorists. I am thankful to everyone who fights and works for our victory! And one more thing. Today, 32 of our warriors were freed from Russian captivity. We do everything for Ukraine - possible and impossible. Gratitude to everyone who worked for this result! Glory to our beautiful people! We will restore everything that was destroyed! Glory to Ukraine!
The entire Russian terror machine must and will be neutralized - address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-10-12
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! I’ve just taken part in the work of the second ministerial roundtable discussion of donor countries, the IMF and the World Bank, which help our country maintain financial stability. The key issue is covering our budget deficit and quickly rebuilding critical infrastructure, housing and social facilities that have been destroyed or damaged by the occupiers' strikes. We are talking about significant amounts - tens of billions of dollars for the budget and the Fast Recovery. But the potential of democratic countries is much greater than the existing needs. Therefore, we are consolidating the support of partners for the sake of Ukraine. We are creating a financial "Ramstein" - a systemic tool for constant support of our struggle for freedom. Another meeting took place today in the format of the defense "Ramstein". Quite productive. First of all, they discussed providing our country with anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense systems. The more audacious and cruel Russian terror becomes, the more obvious it is to the world that helping Ukraine to protect the sky is one of the most important humanitarian tasks for Europe of our time. I believe that we will cope with this task. And I am grateful to those of our partners who have already made a decision to strengthen such support for our state - support for effective defense in the air. By the way, today I want to celebrate the fighters of our Air Forces in the southern direction. Good results were achieved there, in particular, four Russian attack helicopters and more than ten Iranian-made attack drones were shot down. We had to defend our sky today in other directions as well. We have positive news from the defense "Ramstein" related to the additional strengthening of our army with modern artillery. I am grateful to the partners! Recovery after a two-day Russian missile attack continued across the country today. At that time, energy facilities were damaged in 12 regions and in the capital. As of now, the technical capability of electricity supply has been fully restored in most regions. In four regions, work is ongoing, repairs should be completed shortly. Our energy workers in some cities and districts have to use stabilization blackout schedules. This is necessary solely to maintain the normal operation of the entire energy system in such conditions - in conditions where electricity production has decreased. And I want to once again thank all our people who approached this situation consciously and make their very important contribution to guaranteeing the normal operation of Ukraine's energy system. It is worth continuing to distribute your electricity consumption by the hours of the day, in order to use as little as possible equipment that requires a significant amount of electricity during peak hours. Today I would also like to thank all the heads of regions, mayors of cities and heads of communities, who significantly reduced electricity consumption in the utilities sector. It is important! The situation remains tough in all areas bordering the frontline. Tonight, the occupiers shelled Nikopol of the Dnipropetrovsk region with Grad and artillery. Among the wounded is a child, a girl born in 2016. An extremely serious wound... In the morning, Russian terrorists shelled Avdiivka, Donetsk region. Central Market. The occupiers used Grad. As of now, 7 people were killed and 12 were wounded. Our intelligence, special services, law enforcement agencies are finding out all the details regarding these and other Russian strikes. No Russian terrorist will manage to remain unknown to justice - we will find out all the names and all the details. Ukraine will bring to justice every Russian murderer and torturer - from commanders to privates who carried out criminal orders. By the way, we will not forget about the propagandists of terror as well. All those who justify Russian terror and incite aggression, all those who call for murder and encourage torturing of our people will be held to account on an equal footing with murderers and torturers. The entire Russian terror machine must be neutralized. And it will be neutralized. Gratitude to everyone who brings our victory closer! Gratitude to everyone who helps Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine!
Our cooperation brings the victory of Ukraine closer - speech by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Second Ministerial Roundtable Discussion for Support to Ukraine under the leadership of the Ukrainian Government, the World Bank Group and the IMF
EN 2022-10-12
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear attendees, Dear friends! Thank you for such attention to Ukraine! These days, our state has become the target of another blatant terrorist attack by Russia. More than a hundred Russian cruise missiles and fifty combat drones in less than two days against our civilian infrastructure and energy facilities. And that's just one attack. An attack that purposefully affected or damaged about a third of the Ukrainian energy industry. But the full-scale war against our country has been ongoing for more than 230 days, and the man who appropriated Russia is not going to end this war. He will spend tens and tens of billions of dollars more and approve many more attacks until we force Russia to make peace - with or without him. Our cooperation brings this moment closer - brings the victory of Ukraine closer. The more help Ukraine receives now, the faster the Russian war will end and the more reliably we will guarantee that such a cruel war will never spread to other countries again. I really appreciate that you all understand this! Thanks for all the support! I am thankful to the United States of America, President Biden, Congress for their special support. 8.5 billion dollars are aimed at fulfilling our social obligations - payment of salaries, pensions, support of the social sphere of Ukraine. I am thankful to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund for their leadership at the institutional level in the implementation of aid programs for Ukraine. I am thankful to the European Union and all our partners who contributed to the stabilization of Ukraine's financial situation. You all see that Ukraine is strong enough to endure this war. However, it is necessary to maintain consistency in the support of our state and develop the existing lines of aid. Each specific step in support of Ukraine is a real reduction of Russian aggression. I want to offer you three more such steps now. First, I believe that it would be useful to create a coordination format for financial support of Ukraine similar to the one created in Ramstein for defense support. Mrs. Kristalina Georgieva and I discussed the importance of donor coordination. We should create a permanent working group that would deal with the financial support of Ukraine and work efficiently at different levels - at the level of international donors and at the level of countries participating in aid. The second is to reliably cover the deficit and ensure the basics of people's lives. We see that Russian terrorist attacks may be intensified. Therefore, we must symmetrically intensify cooperation for assistance - both for the restoration of the destroyed and for guaranteeing the financial stability of our state. You know the data - this year, Russian terror led to the decline of the Ukrainian economy by more than a third. Similarly, the real income of our people decreased by a third. Thousands of enterprises and infrastructure facilities were destroyed. Millions of people became internally displaced. As of now, we have two key state financial needs. This is 38 billion dollars to cover the state budget deficit next year. These are the salaries of teachers, doctors, social benefits, and pensions. This is a guarantee of life for the Ukrainian people. Another 17 billion dollars, which are verified by the World Bank and are needed for the reconstruction of critical infrastructure within the RDNA. These are schools, hospitals, critical transport and energy infrastructure, as well as damaged housing. In fact, everything that has become a primary target for Russia. We need targeted loans of 2 billion dollars to rebuild the electricity infrastructure after the destruction and to expand exports to Europe. Also, taking into account the crisis situation created by Russia on the entire continent, we need credit limits for the purchase of gas and coal for the next heating season. The volume of this level of support is at least 5 billion dollars. We might not have to use these limits, but they should be there to ensure stability. In this context of countering the deficit and guaranteeing stability, the new program of cooperation with the International Monetary Fund is critically important. The realistic volume is up to 20 billion dollars. We must finally approve such a program as the main source of covering the deficit. And the third thing I would like to offer you today is concrete investment support tools for Ukraine. In order to activate the economy and for businesses to start investing in Ukraine now, a military risk insurance mechanism for new investment projects is needed. I hope we can launch this mechanism together with the World Bank. Another element of protection of economic activity can be the opening by partner countries of the limits of export-import agencies for the supply of equipment to Ukraine. This is what can strengthen your companies right now - in cooperation with us. Ladies and Gentlemen! Right now, when the terrorist state is trying to intimidate us all even more, we must respond to Russian terror with even stronger and meaningful cooperation. This is real protection. Our common protection - of our common democracy, our way of life. Terror must lose. Ukraine must win. This is absolutely real - with your support. Again, I am grateful to everyone who helps! Glory to Ukraine!
Speech by the President of Ukraine at the autumn plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
EN 2022-10-13
Thank you so much for your support and for such profound words. Very clear, important words, actions, messages from you! Dear Mr. President! Dear Mrs. Secretary General! Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, attendees! Dear Europeans! I am grateful for the opportunity to address you today. These days, Ukraine wakes up every morning with two questions: what else became the target of Russian terror overnight and where else did our forces manage to defeat these terrorists? And when I say “these days”, I don't mean two days or a week, or even a month. The Russian terrorist war against Ukraine has been ongoing for 232 days - after 8 years of war in Donbas. I think you are well informed about what Ukrainians have to go through these days. There is no shortage of information in the European media about specific manifestations of Russian terror, about the specific course of this war. The Ukrainian delegation to PACE also works quite effectively, emphasizing what is important for Ukraine and the whole of Europe. So, I will not waste time telling you about new targets of Russian terrorists and events on the frontline. I want to focus on something else - on how and when we will be able to put an end to "these days". When the war will end. When peace will come. When our territorial integrity and peace on the entire Ukrainian land will be restored. I remember when I became President of Ukraine in 2019, our state was experiencing pretty complicated relations with the Council of Europe. Then the Russian delegation returned to the PACE hall. In fact, there was an attempt to write off everything that Russia did against Ukraine and European values, starting in 2014. Write off under the guise of stories that it was necessary to maintain dialogue with Russia at all possible levels. Then the word "dialogue" masked the desire to turn a blind eye to reality. And even worse, this word masked the desire of some subjects to join the corrupt flow of money from Russia to Europe, which caused a lot of trouble in European politics. There is nothing like this this year. And I am grateful to you for that. Sincerely grateful. When Russia launched a full-scale invasion, you quickly made a principled decision and expelled the aggressor state from the Council of Europe. You also adopted resolutions condemning Russian terror and the crimes of this state against international law. Principles reign at all other levels of European institutions as well. But what does all this actually mean? This is evidence that a real dialogue has finally begun. An honest dialogue. A needed dialogue. And it's not just the word "dialogue" that masks something. It is the real search for solutions. A dialogue between Europeans. A dialogue about how to save people's lives and how to protect our values. About how Europe can withstand when everything that is fundamental to peace is attacked and when this attack is carried out not by some marginal political group, which has already happened in Europe, but by the geographically largest state in the world. The state that has been preparing for war for decades and turned the destruction of human rights into its ideology. And we see the historically important results of this dialogue in Europe - between Europeans. We see actions that have strengthened Europe in an unprecedented way. Never in history has a united Europe been as strong as it is now. Focused on everything necessary to prevent Russian terrorists from ruining our lives. This is the power of dialogue. We isolate Russia together. Together we punish terror and make it feel the price for the war it unleashed. Thanks to our dialogue, we have significant defense and financial support programs for Ukraine. And support programs for Ukrainians - those who left their homeland to escape hostilities. Thanks to our dialogue, a lot has been done to protect Europe from Russian energy weapons. What has been called for for decades has become a priority for both national governments and European institutions. And we should continue this kind of dialogue. Dialogue between us. Dialogue with our partners in the world. I ask you at all levels - in politics, in the media, in communication with voters - to defend the provision of Ukraine with a sufficient number of modern anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense systems. Already this year, we need to protect our sky from the terror of Russia. If this is done, it will be a fundamental step to end the entire war in the near future. We must continue our dialogue to further reduce Russia's ability to finance the war. In particular, it is vitally necessary to deprive the aggressor state of profits from the export of oil and gas. Russia must see zero in the accounts to start thinking about the benefits of peace. This should be the purpose of EU sanctions packages. We must continue our dialogue in order to finally find a way to force Russia to comply with the demand of the IAEA and without exaggeration all of humanity - to ensure the demilitarization of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Russia must not only withdraw military equipment from there, but also take away all its militants. We must continue our dialogue in order to hold Russia as the aggressor state and each of the Russian murderers and torturers to account for all crimes in this war, for every manifestation of terror. When these legal mechanisms are established and operational, it will be one of the most powerful guarantees of long-term peace. Ladies and Gentlemen! Dear Europeans! This year we saw that Russia deliberately rejects any real dialogue with us. Russia wants to speak the language of terror only. And that's a fact. This fact must be recognized at all levels: politically, legally and on the battlefield in Ukraine - by supporting our defense capabilities. And I am grateful for the fact that the PACE can become the first international organization that designates Russia exactly this way - as a terrorist state. But we also saw the power of a real dialogue between us. Dialogue on how to stop terror. As a result, Europe is much stronger than anyone thought. And potentially, our ability to protect freedom, the rule of law, human rights and social justice is even stronger than we think about ourselves even now. Europe can play a historic role in the creation of the Special Tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Let's do it! This will be the best way to protect the principles of international law. Europe can take the lead in the efforts to compensate for the damage caused by this war. We have to create an appropriate compensation mechanism - and we suggest the way to create it. The corresponding project has already been prepared by Ukraine. I urge you to support it - both in Europe and at the level of the UN General Assembly. All the more so since it is in Europe that the lion's share of Russian assets is concentrated - both of the state itself, and of corrupt officials and corrupt businesses associated with the aggressor state. Russian assets should be directed to compensation for war losses. If you put your hand on your heart, each and every one of you knows perfectly well what elements should be in the formula of peace. All of you hear what the dialogue is about in Ukraine, in Europe, in the world to end this war and restore peace. Ukraine offered its way to peace. This is the European way. The way of dialogue and principles. The way of implementation of the agreed decisions for the protection of Ukraine and humanity and constant increase of the price of the war for the aggressor. The way of bringing the perpetrators of the war to justice and compensation for damages. This is the way to victory. It is much shorter than it seems. But only on the condition that the dialogue for its sake is honest, between all those who really value freedom, and that the word "dialogue" does not mask the desire to turn a blind eye to war. I thank you for your attention! I thank you for your great support! Long live Europe! Glory to Ukraine!
Terror must be responded with force at all levels: on the battlefield, with sanctions, and legally - address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-10-13
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! Today I took part in the work of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe - outlined the most important things for us in achieving peace and restoring Ukraine and the international legal order after this war. We also have a powerful response from PACE, which is the first international organization to designate the current regime in Russia as terrorist. It is very important that this is a political signal. A signal to all states - members of the Council of Europe and all states of the world, that there is nothing to talk about with this terrorist group, which appropriated Russia and unleashed the most heinous war in Europe in 80 years. Terror must be responded with force at all levels: on the battlefield, with sanctions, and legally We will create a special tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine and ensure the operation of a special compensation mechanism so that Russia will bear responsibility for this war at the cost of its assets. I am grateful to all our partners in the Council of Europe who work for justice for Ukraine and our entire continent. I am grateful to our PACE delegation for truly effective work! I am also grateful to all Ukrainian diplomats and our friends in the world and in the United Nations who helped consolidate the world community of states in such a way that we gained the highest support at the UN General Assembly for the entire time of the Russian terrorist war. The world sees what is happening. It knows the price of the farce that Russia staged in the occupied territory under the guise of sham referenda. 143 UN member states supported the resolution, which protects the basic principles of the UN Charter and condemns Russia for the criminal attempt to annex our territory. This is a record number of states supporting Ukraine today. But I believe that there will be more. Four states came out on the side of Russia - this is very eloquent. North Korea, Nicaragua, Belarus and Syria. Such a list that everything is clear. I am grateful to each of the 143 states! Today, an important meeting of our team, which deals with the issue of the release of prisoners, took place in the online format with representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international organizations related to this process. Very important things were said. In particular, those concerning the institutional work of the Red Cross to guarantee the safety of those held in Russian captivity. I believe that the International Committee of the Red Cross is not a club with privileges where they get paid and enjoy life. The Red Cross has obligations, primarily of a moral nature. The mandate of the Red Cross must be fulfilled. It is necessary to immediately do what is completely logical for the Red Cross. There is Olenivka. In fact, a concentration camp where our prisoners are kept. Access to them is required, as it was stipulated. The Red Cross can make it happen. But you have to try to make it happen. Ukraine is ready to facilitate this. The mission of the Red Cross can work on the model of the mission of the IAEA. But this requires leadership. Conscientiousness is required. Understanding who and why created such an institution as the Red Cross is required. I am grateful to the team that continues to engage in exchanges: Budanov, Yermak, Usov, Maliuk. Today, we managed to return another 20 Ukrainians from captivity. 14 warriors of the army, four warriors of the territorial defense, one national guard and one warrior of the Navy. We are working on getting everyone back! Our Air Forces continue the battle for Ukrainian skies. As in previous days, I received hourly reports of downed Russian missiles and drones. During the day, 11 missiles were fired, six missiles were shot down in Mykolaiv, Lviv and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Thank you to everyone who fulfills this task! We urgently restore damaged infrastructure objects. I also want to celebrate today the warriors of the 5th separate assault regiment of the Ground Forces, the 1st separate battalion of the marines and the battalion of the 4th brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine for their skillful and heroic actions during the defense in the Bakhmut direction. This direction is still one of the toughest on the front. Thank you to everyone who defends our positions there and inflicts tangible hits on the occupiers. Now Russia is sending thousands of its mobilized men to the front. They have no significant military training, but their command does not need it at all. They expect that the mobilized Russians will be able to survive in the war for at least a few weeks, then they will die, and then new ones will be sent to the front. But during this time, such use by Russian generals of their people as "cannon fodder" makes it possible to create additional pressure on our defenders. It's a tangible pressure. And I am grateful to all our warriors who endure it. I am also grateful to the partners who understand that in such conditions we need an increase in defense assistance. I thank everyone who fights, works and helps to protect Ukraine! Tomorrow we will definitely celebrate - everyone in their place - one of our most important days. Intercession, Day of Defenders of Ukraine. The holiday of all our warriors - from ancient times to the present, from the Cossacks to the insurgents, from all of them to the warriors of the modern army. Tomorrow will be the 233rd day of our full-scale defense. And new steps that bring us closer to peace and victory. We do not relax! We beat the enemy! We follow the safety rules! We listen to the air alarm signal, especially tomorrow! And we do everything to strengthen Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine!
Address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the Day of Defenders of Ukraine
EN 2022-10-14
Dear Ukrainians! Great people of a great country! On October 14, we celebrate the Day of Defenders of Ukraine. This is the Day of those who fight. This is the Day of what we fight for. This is the Day of what kind of victory we will gain. A century ago, Ukraine honored this Day. And it will honor it a century after us. On October 14, we express gratitude. Gratitude to everyone who fought for Ukraine in the past. And to everyone who is fighting for it now. To all who won then. And to everyone who will definitely win now. Win in such a way that it will crown the struggle of many generations of our people with success. The people who always wanted one thing the most - freedom. For themselves. And for their children. For our culture. The place where I am now points to the origins of our Ukrainian path. These are the slopes of Vytachiv. Here was one of the most ancient outposts of Rus’-Ukraine. Back in the times of Olga, Svyatoslav and Volodymyr the Great. Svyatopolk, Monomakh, Andriy and Oleg were gathering here for the princely congress. Andriy Pervozvanny placed the first cross here. Cossack seagulls used to cross these waters. These shores have seen various invaders and heroes. Here, on the slopes, Taras Shevchenko looked at the Dnipro and the cliffs. This place is a witness of more than a millennium of our history and its important lesson. They tried to capture and enslave the Ukrainian land. They tried to conquer and destroy the Ukrainian people. Both a thousand years ago and in the XX century. But Ukrainians come here. Here they reflect on our history. The Ukrainian language is spoken here. There is a chapel here, built according to Shevchenko's sketch. There were different periods. Various threats. But Ukraine endured. There is one reason for that. Our defenders. Our people who are fighting for their right to life. In Rus’. In Sich. During the national liberation struggle. Against the Nazi occupation. And against the Rashists. It seems that the current enemy in its evil unites all the enemies of our statehood that we faced before. And by defeating this enemy, we will respond to all enemies who encroached on Ukraine - on those who lived, who live and who will live on our land. This will be a victory for all our people. This will be a victory for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Our Ground Forces, infantry. Tankers. Missile troops and artillery. This will be a victory for our Air Forces. Our anti-aircraft warriors. Our drone operators. This will be a victory for our Naval Forces. Our marines. Our airborne assault troops. Our intelligence. Special operations forces. Security Service of Ukraine. This will be a victory for the border guards, the National Guard, the National Police, the territorial defense, and the communications officers. This will be a victory for everyone who will not leave even a trace on Ukrainian soil of that army that flaunted itself as if it was the second on the planet. This will be a victory for those of our heroes who are now in Russian captivity. Those who are now having the most difficult time. It is the most difficult to remain Ukrainian and preserve Ukrainian when they are among the murderers. But we remember. We remember and do everything to return everyone - each of our heroes. We will not leave anyone in captivity. The world sees that Ukrainians do not lose their humanity under any circumstances. The enemy can strike at our cities, but never at our dignity. The Rashists burned down the Skovoroda museum, dozens of churches, hundreds of schools and kindergartens... But they can't do anything against our philosophy. Against what Ukrainians hear, see and know - from a young age. Russian missiles are still capable of driving Ukrainians into bomb shelters, but none of our people shiver there. Ukrainians sing in shelters. We defend our freedom. Our soul. Our land. Our Kyiv. Our Zaporizhzhia. Our Odesa. Our Dnipro and Mykolaiv. Our Kryvyi Rih. Our Nikopol. Our Khmelnytskyi, our Lviv. Our Vinnytsia. What we have preserved and will always protect. Our Zhytomyr region, Kyiv region, Sumy region, Chernihiv region, Kharkiv region. What we did not give away and will always protect. Our Kherson, our Donetsk and Luhansk, our Crimea. We. We all. Great people of a great country. Everyone who fights and works for Ukraine to live. Diplomats who formed the most powerful global coalition in history to help Ukraine. Volunteers who cover any needs - on the ground, in the air, and even in space. Journalists who spread the truth about Ukraine and about this war, who maintain our morale, our confidence, our awareness. Transporters who change supply chains and provide Ukraine with everything it needs. Energy workers who defeat the darkness around the clock. Builders who restore what was destroyed by the enemy. Our heroic doctors. Rescuers. Sappers. Teachers. Civil servants. Local government. Farmers. Industrialists. A nation. A nation that defeats terror. Millions of people who are bringing the crucial day closer, each in his place. Victory Day. The day of victory in the war for our freedom. In the war for independence for all our people in all corners of Ukraine. In the war for the right to life for the people and for the state, whose name is Ukraine. In the war for our values. In the war for our memory and Tradition. The tradition of freedom. In this war, everything depends on you. On what you do. On who you help. On what you gain. On who came to help us. The world stands with us. More than ever in our history. This in particular makes us stronger than ever in our history. But just as at any time in our history, the future depends on specific people. On those who are currently in the trenches and on combat posts. Sons, brothers and fathers. Daughters, sisters and mothers. Ukrainian men and women, to whom I now want to say the main words. You are the most precious thing we have. Each and every one. Rashist tanks, inmates and mercenaries oppose you. Looters, rapists and those who have gone mad from propaganda. Thousands of people whose lives are worth nothing to their state. They are thrown into attacks, they have "anti-retreat detachments" behind their backs, they are not counted and are not even taken away when they die. They do not know what to live for, and that's why they lose the life given to them by God so shamefully. And behind you, Ukrainian Warrior, are millions of people who know exactly what they live for. With you, Warrior, in the trenches is our entire state, everything that we have and that is so dear to us. The future of children is with you. The gold of our athletes' victories. Our poetry, art, science. Sophia and the Potocki Palace are with you. Our Khortytsia and our Lavra. Our Heavenly Hundred is with you. And our respect, our faith and our love. Because our state is the mother of all defenders. Behind you is Ukraine, which knows exactly what it wants and values. Behind you is the history that has been coming to these heroic Days for many centuries, so that you, Ukrainian Warrior, will now turn it in the right direction - forever. In the right direction for Ukraine. I know it is extremely hard for you. I know how this enemy puts pressure on you. I know what they do. But I know that you are strong, and we will do everything to make you even stronger. I know that you are confident, and we will do everything to increase your confidence even more. I know that you are bringing victory closer as much as you can, and we will do everything to speed it up. All of us - millions and millions. Great people of a great country! Happy Defender of Ukraine Day! Happy Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos! Happy Day of the Ukrainian Cossacks! Glory to all our heroes! Glory to all who fight, work and help! Glory to Ukraine!
We must restore peace, secure historic victory for our state, and we will do it – address of President of Ukraine
EN 2022-10-14
Dear great people of the great country! This day is passing – October 14, our holiday. The holiday of all defenders of Ukraine, the Feast of the Patronage of the Most Holy Mother of God. Day of the Cossacks. The 233rd day of our full-scale defense in the war for freedom for Ukraine. I want to thank now all our people who today congratulated each other, who congratulated our military, all our soldiers. I want to thank those who continued to work today for the sake of our strength. I want to thank everyone who spent this day, like many others, in battle and on guard duty. In Mykolayiv region and Kherson region, in Zaporizhzhia region, in Dnipropetrovsk region, in Donbas, in Kharkiv region. In Odesa region and in the center of our country, in the north and west – in all our regions. Along our state border. I thank everyone who guards our sky, our sea and our cyberspace. And I would like to thank everyone who today, quietly, silently, even in their hearts, but together with the whole country celebrated the Day of Defenders of Ukraine, being in the temporarily occupied territory or forcibly in the territory of Russia. Ukraine remembers everyone. We will leave no one and nothing Ukrainian to the enemy. Let's liberate all ours. We will return everything that is rightfully ours. We know that we can do it. And we must do it. It will definitely be like that. We must restore peace. And let's do it. We must secure a historic victory for our country. And it will be. Look like the enemy is disturbed. Listen to what and how they ask the leader of these terrorists when he does go out to people, to journalists. Russia is already in the atmosphere of its defeat, already in the atmosphere of hopelessness for itself. Yes, they still have people they throw into attacks. They have weapons, missiles and Shahed UAVs, which they use against Ukraine. They still have the opportunity to terrorize our cities and all Europeans, blackmail the world. But they have no chance. And it won't be, because Ukraine is moving forward. Today, I had the honor to present Crosses of Combat Merit and Gold Star orders to our heroes. In total, 483 soldiers were awarded state awards on the occasion of the holiday. Fifteen were awarded the title Hero of Ukraine. I visited our wounded soldiers in the hospital. I thanked the doctors and nurses for their work – great work, professional. I held a meeting of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. We discussed the situation on the front line, the actions of the enemy and our steps to liberate Ukrainian territory. In addition, the supply of ammunition, preparation for winter. It was a very substantial meeting. Reconstruction work in the regions after the recent series of Russian terrorist attacks continues. The technical possibility of electricity supply has been restored in most regions. Although in some cities and districts, power companies are still forced to use stabilization shutdown schedules. Fifteen objects that the Russian terrorists wanted to destroy have already been completely restored. We will restore all the others. I draw your attention, dear Ukrainians: please, it is still necessary to advisedly limit the consumption of electricity during peak hours so that the entire power system works stably. It is also an element of the protection of our state. I spoke with a friend of all Ukraine –President of Lithuania Nausėda. About our defense needs and further Euro-Atlantic integration. I also held a meeting on the state of the Euro-Atlantic movement of our country and security guarantees for Ukraine. The Government, the Verkhovna Rada, the Office – all are involved. I spoke today with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. We discussed our possibilities to act together in the interests of our states and peoples. I believe that the desired results are possible. Glory to all our heroes! Glory to our beautiful people! I'm thankful to everyone who defends and rebuilds, who works and helps, who fights and wins! Glory to Ukraine!
Only real victories of Ukraine, dismantling of aggressive capabilities of terrorist state are way to peace - address of President Volodymyr Zelenskyi
EN 2022-10-15
Dear Ukrainians! I wish you health! We have a new defense assistance package from the United States valued at $725 million. These are very necessary things. Ammunition for HIMARS and artillery, anti-tank weapons, anti-radar missiles. I thank President Biden, bipartisan Congress, and the entire American nation for this strong package. We are doing everything to reduce the capabilities of the occupiers, the ability of the Russian army to carry terror through Ukrainian land. We are consistently destroying the logistics of terrorists, their warehouses and headquarters. The total losses of the enemy in terms of killed people are approaching 65,000. So many citizens of Russia gave their lives for the possibility of a handful of people in the Kremlin to ignore reality. And according to the way the Russian "burial operation" continues, we can say that even 100,000 dead Russian citizens will not prompt the Kremlin to think a little bit. Only real victories of Ukraine, only real defending of itself by the free world from Russian terror and blackmail – protection with sanctions, protection with help to Ukraine – only complete displacement of the occupiers from Ukrainian land and dismantling of the aggressive capabilities of the terrorist state – all this is the way to peace. Peace will become possible when its terror becomes impossible for Russia. Today and yesterday, various regions of our country were targets of Russian attacks. In particular, by missiles and Iranian drones. Some of the missiles and drones were shot down. But, unfortunately, not all. Unfortunately, there is destruction and casualties. Donbas, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv region, Kharkiv region, Sumy region, Kyiv region, Dnipropetrovsk region and some other regions of our country... We are doing everything to shoot down more enemy missiles and drones to neutralize more strike positions of the Russian army. And the day will surely come when our state will be able to fulfill this task one hundred percent. Today, I want to thank all our people who are promptly eliminating the consequences of the Russian terrorist attacks: our energy workers, employees of the State Emergency Service, communal services and local authorities, construction workers, employees of the National Police, government officials who coordinate the recovery process. Although in some of our cities and districts the power companies are still forced to limit the supply of electricity to maintain the stability of the system, we are doing and will do everything to restore the technical capabilities for supply. Also, in the liberated areas of Kharkiv region, Kherson region, and Donetsk region (in Lyman, Sviatohirsk) we are working to restore order, social and medical services, energy supply, communication and mail, water supply and gas, where it is possible. For example, they began to restore gas supply to Izium – the first 500 families of the city already have gas in their homes again. Just yesterday, more than 3,000 houses in the Izium, Kupiansk, Chuhuyiv and Kharkiv districts of Kharkiv region were connected to the gas supply. Work is ongoing in other directions as well. I'm thankful to everyone who is returning normal life to Ukrainians! Active operations continue in various areas of the front. A very difficult situation persists in Donetsk region and Luhansk region. The most difficult is the Bakhmut direction, as in the previous days. We hold our positions. In general, in the east and south, we do everything to make the occupiers feel that they have no prospects. No matter who they send to fight against us, it will only end in defeat for them. Well, I will once again remind the citizens of Russia, who do not want to participate in this criminal war, but who are sent to war, of one possibility. All who surrender themselves to Ukrainian captivity will save their lives. Anyone who continues to fight in the Russian army or among mercenaries does not have such an opportunity. Ukraine will definitely return everything that belongs to it. Eternal glory to all who fight for our country! Eternal honor to everyone who helps us overcome Russian terror! Eternal gratitude to all who work for our victory! Glory to Ukraine!
Anyone who captures Russian soldiers provides an opportunity to release our heroes - address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-10-16
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! World Food Day is celebrated on October 16. This day is established in memory of the establishment of the UN special structure dealing with poverty and famine - FAO. This is the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. For decades, the world has worked to solve the problem of famine. And it is unlikely that any of the founders of the UN could have thought at the time that in the XXI century all of us in the world will again be forced to fight the threat of mass famine, moreover artificial famine! A famine for which only one country in the world is responsible - Russia - and its terrorist war against the free world. When Russia blocked our Ukrainian ports and disrupted normal food supply chains, it returned the world to a situation as if these decades of work for international food security had never existed. Fortunately, Ukrainian ports started working again for the export of agricultural products. Since July, we have been supplying exactly the amount of food that restores stability to the world market. And precisely to those segments of the food market that ensure the consumption of some of the most fragile countries in Africa and Asia. And although our export capabilities are still far from complete, we managed to export almost 8 million tons of food by sea - that's more than 300 ships. 60% of this volume was directed to Africa and Asia. This is the global mission of our country: and thanks to Ukrainian supplies, entire regions of the world maintain social and political security. And I want to thank everyone who ensures this: first of all our farmers, our transporters, port workers, our diplomats and government officials. Of course, our defenders, who hold the south and restore safety to the sea. And I want to thank our partners who managed to help with this initiative. In particular, UN Secretary-General Guterres and President of Türkiye Erdoğan. We must do everything so that Ukrainian grain exports only expand. These are jobs for our people and export income. Plus funds to ensure a sowing campaign next year. And for the whole world this is one of the key guarantees of stability. The way Ukraine helps maintain normal life in the world only strengthens the reputation of our state and makes it easier for us to establish new ties in different regions. This upcoming week, I expect new international results for our state. And for the past week, it is worth noting the strengthening of contacts with Saudi Arabia. There are significant agreements. Among other things, this is the decision of the partners to provide a package of humanitarian support in the amount of 400 million dollars. It is very important. Right now we have the most meaningful relations with Saudi Arabia in 30 years. The situation on the frontline has not undergone significant changes over the past day. The key hotspots in Donbas are Soledar and Bakhmut, where extremely heavy fighting continues. The occupiers threw everyone they could against our forces, including 2,000 "prisoners" - they are among the mercenaries right there. And these are "convicts" with long sentences for serious crimes. They are kept at the front not only with money, but also with the promise of amnesty. This is how the Russian state sponsors terror - it looks for murderers in prisons and promises them freedom if they kill again. Does anyone in the world still doubt whether Russia should be officially designated as a terrorist state? I don't think so. I thank all our warriors who are heroically holding their positions near Bakhmut, near Soledar and in all other directions where military clashes are currently ongoing - in the east, in the south of the country. Today, in the Southern direction, I especially want to celebrate the 60th Inhulets Infantry Brigade, the 17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Kostiantyn Pestushko, the 128th Separate Mountain Assault Zakarpattia Brigade and the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade named after Yakov Handziuk for coordinated actions in the Kherson direction and effective destruction of enemy equipment. I thank you, warriors! I also thank the Kherson anti-aircraft missile brigade for successfully protecting our skies from Iranian drones and Russian aircraft. Separately, I would like to note today those units that provided us with the result of replenishment of the exchange fund. This is extremely important - everyone who captures the Russian military provides us with the opportunity to release our heroes. I thank the 54th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion named after Mykhailo Tysha, the 80th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade and the 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, which during the offensive significantly increased our ability to return Ukrainians home. We remember our people detained in Russia. We must liberate them, and we must liberate them all, leaving none to the enemy. But for this we need to capture the occupiers - as many as possible. And one more thing worth talking about today. Due to the Russian missile terror in some cities and regions of Ukraine, energy workers have to limit the supply of electricity so that the entire system works stably. But it will be possible to avoid such stabilization blackouts if all of us in Ukraine consciously treat our consumption during peak hours. This is a small thing for every person's life - but extremely tangible within the entire energy system. For example, this Saturday residents of the Chernihiv region limited their electricity consumption by 20 percent. I am very grateful to you. And in general in the country on average - by 10 percent. Kyiv and the region - only by 7 percent. Please do more - if you have the opportunity. From 17:00 to 23:00 we must reduce our electricity consumption. This is a step that, along with others, will ensure the failure of Russian terrorist plans. I am grateful to everyone who defends Ukraine! I am grateful to everyone who fights, works and helps for our victory! Unity and joint actions are our strength, the strength of Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine!
The fewer terrorist opportunities Russia has, the sooner this war will end - address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-10-17
Strong people of the indomitable country! Today was a difficult day. The morning of a new Russian terrorist attack. Hours of clearing debris and eliminating the consequences of strikes. The evening of battles for Ukraine and news for Ukraine. The next stage of the release of our people from Russian captivity took place - we managed to return 108 Ukrainian women. Officers, sergeants, privates. Army, Navy, territorial defense, National Guard, border guards. 96 are servicemen, 37 of them are evacuees from Azovstal. 12 - civilians. Among those released today are those who were captured long before the full-scale war. We do not forget about any of our people - we have to return them all. And we will return them all. Our exchange team continues this work: Budanov, Yermak, Usov, Maliuk, Lubinets and others. I am grateful to all involved for this success, and I also thank all those who replenish our exchange fund, who ensure the capture of enemies. The more Russian prisoners we have, the sooner we will be able to free our heroes. Every Ukrainian warrior, every frontline commander should remember this. Throughout the day, the clearing of rubble continues in those places where the Russian terrorists managed to hit today. In Kyiv, they killed a young family, targeting an apartment building with an Iranian "Shahed". A guy and a 6 months pregnant girl... Vladimir Putin can mark another "achievement" - he killed another pregnant woman. In total, four people were killed by this "Shahed" alone. There were other hits. More than 25 settlements of our country were attacked this night and morning. Eternal memory to all victims of Russian terror! Right now there is a new Russian drone attack - there are downings. The world can and must stop this terror. When we talk about Ukraine's need for air and missile defense, we are talking about real lives that are being taken by terrorists. We manage to shoot down some of the missiles and drones. In just 12 hours from 9 p.m. Sunday, 37 Iranian "Shaheds" and several cruise missiles were destroyed. But in order to guarantee the protection of our skies and to reduce the capabilities of Russian terrorists to zero, we need significantly more modern air defense systems and a greater missile provision for such systems. And this is not only Ukrainian interest. The fewer terrorist opportunities Russia has, the sooner this war will end. Russia stands no chance on the battlefield. And it tries to cover up its military defeats with terror. Why does it need terror? To put pressure on us, on Europe, on the whole world. Terrorists must be neutralized. This rule applies equally effectively everywhere, and it will affect Russian terror in the same way. When Russian terror capabilities are neutralized by the joint efforts with our partners, Russia will have no choice but to think about peace. And I thank all our Air Force fighters, anti-aircraft fighters, other warriors who are involved in countering Russian attacks! Every Russian missile shot down and every drone destroyed is a life saved. I am also grateful to everyone who is involved in eliminating the consequences of terrorist attacks: our rescuers, policemen, doctors, energy workers, utility workers, heads of local self-government, government officials and business representatives who help. Today's Russian missile and drone attack also caused new power outages, but this is being corrected. Restoration work is ongoing. This form of terror will not give Russia anything even now, when we still do not have a sufficient number of air defense and missile defense systems. But for this our unity must stay maximal. Please take the request of energy providers into account and consciously consume electricity during the hours of peak load on the power system. This will enable the whole country to go through this period more stably. Please help local communities eliminate the consequences of terrorist attacks, if your business has the opportunity to do so. Please take care of your acquaintances and neighbors who are alone and need attention or help, especially the elderly. And be sure to thank those who are involved in the defense of our state and in eliminating the consequences of terrorist attacks, who maintain normal life despite any attempts by Russia to break it. Our unity, our attention to each other, our ability to fight and work together for common interests is a guarantee of Ukrainian victory and the defeat of terrorists. There is no such weapon in Iran or elsewhere that can break a nation that is aware of what it is fighting for and what it will never forgive the enemy for. I spoke today with the President of the United Arab Emirates. I thanked him for supporting Ukraine, particularly at the level of the UN and other international organizations. We discussed the threat posed by Russia to global food security. I assured Mr. President that Ukraine can and will remain a guarantor of food security and, therefore, social stability of all our partners. We are preparing for important negotiations scheduled for this and next week on further defense and financial support for our country. We will do everything for the victory of Ukraine. Eternal glory to all our warriors! Eternal glory to our strong people! Glory to Ukraine!
No matter what the enemy plans and does, Ukraine will defend itself - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
EN 2022-10-18
Ukrainians! Today, the battle for a normal life for our people continued. There were new Russian attacks against our energy system. Some of the drones and missiles were shot down. Thanks again for this to our anti-aircraft fighters, our Air Forces. In particular, the 138th Dnipro anti-aircraft missile brigade for shooting down four "Kalibrs". Our other defenders of the sky also have good results. Today, I will also celebrate the Kherson anti-aircraft missile brigade for shooting down a Russian Su-25 attack aircraft. Thanks also to our partners - everyone who helps us with anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense. For example, the German "IRIS-T" has shown itself very well - it is a really effective system. We are working with partners to provide even more protection to the Ukrainian sky. Over the past day, more than 10 Ukrainian regions suffered terrorist attacks. Zhytomyr region and Kyiv region, Sumy region, Dnipro and Kryvyi Rih, Kharkiv region and Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv and other cities of the south of Ukraine, Donbas. Wherever possible, we are trying to speed up restoration work. But now, just like in the previous days, the overall situation still requires a very conscious consumption of electricity and limiting the use of energy-consuming appliances during peak hours. The more conscious our household consumption of electricity is from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., the more stable our energy system will be. Everyone who follows this simple rule for peak hours helps the entire country. Please explain this to your relatives, friends and neighbors to guide our national unity towards a common and much needed result. Today I had a lot of meetings and communication regarding infrastructure restoration. Another general meeting on the energy situation is scheduled for tomorrow. We are working out all possible scenarios. And, of course, all this is combined with our measures to strengthen defense against drones. We should remember that the very fact of Russia's appeal to Iran for such assistance is the Kremlin's recognition of its military and political bankruptcy. For decades, they’ve been spending billions of dollars on their military-industrial complex, and in the end they went to bow to Tehran to get rather simple drones and missiles. It won't help them strategically anyway. It only further proves to the world that Russia is on the trajectory of its defeat and is trying to draw someone else into its accomplices in terror. We will definitely ensure an appropriate international reaction to this. But now, at the tactical level, the terrorists may still have certain hopes, calculations, new illusions due to Iranian drones. All this will fall apart, just as their previous calculations. 237 days of this war prove that we are able to find an answer to any threats. If we act together - all Ukrainians and nations of the free world. Today we have an important decision from Estonia - its parliament designated Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. And this is another European step to ensure that the actual reality of Russian terror and the European official attitude towards Russia completely coincide. Terror must receive all types of response - on the battlefield, with sanctions and legally. I am grateful to our Estonian friends for this! We will continue our work at all levels so that other countries adopt similar decisions. I held a meeting on working out in UN structures our draft resolution on the creation of a compensation mechanism that would provide compensation at the expense of Russian assets for all the damage caused by this war. We are gradually moving in this direction as well. The terrorist state will inevitably pay for everything it has done. Another expansion of our United24 platform took place today. This public fundraising platform has already raised more than $200 million from people in dozens of countries. Oleksandr Usyk became the new ambassador of United24. I just spoke with him and thanked him for his willingness to work for Ukraine. Oleksandr will focus on projects devoted to the reconstruction of our country, in particular in the Kyiv region. Let me just remind you that Andriy Shevchenko, Elina Svitolina, Imagine Dragons, creative director of Balenciaga Demna, Liev Schreiber, Barbra Streisand and Mark Hamill are already ambassadors along with Usyk. Today, 2 billion euros of macro-financial aid from the European Union were allocated to Ukraine's accounts. This is important for us - for the social support of our people. We are very grateful. We expect other tranches under this package with a total volume of 9 billion euros. I am grateful to all friends of Ukraine! I am grateful to everyone who fights and works for our victory! No matter what the enemy plans and does, our perspective is clear: Ukraine will defend itself. Glory to Ukraine!
Occupiers will try to recruit men into their army, avoid this as much as you can – address of President of Ukraine
EN 2022-10-19
Dear Ukrainians! Today was quite a fruitful day. I met with the European Commissioner for Crisis Management. I thanked Mr. Lenarčič for all the assistance that was provided during the full-scale war. We discussed what other humanitarian needs of our people could be met with the help of our European friends. Of course, we touched on the situation with energy. I spoke today with the President of Turkey. I thanked him for supporting our territorial integrity. We discussed the key security issues currently Ukraine and our entire region are facing. The key topics are efforts to further release our people from Russian captivity, defense cooperation, export of Ukrainian food. I held negotiations with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece – he arrived on a visit to Kyiv for the third time since February 24. I thanked Greece for its support in the defense sector. We agreed to strengthen our cooperation in bilateral relations and at the level of the European Union, as well as at the level of NATO. Tomorrow I will participate in the European Summit – I will contact my partners. The key topic, of course, is challenges to our energy, both Ukrainian and European. We will respond to the terrorist threat together. Today, Andriy Yermak met with representatives of the embassies of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain at the Office and discussed the strengthening of our anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense. We are working to guarantee the complete safety of the Ukrainian sky. We already have significant results: 233 Shahed UAVs and dozens of missiles were shot down during the month. Ten Iranian drones were destroyed today and this is only in the Kyiv direction. Another 11 Shahed UAVs were shot down thanks to the soldiers of the Pivden air command. Thanks guys for the great job! There are results in other areas as well. But, unfortunately, there are also impacts. We have new damage to critical infrastructure. Today, three energy facilities were destroyed by the enemy. Of course, we will do everything possible to restore the normal energy capabilities of our country. But it takes time. And this requires our joint efforts. Tomorrow they are needed even more than before. There will be clarifications from the heads of regional administrations and government officials, but in general, it is necessary to be especially conscious of electricity consumption from 7 am tomorrow. Please do not turn on unnecessary electrical appliances. Please limit your electricity consumption and use those appliances that consume a lot of energy. Tomorrow, it is very important that the consumption is as conscious as possible, and thus the schedules of stabilization blackouts will be shorter. I held a general meeting on energy issues today – the Office, government, energy companies. We are preparing for all possible scenarios in view of the winter season. We assume that Russian terror will be directed at energy facilities until, with the help of partners, we ensure the ability to shoot down 100% of enemy missiles and drones. Separately, today I want to address our people in the temporarily occupied areas of southern and eastern Ukraine. In the near future, the occupiers will try to recruit men into their army. Everywhere is the same as in Donetsk and Luhansk. Please avoid it as much as you can. Try to leave the occupied territory. If you cannot do this and find yourself in Russian military structures, at the first opportunity try to lay down your arms and come to Ukrainian positions. And most importantly, protect your life. And be sure to help our other people who are close to you. Our common task is to persevere. Stand against these weirdoes… Russia avoided even the word "war" for six months, punished its own people with criminal cases for it, and now it declares martial law in the occupied territory. The occupiers themselves brought the war to our land under their constant false pretense of alleged negotiations, and now they are signing some decrees cementing the war. Well, what can I say? It's just hysterics of the "Chekist comrades." Hysterics, which will be greater the closer Russia's defeat is. In the evening, I signed another decree on awarding our soldiers. Seventy one servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were awarded state awards today. I thank everyone who fights and works for Ukraine! I thank everyone who helps our defense! And I would like to thank separately for the fact that it was the Ukrainian people who this year became the laureate of the special honor of the European Parliament – the Sakharov Prize. This award is given annually to those who have made the greatest contribution to the defense of democracy, human rights and European values. It is really important that all Ukrainian men and women – millions of our people who so bravely defend freedom were recognized in Europe this year. Glory to our beautiful people! Glory to Ukraine!
Russian terror must lose, Ukraine and all of Europe must win - President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's address to the European Council
EN 2022-10-20
Thank you very much, Charles, thank you very much, dear Mr. President! Dear colleagues! I am glad to greet all of you and want to immediately, without wasting time, move on to issues that are vitally important now not only for Ukraine, but also - I am sure - for the entire European Community as well. There is a new escalation in Russian terror. And this requires us to take new steps in response - quick steps in solidarity. Steps that will protect both Ukrainians and all Europeans. The current leadership of Russia has been working for years to turn energy resources into weapons. Fortunately, this plan of theirs fails. Despite the critical dependence of some European countries on Russian gas, oil and oil products, the European Union managed to ensure energy independence thanks to effective leadership both at the EU level and at the level of national governments. European gas storages are full, alternative supply to the continent is established. This is your absolute success. Unfortunately, the very serious challenge of the price crisis, which Russia ignited and fuels to provoke social tension in European countries, still remains. This is Russia's calculated pressure on the family budget of every European family. But I believe that socially just solutions can be found to overcome this challenge as well. You know that Ukraine offered its help so that we could all get through this winter together in better conditions. In particular, we started exporting electricity to the EU - and this was a very significant contribution to Europe's energy and price stability. However, such help of ours became an obvious target of Russian terrorists. Unable to use energy resources as a weapon, the current leadership of Russia has given the order to turn the energy system itself into a battlefield. The consequences of this are very dangerous – again for all of us in Europe. Attacks by Russian cruise missiles and Iranian combat drones have destroyed more than a third of our energy infrastructure. Because of this, unfortunately we are no longer able to export electricity to help you maintain stability. However, this is only part of the problem. Russia also provokes a new wave of migration of Ukrainians to EU countries. Russian terror against our energy facilities is aimed at creating as many problems as possible with electricity and heat for Ukraine this fall and winter so that as many Ukrainians as possible move to your countries. The terrorist state has already worsened the social conditions in your countries - but it wants to worsen it further by provoking a wave of resettlement. This should be answered immediately. The first answer is fundamental - it is air defense and anti-missile defense. We must do everything possible to make it completely impossible for Russia to destroy our energy system with missiles and drones. We have already received a very effective IRIS-T system from Germany. I thank Mr. Chancellor for that. This German system protects not only Ukrainian skies. It protects European stability, limiting Russian terror, which strikes both our country and, in the future, your countries. But we need more air defense and anti-missile defense systems to create a truly reliable air shield. I know that some EU countries have already confirmed their participation in this work. And I urge you to accelerate the implementation of decisions as much as possible. I am now turning to France, Italy, and our other partners – not only in Europe, but also in the United States of America. Not only to those who produce air defense and anti-missile defense systems, but also to those who have the necessary systems. The more protected Ukrainian skies are, the more stable life will be in all of Europe. We have to ensure it. The second answer should be sanctions. New powerful sanctions against Russia and Iran for collaboration with the terrorist state. Although we have destroyed more than two hundred Iranian drones this month alone, and dozens have hit various targets, Iranian representatives are still lying as if they did not provide the drones to Russia. Russia must pay for this terror – and this must be reflected in the ninth EU sanctions package. Iran must be deprived of any possibility or even desire to supply such drones to anyone. It is good that the first step has already taken place - new individual sanctions against Iranian figures and companies have been approved. But a few individuals and companies are not a responsibility yet. More systematic steps are needed. We can, and therefore must, do everything to ensure that this terrorist plan of the Russian leadership also fails. Never again should the energy system of any country turn into a battlefield. Right now, using the examples of Russia and Iran, we can show what awaits any terrorist state if it tries to attack Europeans or any other people like this. Anyone who calls for the mitigation of sanctions against Russia for terror or tries to politically torpedo the sanctions mechanism is not only trying to make Russian terror go unpunished, and not only betrays the memory of the victims of terror, but also makes the entire European Community dependent on the most anti-European power in the modern world. Pay attention to such voices in Europe - they are against Europe. Please do not forget about the aspect with Belarus. You know very well that we are doing everything to prevent the involvement of the people of Belarus in a war against our state. But since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, missiles have been launched against Ukraine from Belarusian territory, and now Iranian drones have been added. Therefore, sanctions should be added for such an accomplice. And our proposal to send international observers to the border of Ukraine and Belarus to monitor the security situation is becoming more relevant every day. But that's not all. Russia is deliberately creating the grounds for a large-scale disaster in the south of Ukraine. We have information that Russian terrorists mined the dam and aggregates of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant. This is one of the large power facilities. The dam of this hydroelectric power plant holds about 18 million cubic meters of water. If Russian terrorists blow up this dam, more than 80 settlements, including Kherson, will be in the zone of rapid flooding. Hundreds, hundreds of thousands of people may be affected. The water supply of a large part of the south of Ukraine may be destroyed. This Russian terrorist attack could leave the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant without water for cooling – water for the ZNPP is taken from the Kakhovka Reservoir. Even the operation of the canal, which was built to supply water to Crimea and which is periodically allegedly "cared about" by Moscow, will be completely destroyed. This is the real attitude of Russia towards our Ukrainian Crimea. And in general, the devastating environmental, humanitarian, man-made consequences of this single Russian terrorist attack may become such that it will be called a historical disaster. According to our information, Russia has already prepared everything to carry out this terrorist attack. Ukrainian workers were kicked out of the Kakhovka station - only Russian citizens stay there. They have complete control over the station. It is necessary to act immediately so that Russia does not have the opportunity to realize this catastrophe. An international observation mission to the Kakhovka HPP is needed. It is necessary to return the Ukrainian personnel there and ensure immediate and professional demining of the aggregates and the dam. Russia is doing this in order to organize another false flag operation - to carry out a terrorist attack and blame Ukraine for it. But we know what the truth is. We know that this territory is controlled by the occupiers and what they were capable of already. They themselves will stop at nothing. But we can stop them. We can stop the onset of catastrophic consequences. We can, and therefore we must! And one more thing. Reconstruction. Whatever terrorist plans Russia and its accomplices may have, we must care about life. When we have reliable protection of the sky - that is, a sufficient number and quality of air defense and missile defense systems - we will be able to guarantee a normal economic and social life in Ukraine. These are opportunities for our cooperation with you - and therefore for economic growth and new jobs. Jobs not only in Ukraine, but also in your countries. When we can guarantee that the Russian terror at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant stopped, we will be able to return to a stable energy supply for Ukrainians, and therefore to the export of electricity to our European neighbors. Under these conditions - a protected sky and protected energy sphere - we will be able to proceed to a larger scale of reconstruction in Ukraine. And it is not just about the economy and the social sphere. It is not just about security. It is also about the prestige of Europe. I hope that in the near future, namely on October 25 in Germany during the Ukraine Recovery Conference, we will discuss how we will together prove that the effectiveness of our unity and our institutions is much more powerful than any anti-European terror. Russian, Iranian or any other. But without waiting for the next week and the start of the Conference, I would like to point out today that we need more support in the implementation of our Fast Recovery Plan. That is, in the priority measures for the reconstruction of Ukraine after the terrorist attacks. You have all this data - what we need exactly. We already have an understanding of the necessary funds. This is 3 and a half billion euros this year and about 14 billion euros next year. And so far we have received zero from these funds. And they are vital. As well as the next tranches of macro-financial aid for Ukraine are vital. Thank you for the funds that have already been allocated, but a decision has not yet been made on the remaining 6 billion from this package - which is critically needed this year. And it is in your power to reach a principled agreement on the provision of this assistance to our state today already. Terror must lose. Ukraine and all of Europe must win. I thank you for your attention! Thank you for your support! I look forward to prompt and effective decisions of the European Community. Glory to Ukraine!
All world leaders should make Russia understand that the terrorist attack on the Kakhovka HPP will be equated to the use of weapons of mass destruction - address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-10-20
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! Today I took part in the meeting of the European Council. The topic of protection of Ukraine and our energy security was among the key issues at this summit. I informed my colleagues about the new terrorist steps of Russia and about our needs to protect ourselves from this form of terror directed against the energy system. Russian troops continue to strike our power plants with missiles and drones. In the end, such Russian meanness will also fail. We are doing everything to get more modern and effective air defense and missile defense systems for Ukraine. And there will be a day when we announce that the Ukrainian sky has become completely protected from Russian missiles, Iranian drones and any other carriers of evil. Russia tried to blackmail Europe with gas and oil, organizes sabotage on underwater gas pipelines and critical cables in Europe, tried and is still trying to freeze people... And what happened? Russia has only lost its weight in the European energy market, which it has been gaining since Brezhnev's era, and will definitely be treated as the most reckless international criminal. This will remain with Moscow for a very long time even after this Russian leader. Russia is trying to destroy the energy system of Ukraine, to make our people suffer even more, but this only mobilizes the international community to help us even more and put even more pressure on the terrorist state. And all our expenses for the protection of our energy facilities and for the restoration of our infrastructure after Russian terrorist attacks will be reimbursed at the expense of Russian assets. Each of the terrorists will be personally responsible for what he does. Before the court. And the terrorist state will pay for its terror. With isolation, degradation and assets - both of state and quasi-private entities connected with this Russian regime. I informed the Europeans today, during the meeting of the European Council, about the next terrorist attack, which Russia is preparing for at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant. According to our information, the aggregates and dam of the Kakhovka HPP were mined by Russian terrorists. Now everyone in the world must act powerfully and quickly to prevent a new Russian terrorist attack. Destroying the dam would mean a large-scale disaster. Of course, we understand that the occupiers do not care what happens to the territory of Ukraine. With this terrorist attack, they can destroy, among other things, even the possibility of supplying water from the Dnipro River to Crimea. In the event of the destruction of the Kakhovka HPP dam, the North Crimean Canal will simply disappear. And if Russia is preparing such a terrorist attack, if it is seriously considering such a scenario, it means the terrorists are clearly aware that they will not be able to keep not only Kherson, but also the entire south of our country, including Crimea. We must now all together - all Europeans, all world leaders, all international organizations - make it clear to the terrorist state that such a terrorist attack on the Kakhovka HPP will mean exactly the same as the use of weapons of mass destruction. The consequences for Russia should be corresponding. The world must react preventively. This is key now. The principle of preventive response to security threats should finally become one of the basic principles of international politics. Today I had a productive call with the President of Germany. I thanked him and the German people for supporting Ukraine in the struggle for freedom and for the decision to provide concrete assistance to our country. In particular, Germany became the first country to supply us with the modern IRIS-T air defense system. We expect the delivery of other such systems both from Germany and from our other partners. I held talks with the President of Switzerland, who arrived in Kyiv today. This shows the whole world that Switzerland does not remain morally neutral when such a terrorist war is being waged against Ukraine and the whole of Europe. Switzerland has supported EU sanctions packages and provides us with humanitarian aid. The issues of reconstruction of Ukraine and the possibilities of Switzerland to invest in the development of our economy and infrastructure were discussed substantively today with Mr. President. We also discussed the issue of compensation for damages caused to Ukraine by Russian terror. I am grateful that Russian assets worth $6.5 billion have already been frozen. This work must be continued. And this is something in which Switzerland must not remain morally neutral either. The possibilities of Switzerland to help with digitization in Ukraine and restoration of telecommunications systems in the liberated territories were discussed separately and substantively. The situation on the frontline remains difficult. Especially in Donbas - the same Bakhmut direction - and in some directions in the south. But we stand our ground. We defend our land. We move gradually, ousting the enemy. And we will definitely ensure victory for Ukraine. In the evening, I signed another decree on awarding our warriors. 148 defenders of Ukraine were awarded orders and medals. Today, at the request of our military command, I would like to celebrate warriors from the 7th anti-aircraft self-propelled artillery battery of the 3rd anti-aircraft missile division of the 1039th anti-aircraft missile regiment. During another Russian missile strike, the battery provided protection in the north of our country and destroyed an enemy missile in the Vyshhorod district of the Kyiv region. Thank you guys for the excellent service and consistently good results! Every downed Russian missile means saved lives of our people. Today we have both downed missiles and downed Iranian drones. Unfortunately, we do not shoot down all of them yet. There are also hits, there is destruction. But we will do everything to provide full protection to our sky. Terrorists always lose. Freedom always wins. Thank you to everyone who fights and works for Ukraine! Eternal glory to our strong people! Glory to Ukraine!
Do everything to let people know about Russia's terror in Ukraine, spread stories about the victories of freedom - address by the President of Ukraine to the participants of the Frankfurt Book Fair
EN 2022-10-21
Ladies and Gentlemen! Dear participants of our meeting! Thank you for your attention to Ukraine! Your attention means that you really value freedom and are ready to defend it. This is what Europe needs most now - unity in the fight for freedom. And doing more together, as our common enemy is trying to do more every day. Look - two states that have been regular participants before are now absent at the Frankfurt fair. These are Russia and Iran. They are becoming less present in the space of culture, but more present where everything is being destroyed - not only culture, but also life and everything that provides it. I keep getting reports about where Iranian attack drones purchased by Russia have hit. Power plants, water pipelines, ports, railway stations, warehouses with humanitarian aid, residential buildings, schools - everything becomes a target for them... Instead of exporting culture, Iran exports death. Instead of importing culture, Russia imports death and directs it against us. And not just against Ukrainians. Not only. But against Ukraine as the first battlefield of Russia's battle with a united Europe as of now. And it is obvious. But not everyone admits this obviousness. We must speak frankly - there are still enough figures in Europe who call for "understanding" Russia and try to ignore the terrorist policy of states like Iran. There are such people in various spheres - in politics, business, in NGOs and in the media. Why is this possible? What leads to this? One answer: lack of knowledge. Lack of knowledge in the public majority. Lack of knowledge about murders committed by Russia. Lack of knowledge about crimes that combine different anti-democratic regimes. Lack of knowledge about corruption, which has become their tool to lower Europe's vigilance. Lack of knowledge about injustice and lies, which are integral elements of the policy of any terrorist state. When people do not know something, it is easier for politicians to manipulate them. When societies do not pay attention to relations with other states, business magnates can resort to any immorality in these relations. When injustice in a country is not noticed, terror may come from that country. Remember that Russian state killers took revenge on opponents of the government on German streets, too. Took revenge with bullets. But are you safe from explosions? Or from killer drones? These are not rhetorical questions. Russia has done enough to show that it does not recognize any borders. So I'm asking you - please do everything you can to let people know. Know about the terror that Russia brought to Ukraine. And before that - to Chechnya, to Georgia, to Syria, to African countries, where Russian mercenaries decided who would live and who would die... Please write about it. Read about it. Do everything so that the Europeans know how many people died in the struggle for the rights and elementary respect that each and every one of you has simply from birth... Died in Russia, in Iran, in other similar countries. Create, print, distribute books about those who weakened Europe with their decisions - due to corruption or simply indifference. Let people know about them. About those who gave strength to terrorist states or even now are trying to do everything so that there is no strong reaction to their terror. And be sure to spread the stories about the victories of freedom. People should know this. They should know that freedom can endure even when it seems to many that it will not. Just as Ukraine endured Russia's attack this year. Europeans should not forget that murderers and torturers are still brought to justice - even if they had considerable power and influence. Remind people about it. Thanks to this knowledge, they will feel that the current perpetrators of the policy of genocide and war criminals can really be brought to justice, too. Knowledge is the answer. The answer to all those who fear, who manipulate and who do not believe. Books, documentary scenarios, articles, reports - all this is the answer. I invite all of you to Ukraine - publishers and authors, businessmen and public figures, educators, journalists - everyone! Look at what our people are going through. What we have already managed to achieve. What threats we still face. Take a look - and tell about it. Tell about it, because it threatens the other nations of Europe as well. As long as terrorist states still exist. Let us do more together than any of our enemies can do together against us! Thank you again for your attention! Long live Europe! Long live freedom! Glory to Ukraine!
Russian attempts to exacerbate the food crisis are also aggression against every person on earth - address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-10-21
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! I held another meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief today. The main points of the agenda are quite obvious - the protection of our skies from enemy missiles and drones, the protection of infrastructure facilities, the destruction of the positions of the occupiers, the advancement of our forces and everything necessary to support the army. Military, intelligence, ministers delivered reports. Every day we are bringing the results Ukraine needs both on the ground and in the air. We are also working on the necessary results at sea. The situation around the Export Grain Initiative is becoming more and more tense these weeks. The enemy is doing everything to slow down our food exports. I believe that with these actions, Russia is deliberately inciting the food crisis so that it becomes as acute as it was in the first half of this year. Today, more than 150 ships are in the queue to fulfill contractual obligations for the supply of our agricultural products. This is an artificial queue. It arose only because Russia is deliberately delaying the passage of ships. Every day that ships with food spend in the queue means an increase in social and political tension in the countries that consume our agricultural products. Here are just some of the states to which food exports are delayed due to Russia: Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Lebanon, Iraq, China, Bangladesh, Indonesia. Our partners - the UN, Türkiye and others are fully informed about this situation. During the operation of our grain initiative, due to the Russian slowdown, we under-exported about 3 million tons of food. This is the annual volume of consumption for 10 million people. Russia is doing everything to ensure that at least hundreds of thousands of these people become forced migrants who will seek asylum in the same Türkiye or EU countries, or die of hunger. And we, together with our partners, must do everything so that the grain initiative is not only preserved, but also works at 100% capacity. The right to food and to life without hunger are fundamental rights for absolutely every person on earth. And that is why Russian attempts to exacerbate the food crisis are also aggression against every person on earth. I held a meeting today with representatives of the U.S. Congress who arrived in Kyiv. I thanked them for their continued bipartisan support and for the tremendously powerful things America is doing to help us protect freedom. We discussed the key issue for today - anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense. We also talked about financial support, about our political interaction, about what new anti-European and anti-democratic steps to expect from Russia and its accomplices in terror. We touched upon the topic of Iranian supplies for Russian terror. Today, this terror against our infrastructure, against our energy will be discussed by the UN Security Council. The meeting is convened at the request of our state and will take place at 10:00 p.m. I met with the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. I thanked her for the help and informed about our new needs that have arisen due to the Russian terror. The EBRD is already providing financial support to Ukrenergo, and has all the data on what steps we need to take to restore energy and social facilities, to build housing for Ukrainians. We agreed upon positions on the eve of the Conference on the reconstruction of our state, which is to be held in Germany on October 25. Today, during the day, an air alert was announced in most regions of Ukraine. There are new downings of drones and enemy aircraft. Active hostilities continue in the east and south of Ukraine. Our Armed Forces retain the initiative. Today I want to commend the fighters of the 25th separate airborne brigade for their skillful and thoughtful actions in destroying the enemy in the eastern direction. I am also thankful to the warriors of the 60th separate infantry brigade, whose units are showing good results in the Kherson region. Only since the beginning of October, the fighters of this brigade "trophied" more than 30 units of Russian armored vehicles, a thousand projectiles for tanks and three "Giatsint" cannons. All these weapons will definitely help liberate our land. I am also grateful to the fighters of the 59th separate motorized infantry brigade named after Yakov Handziuk. This week, the boys showed excellent results in destroying enemy equipment and ammunition. I also thank the warriors of the 35th separate marine brigade named after Rear-Admiral Mykhailo Ostrohradskyi for their steadfastness in the defense of the regained frontiers. And one more thing. Today, the government made an important decision that affects tens of thousands of Ukrainian students. Those whose home is in the temporarily occupied territory or in the areas near the front, as well as children of fallen defenders of Ukraine, family members of combatants. All of them will be transferred from the contractual form of education to the budgetary one in our universities and colleges. Details of this decision should be made public by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. I thank everyone who fights and works for our country! Thank you to everyone who brings Ukraine's victory closer! Glory to our best people! Glory to Ukraine!
No terrorist attack will stop our defenders – address of the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-10-22
Dear Ukrainians! We continue eliminating the aftermath of today's terrorist attacks on our infrastructure. The geography of this new massive strike is very wide: Volyn, Odesa, Khmelnytsky region, Kirovohrad region, Dnipropetrovsk region, Rivne region, Mykolaiv region, Zaporizhia region and other places. The main target of terrorists is energy. Therefore, please be even more careful than before about the need to consciously consume electricity. The stability of the power industry of our entire state depends on each city and district of Ukraine. Please limit the use of appliances that use a lot of electricity. And especially during peak consumption hours in the morning and in the evening. Please, pay attention to notices from local authorities and power companies about when there may be stabilization blackouts on your street or in your area. Plan your day with this information in mind. In part of the territory of our country, where electricity was cut off due to today's strike, it has already been possible to restore power supply. Electricity supply has already been resumed partly in Odesa region, partly in Khmelnytsky region, most of Rivne region has resumed power supplies. There are positive reports from other regions as well. But in many cities, in many districts, recovery work is still ongoing. We are trying to return power to people as soon as possible. I want to thank everyone who is involved in this work: energy workers, utility and local government workers, government officials and businesses that also help. Together, we are now showing that Ukrainian life cannot be broken. Even if the enemy can leave us temporarily without power, it will still never succeed in leaving us without the desire to make things right, to mend and return them to normal. And even now – partially in the dark – life in our state, in our Ukraine, is still civilized. Unlike Russia that brings us this terror. They still have the same wildness with electricity there, as in ancient times. Only savages can bring such evil to the world. I want to emphasize: neither this strike by terrorists nor any other similar strikes by them will stop our defenders. Russian propagandists are lying when they say that this terror against our infrastructure and people can somehow slow down the active actions of our military or create some difficulties for our defense. Ukrainians are united and know for sure that Russia has no chance of winning this war. Our defense forces are getting everything they need to defend the country and are pushing forward every day – I emphasize: every day. Our Air Force also shows good results. Of course, we do not yet have the technical ability to shoot down 100% of Russian missiles and attack drones. We will gradually come to this – with the help of our partners, I'm confident of this. But we are already shooting down most of the cruise missiles, most of the drones. Only in the first half of this day, 20 missiles were shot down – Kalibr and Kh-101 missiles, as well as more than 10 Iranian Shahed UAVs. Today, I want to once again thank our soldiers – fighter pilots and anti-aircraft gunners of the West, South and Center air commands, as well as mobile fire groups of all the Defense Forces for the saved lives of our people and the preserved infrastructure of Ukraine. We are preparing the ground for extending the global sanctions policy to all Russian propagandists, so-called opinion leaders and show business representatives who support or justify terror. The International Working Group on Sanctions Against Russia, chaired by Michael McFaul and Andriy Yermak, has prepared an Individual Sanctions Roadmap. It prepared a basic list of all those involved in the spread of narratives without which Russian terror is impossible. We must clearly evaluate such an "informational and emotional" component of terror: the Russian army loses and retreats on the battlefield, and therefore the results of terror against our civilian population and infrastructure are presented by Russian propaganda as a substitute for military victories. Also, various Russian newsmen and stars are involved in justifying the criminal attempt to annex our territory and mobilize for war against us, against Ukraine. Absolutely all such persons should receive a full package of individual sanctions so that they cannot do anything in the world at all. We are working on it. Ukraine was very well represented this week in Frankfurt at the largest book fair in Europe and one of the largest in the world. This is not just an event for the publishing business and writers. It is one of the key European discussion platforms and an influential informational event. The First Lady of Ukraine presented her projects supporting education and the cultural sphere there. In particular, the Books Without Borders initiative is to provide children of our forced migrants with books in the Ukrainian language. And also the Ukrainian Bookshelf project, which is already presented in 20 countries of the world. In total, more than 40 Ukrainian publishing houses, famous writers, famous publicists, and historians took part in the Frankfurt fair. I thank everyone who worked in Frankfurt for making Ukraine heard and bringing the message about it there. Every contribution to the world's support for Ukraine is vitally important. I thank everyone who works and helps for our victory! Eternal glory to all who fight for Ukraine! Glory to our indomitable people! Glory to Ukraine!
Russia brings death and degradation, Ukraine is always about restoration - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
EN 2022-10-23
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! Today we can already report that in all our regions, which became the target of yesterday's Russian terrorist attack, the technical possibility of electricity supply has been restored. I am thankful to each and every one who worked tirelessly to bring light to people. Of course, in many cities and districts, our energy companies have to apply stabilization shutdown schedules. This is done so that all our people have access to energy - in conditions where it is not possible to produce it in sufficient quantities. Restoring energy facilities destroyed by terrorist attacks is a much longer and more difficult task. But over time, we will provide that, too. Over time... This time must be passed. Therefore, today and in the future, as before, we should consume electricity very consciously. Please remember to limit the use of unnecessary and energy-consuming appliances. Separately, I want to address community leaders and mayors of our cities: please make sure that energy is not wasted. Now is definitely not the time for bright shop windows and signs. It is necessary to be really frugal with energy consumption in public space. Reconstruction continues in the de-occupied territory. Every day I receive new reports about the connection to gas, water, electricity of hundreds of households in liberated areas. In particular, just today in only two districts of the Kharkiv region, 346 households have gas again. The city of Vovchansk - 750 more households with electricity. The city of Izyum - 300 more households with electricity. This is constant work that does not stop for a single day and continues throughout the liberated territory of Ukraine. Wherever Russia has brought death and degradation, we are restoring normal life. This is precisely about Ukrainians. Where Ukraine is, life is never destroyed. But wherever Russia comes, it leaves behind mass graves, torture chambers, destroyed cities and villages, mined land, destroyed infrastructure and natural disasters. So when today the Russian Minister of Defense organizes a phone carousel and calls foreign ministers with stories about the so-called "dirty" nuclear bomb, everyone understands everything well. Understands who is the source of everything dirty that can be imagined in this war. It was Russia who blackmailed with the radiation disaster at the Zaporizhzhia NPP. This is the trajectory of Russian missiles that goes, in particular, over Ukrainian nuclear facilities. Those are Russian troops who mined the dam and aggregates of the Kakhovka HPP and are blackmailing with their detonation. It is Russia that uses phosphorous munitions, banned anti-personnel mines and the entire range of weapons against civilian infrastructure. Ukraine is always about recovery. Always about life. And there’s only one subject who can use nuclear weapons in our part of Europe, and this subject is the one who ordered comrade Shoigu to call somewhere. If Russia calls and says that Ukraine is allegedly preparing something, it means one thing: Russia has already prepared all this. I believe that now the world should react in the toughest possible way. If Russia has prepared another round of raising stakes and another escalating step, it must see now, preemptively and before its any new "dirt" that the world will not swallow that. Even the very Russian threat of nuclear weapons - and even more so against our country, which has given up its nuclear arsenal under promises of security from the largest nuclear powers - is a reason for both sanctions and even greater strengthening of support for Ukraine. Because the stronger the support for us is, the sooner this war and any possible Russian threats will end. When a terrorist state raises the stakes, it must feel that it won't work. During the upcoming week, this will be the number one task for our diplomats - to explain what is happening. And I am sure: the world will be with us. The world will understand. It is very important that today the sixth ship with food chartered in the framework of the UN World Food Programme left our port. This vessel is bound for Yemen, with wheat. Ethiopia, Yemen and Afghanistan are three countries that have already received food thanks to our exports and the UN food program. Such programs are exactly what we in Ukraine are thinking about. How to help get out of the crisis - not how to create a crisis. How to help solve a problem - not how to drive someone into a problem. How to restore the destroyed - not to destroy even more. This is what distinguishes Ukraine from Russia. This is what will help us win in the end. Because we fight and work for life. Glory to Ukraine!
The alliance between Russia and Iran can be rendered meaningless if we act together - address by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the participants of the Haaretz Democracy Conference
EN 2022-10-24
Ladies and Gentlemen! People of Israel! I am recording this address to you after the regular meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. The Staff is the highest body in Ukraine, which provides collegial management of the defense of our state. The military, intelligence, heads of special services and law enforcement agencies, the speaker of the parliament, ministers and other top officials - everyone whom the protection of Ukraine depends on, participate in these meetings. It is in this format that we adopt key defense decisions. We listen to the reports about hostilities and the development of our defense operations, about threats to national security. And it is there, at the Staff, that the words that are constantly heard in Israel when you talk about the survival of your state are heard more and more often. These words are Iran, Iranian. Each time they mean something that you all fully understand. They mean a mortal threat. I will give you just one example now. It happened on October 17, when Russia carried out another terrorist attack. That day there were 15 Russian cruise missiles and 42 Iranian combat drones in the sky of Ukraine. Power plants, other critical infrastructure facilities, and even residential buildings became targets. One of these residential buildings is in Kyiv. After an Iranian drone strike, half of the building is gone. Four floors were destroyed - from the basement to the roof. It stood for 120 years. It was built by Ioselian Lev, an entrepreneur at the time, the head of one of the synagogues. The building withstood World War I, waves of terror and World War II. It saw so much and was destroyed by an Iranian drone. Like many, many other objects in Ukraine. Five people died that terrible day. Well... actually, six. A drone killed a young family who lived in one of the apartments of that building in Kyiv - a boy and a girl, the girl was preparing to become a mother. Ukraine is now constantly subjected to such Russian terrorist attacks. The disgusting sound of Iranian drones is heard in our skies every night. In general, according to our intelligence, Russia ordered about two thousand "Shaheds" from Iran - one type of Iranian terrorist weapon. And also missiles and other drones. Iranian instructors came to teach Russians how to use drones. How did this alliance of theirs become possible? I will tell you. Russia loses to us in a real confrontation on the battlefield. Putin's army does not know how to fight. We beat it on our land in such a way that it is forced to withdraw its contingents even from other regions that it tried to destabilize. Pay attention - the Russian presence in Syria has been significantly reduced thanks to our defenders, who are beating the occupiers. But, unfortunately, we do not have our own "Iron Dome". We still do not have a modern and effective air defense and missile defense system that could secure our skies. That is why Russia hopes to use terror in the air to compensate for losses on the ground. Russia strikes with missiles like the S-300. It uses them to hit Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and other cities. Every day and every night. To burn cities - house by house, street by street. Where it cannot reach with these missiles, Russia hits with "Kalibrs" and anti-ship Kh-101. Kyiv, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro... It destroys energy, transport, food warehouses, shopping centers, and social infrastructure with them. In 8 months of full-scale war, Russia has used almost 4,500 missiles against us. And their stock of missiles is dwindling. That is why Russia went looking for affordable weapons in other countries to continue terror. It found them in Iran. I have a question for you - how does Russia pay Iran for this, in your opinion? Is Iran just interested in money? Probably not money at all, but Russian assistance to the Iranian nuclear program. Probably, this is exactly the meaning of their alliance. And this alliance of theirs simply would not have happened if your politicians had made only one decision at the time. The decision we asked for. Every time we in Ukraine, at the meetings of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, discuss Russian missile and drone terror, we also talk about our partners who already help or can help us protect the sky. Unfortunately, the words - Israel, Israeli - do not sound at that moment. Of course, this is the decision of your state, your Governments. It seems that it was adopted a long time ago - in 2014, when Russia began its aggression against Ukraine. The decision "not to annoy" the Kremlin, not to help Ukraine for real. I emphasize - we have been asking Israel for help since 2014. But such is the continuance of politicians. Although if we had immediately secured our skies when faced with a missile and drone threat, Russia would not even have a motive now to go to Iran and offer it something in exchange for assistance in terror. But that's what happened. And I think that this alliance of theirs can still be rendered meaningless. If we act together, with you, in the same way as with other democracies. Ladies and Gentlemen! Russian officials and propagandists are really frank. They hate that we live freely and protect our culture. They even try not to say the word Ukraine. They want us all dead. The other day, even one of the famous Russian propagandists absolutely openly called to burn Ukrainian children simply in the houses where they live, or to drown them in rivers - as soon as the children say that they are Ukrainians. This is what rashism is. Iran helps rashism by getting something for itself. Many democratic countries help us. But we would also like to get your help. Of course, we will not give up our struggle no matter what. We want simple and clear things: to liberate our land, to guarantee the safety of our people, to give peace to Ukrainians. We will continue our defense and, I am sure, we will defend Ukraine and our freedom. Our common freedom - of all democratic countries. I sincerely thank you for the award with which you honored this struggle of ours. But isn't it time for your state to choose who you are with as well? Is it with the democratic world, which is fighting side by side against the existential threat to its existence? Or with those who turn a blind eye to Russian terror even when the cost of continued terror is the complete destruction of global security? I believe that you will give fair answers to my questions. Because these questions, in fact, are not about politics, but about values. About the values that still unite us. They unite us even when we do not agree on politics. I thank the people of Israel for the understanding and help, in particular, medical aid that we received from your society! I am grateful to you and all the Israeli media that spread the truth about this war and condemn Russian terror! I am thankful to all of your people who took to the streets after the start of the full-scale war, and we saw - we are supported in the Promised Land. I believe that we will see support in the sky as well. Thank you for your attention and I wish you all peace and victory! Glory to Ukraine!
We defended the independence of Ukraine, and Russia cannot change that already, but we still have to go the way to victory - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
EN 2022-10-24
Strong people of our indomitable country! Today is exactly 8 months of full-scale war. What has been achieved over this time? We have defended the independence of our state - and Russia cannot change that already. We are liberating the Ukrainian land step by step. Donbas, Kharkiv region, Kherson region are now heard. But Zaporizhzhia region and Crimea will be heard as well - the time will come and all of Ukraine will be free. Ukraine is breaking the so-called "second army of the world" - and from now on, Russia will only be a beggar. They are begging for something in Iran, they are trying to squeeze something out of Western countries making up various nonsense about Ukraine, intimidating, deceiving... Never again will Russia be a subject that can dictate something to someone. It no longer has the potential to dictate. The world sees that. Russian potential is being wasted now on this madness - on a war against our state and the entire free world. There was gas influence - not anymore. There was military influence - it is evaporating. There was political weight - now there is an increasing isolation. There were ideological ambitions - now there’s only disgust. And this is a very important change in the configuration in our part of Eurasia - the more of its potential Russia loses now, the more real freedom all peoples will get both next to Russia and within its borders. Ukraine - first of all. On February 24, the Kremlin could not even think about it, although they should have. But now, on October 24, there is no Russian official or propagandist who does not understand where all this is going for them. They started to recall 1917 long ago. The feeling of failure in Russia is getting stronger. But, realizing all this, we have no right to relax. We still have to go the way to Ukrainian victory. This is a difficult path. We’ll have to pass this winter, which will be the most difficult in our history. To do the necessary part of the work in autumn, winter and spring in order to get the desired results for the state. To maintain the maximum mobilization of our partners for the sake of the struggle for freedom and not allow our common enemy to split the global pro-democracy coalition. This is what we do, all Ukrainians, Europeans, all people of the world who value freedom. I held another meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief today. We help the active actions of our warriors on the frontline, provide them with everything they need, strengthen the protection of infrastructure facilities, and establish defense against missile and drone threats. The military, intelligence, and government representatives delivered reports. Separately and in great detail, we are dealing with the system of territorial defense. I addressed the people of Israel today in the framework of the Conference on Democracy, organized by Haaretz newspaper. This is a very important media - the oldest newspaper in Israel. There I presented the Ukrainian point of view on the rapprochement between Russia and Iran, on why this rapprochement became possible and what threats it poses to our peoples. I called on Israel to join other democratic countries that already support Ukraine. We are preparing for very important events tomorrow. The first is the parliamentary summit of the Crimea Platform. Dozens of partner states, hundreds of politicians and public figures. This will be another step in our preparation for the de-occupation of Crimea. The second event is a summit in Germany dedicated to the reconstruction of Ukraine. We are doing everything to get the necessary resources for the restoration of our country right now, for the development of the social and economic sphere right now. And I sincerely thank all our partners who support Ukraine in this work. And one more thing. Today the world celebrates United Nations Day. It was on this day in 1945 that the UN Charter entered into force. It was not written and adopted as something ritualistic - it is not an empty formality. It is one of the basic documents that should work to maintain peace and international legal order. It should work. And it will work. In particular, we are achieving this through our struggle against illegal and unprovoked Russian armed aggression. Everyone who tries to restore peace for Ukraine is also fighting for peace and security to be possible for all other peoples on earth. And I want to thank Mr. António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, for our cooperation, for the fact that he truly defends the Charter of the United Nations and global peace. We have already achieved good results together - this is the release of our prisoners who were held in Russia, this is the grain export initiative, which makes it possible to alleviate the acuteness of the food crisis in the world, this is multifaceted cooperation in UN structures. Thanks for all your help with this! And I believe that we can achieve even more. Thank you to everyone who fights and works for Ukraine! Eternal glory to our warriors! Eternal glory to our strong people! Eternal gratitude to our friends! Glory to Ukraine!
By investing in the recovery of Ukraine, you are investing in a future member of the EU - President's speech at the International Expert Conference on the Recovery, Reconstruction and Modernisation of Ukraine
EN 2022-10-25
Good afternoon, dear friends! I congratulate you on behalf of the Ukrainian people! And thank you for this conference, which brings the return of normal life to our country closer. I have now heard the speech of Mr. Chancellor and I have also heard Distinguished Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen. And then I looked at my speech and realized that we could have exchanged speeches and nothing would have changed. And that's not bad. This means that we see the future of Europe, security, the world, and the future of Ukraine in approximately the same way. But I would like to dwell on some priorities. First of all, I would like to note your words, Mr. Chancellor, which were spoken yesterday. You said that whoever invests in the restoration of Ukraine invests in a future member of the European Union. These are very important words. Significant ones. I believe that they will be heard by all Europeans and global economic players. Your words fully reflect the meaning of our conference and the entire cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union, our country and your countries. We become one - and this is irreversible. A united, strong, free and values-based Europe. Peaceful Europe! This is possible only with Ukraine. I would also like to immediately thank you, Mrs. President of the European Commission, for your sincere and consistent support of our country. I know that you, Mrs. Ursula, share this opinion of Mr. Chancellor regarding the future membership of Ukraine. And I am sure that together with you and all our friends in the European Union, we will soon realize the vision of the majority of Europeans - the vast majority in all EU countries. The vision of Ukraine as part of the EU. Now we have reached the level in relations that Ukraine has long deserved. The importance and scale of our country is being realized. People know what we can give to our common European home. People see what we already give. And all of you - participants of the Conference - know very well what we can give. Ukraine is the physical security of Europe against any new attack of Russian tyranny. It is Ukraine that can guarantee and will guarantee that Russian revanchism will not break our European home. Ukraine is the energy security of Europe - and not only of our neighbors. When we free our entire territory from Russian invaders, the European Union will be able to replace dirty Russian energy resources with our help. And our export of electricity – potentially tens of gigawatts – will be one of the fundamental pillars of European climate policy. Ukraine is already a guarantor of world food security. And therefore, we also guarantee the predictability of migrant flows to the territory of the European Union. The more efficient our agricultural production is and the more important our food exports are, the calmer the social situation is in all those regions of the planet from which waves of migrants to Europe are possible. And one more thing is industrial activity. Our industrial culture, our natural resources, geographical location, and social traditions allow us to give a new impetus to the economic life of the entire EU thanks to the combination of Ukrainian and pan-European potentials. This is economic growth and jobs - for Ukrainians and for all Europeans. You know all this one hundred percent. And you know that this is exactly why Russia needs control over Ukraine. This is not just some political ambition. These are very clear security, energy, food, industrial calculations. Calculations that will not come true for Russia. Never. The Ukrainian people will defend their state, their freedom. And the invaders are already aware of this. This is one of the reasons for their beastly cruelty. One of the motives of their terror is to destroy something that will not work for them, but can strengthen all of us - Ukrainians, Europeans. As a result of such Russian terror, hundreds of thousands of objects were destroyed. A port or a train station, a school or a hospital, a residential building or a car service station, a factory or a bakery, a grain elevator or a power plant... Russia destroys all of this. Destroys to make it harder for us to endure this winter. So that Ukrainians could not recover from this war for as long as possible. So that you will not be able to integrate the Ukrainian economic potential and the pan-European potential for as long as possible. Missiles and Iranian combat drones have destroyed more than a third of the energy industry alone... And this is before winter! We must stand together against it. This is how I perceive the mission of this conference. And I urge you to consider all this from the point of view of security - its four elements. We need security on land. We work for it together, establishing defense cooperation. We need security in the sky. And we work for it, negotiating the supply of air defense systems. We need financial security and we work for it at many levels - the IMF, the World Bank, the European Union, the United States and other partners. And the fourth level is our institutional capacity. The way we implement all our reinforcement programs and reconstruction programs now, while the war is still going on, and those designed for the post-war period. And I urge you now to focus not only on the fourth element - “how”. But remember the third element as well - “what”. We need to fill our work with real funding - for the sake of restoring Ukraine. I thank you - the European Union as a whole and each EU country in particular that helps - for the support already provided to our state. However, we should give this support a more systemic character. I believe that we can now adopt a decision on the establishment of a "financial Ramstein" to maintain our common stability - by analogy with the "defense Ramstein" which is already functioning. We need a financial coordination platform that will unite and direct all the efforts aimed at rebuilding our country after hostilities. Consolidation is needed - clear and timely direction of resources. This is exactly how what we talked about in Lugano with President Cassis - at the first conference on our recovery - must continue. We have developed a transparent plan of priority steps in reconstruction - this is what Ukraine literally needs to survive. Not tomorrow, not next year. Not at a conference in Britain... Right now! The weight of our Fast Recovery Plan is $17 billion for critical immediate reconstruction. These are hospitals, schools, vital transport and energy infrastructure. We have a huge need for housing reconstruction. Where Russian tanks and artillery methodically destroyed cities... Kyiv region, Chernihiv region, Sumy region, Kharkiv region... It is necessary to give people a new foundation for life already now. But can we give it? We have not yet received a single cent for the implementation of the Fast Recovery! I urge you to bring the necessary decisions closer. In order to speed up the process of involving partners in our reconstruction, I initiated the creation of the Fund for the Reconstruction of Ukraine. As a key institution. It is important that 75% of the Fund's supervisory board will consist of representatives of donor countries. This is transparency, but this is also responsibility. The fund is to start working next month. Likewise, now - already at this Conference - it is necessary to adopt a decision on assistance to cover the deficit of our state budget next year. For Ukraine, this is an unsustainable amount - a deficit of 38 billion dollars. These are salaries of teachers, doctors, social benefits, pensions. Significant funds. But our association is powerful enough to implement such a task as well. This potential is available. This potential exists in particular thanks to the International Monetary Fund and other financial institutions. Our dialogue continues. And I believe that it will develop from abstract numbers to specifics. A specific amount of funding, with specific sources. This should also be discussed today. Especially since the Ukrainian potential is such that we can give much more in return! This is what Russia is fighting for, this is what reconstruction means for Ukraine, this is what victory means for Ukraine and this is what peace in Ukraine means. Ukraine is a guarantee of security. Ukraine is our joint development. Ukraine is gratitude. When our actions meet our values and our approaches are coordinated, we achieve results that were unimaginable until recently. We have such results on the battlefield. We have such results in economic and social adaptation to war conditions. We have such results in our integration with the institutions of the European Union. And we can achieve them in ensuring the stability of Ukraine and in the reconstruction of Ukraine - already now. Let the aggressor see that his goal is unattainable. And all our common goals are realized. And of course - we must decide on the specifics of how the mechanism of compensation by the aggressor state for all losses caused by this war will work. Russian assets - those that have already been frozen, and those that still need to be frozen, are significant. A significant part of these assets is in the jurisdictions of European countries. We need compensation - and this is fair. And therefore, we need a real, fast, legal mechanism for directing Russian assets to compensate for the losses caused by the Russian war. I urge you to devote time to this issue today as well. I thank you for your attention! Thank you for your support! Glory to Ukraine!
The return of the Ukrainian flag to Crimea will mean the restoration of real peace - President's speech at the first parliamentary summit of the Crimea Platform
EN 2022-10-25
Ladies and Gentlemen! I thank you for participating in the first parliamentary summit of the Crimea Platform! I am grateful to our Croatian friends for hosting, thank you, Ruslan, for a strong start! Thank you all for your kind words about Ukraine and the Ukrainian Crimea, where we will definitely meet again - very soon, I'm sure of it. At the summit of the Crimea Platform, which will mean the restoration of peace on our continent. Peace is what brought us together. What we value. What we strive for and what we cooperate for in different formats and at different levels. Peace… What we all lost in 2014 when Russia started its insane aggression. Started with Crimea. After more than eight years of Putin's war, there are no countries left in the world that would not feel its consequences. It affected everyone - in one way or another. The world is counting losses. What did the Russian enslavement of Crimea lead to, if you look at it from the present day? It was a prologue to a full-scale war that would take the lives of thousands and thousands of people. It was the birth of an anti-human system that tortures, deprives of freedom and injures men, women and children without distinction of age, sex, religion or ethnicity. This was the beginning of the most dangerous chaos in international relations over the lifetime of several generations. All of this was brought by the Russian flag to Crimea and all this is spreading further to the world from the occupied Crimea. The world has become a much more violent place. A place where Russia easily provokes a large-scale famine, as due to its criminal control over Crimea, it has destroyed the freedom of navigation in the Black Sea and can at any moment block our food exports - vital for the world market. The world has become a place where Russia easily and with impunity destroys hopes for stability, for example, in the Middle East and North Africa, because it keeps Crimea as a strategic military base for criminal interference in the situation in these regions. The world has become a place where Russian nuclear blackmail is, unfortunately, commonplace, because this state, in order to keep the stolen territory, threatens the entire humanity with catastrophe. The Russian leadership is trying very hard to show that all this is from 2014 and forever. But that is why we are together so that the brutality and chaos brought by Russia will be truly temporary. Temporary, like the Russian occupation of Crimea. It all started with it. Its return will mean the restoration of true peace. Because the Russian potential for aggression will be completely destroyed when the Ukrainian flag will be back in its rightful place - in the cities and villages of Crimea. Crimea must be freed from its use by Russia as a bridgehead. Then the world will feel that there will be no more losses. And people will feel that the world is becoming safer. Two years ago, when we founded the Crimea Platform, we envisioned a constant expansion of its format. And I'm very happy to see the platform develop in this way. First there was the level of the leaders of the states. Now - the level of legislators and government officials, public figures and experts. And this second level is no less powerful than the initial one. As it makes it possible to attract the democratic power of our societies to respond to each of the challenges that have already been provoked by the Russian occupation of Crimea and that will inevitably arise when it is returned to the legal control of Ukraine. Modern active generations do not yet have the experience of returning such a special territory from the invader to its native state. After all, the ninth year of Russian enslavement continues... The ninth year of Russia's destruction of the entire international law, all normal economic, social and cultural ties for Crimea. This is what it is now. Crimea is separated by Russia from the very possibility of a normal life. On the territory of Crimea, the occupiers not only committed thousands of crimes... Since 2014, Crimea is the only part of Europe where de facto purges continue - on religious and ethnic grounds. If you are a Muslim, the Russian occupiers consider you guilty. If you are a qırımlı, the Russian occupiers consider you guilty. If you have a Ukrainian passport, the Russian occupiers consider you guilty. Think about it again: people have been living in such conditions for the ninth year already! And also there is constant Russian militarization of Crimea. And also there is constant deliberate destruction of the Crimean nature by the occupiers. And also there is total lack of guarantees of property rights in Crimea and the looting of Crimea in the interests of the invaders. It will not be easy to reintegrate Crimea after years of such occupation. But due to cooperation, we will manage to ensure this as well. We will change the situation completely. The return of the Ukrainian flag to Crimea is the return of the normality familiar to all Europeans, as it is available in each of your countries. Security normality, economic, legal, social, cultural. The return of the Ukrainian flag is the arrival of the European Union on the peninsula. In the full sense of these words. All levels of our integration: trade - this is a huge market, investment - these are huge opportunities for development. All this is simply not available in Crimea now. And it cannot be available - Russia has deprived our peninsula of markets and development. The return of the Ukrainian flag is the protection of human rights, it is freedom for all people in Crimea, for all communities - ethnic or religious. It is an opportunity to freely speak your mind and spread the truth about what is happening. It is available everywhere on our continent - from the Atlantic to the Kharkiv region. And it will be available in Crimea. We are already getting closer - every day. And I have just taken part in the work of the Berlin conference on the recovery of Ukraine. Already now, when the war is still going on, and the recovery after our victory. The restoration of our Crimea is being discussed along with the restoration of the whole of Ukraine as an integral part of the valuable, infrastructural, investment and cultural space of the whole of Europe. And we need three things now. At this time, when the restoration of our territorial integrity is still ongoing, sufficient and timely support for our state is needed. Defense, financial and sanctions. I urge you to advocate such support for Ukraine, to constantly strengthen it - it is the foundation of future peace. Then, when we reach our legal state borders and return Crimea in particular, we will need your experience: security, political, legal, economic, social, infrastructural. In order to return full life to Crimea after years of occupation, and justice to the people of Crimea, our cooperation must be maintained at a maximum even after the restoration of our territorial integrity. We should make this format of ours, the format of the Crimea Platform, a starting point for other humanitarian and diplomatic platforms that will promote the de-occupation of other territories that were once enslaved: from Transnistria and Abkhazia to the northern territories. And the third... This is very important. I ask you to promise me that you will definitely visit our Ukrainian Crimea, liberated from the occupiers and peaceful. As soon as we return our national flag there. This part of Europe has been waiting for distinguished guests for too long. Thank you for your attention! Thank you for your support! Thanks again to Croatia as the host country for our summit. Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister Plenković - I am glad to see and hear you - and Mr. Speaker Jandroković for your hospitality. Glory to Ukraine!
The sooner peace is achieved in Ukraine thanks to our victory, the less evil Russia will bring to other regions - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
EN 2022-10-25
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! Today we had a very active diplomatic day, events for Ukraine at all levels - the highest, governmental, parliamentary. In the morning, I addressed the participants of the Berlin conference, which is dedicated to the reconstruction and modernization of our country. This is already the second such conference, after the Swiss one, which took place in the city of Lugano. We are working to obtain resources for the rapid restoration of our infrastructure, social facilities, and housing for Ukrainians. I am grateful to German Chancellor Scholz and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen for making today's event in Berlin very meaningful. We are waiting for specific decisions. Time cannot be stopped, and winter is coming. The Crimea Platform started working in Croatia today - at the parliamentary level. This is an additional and very powerful level of functioning of our instrument for the deoccupation and reintegration of Crimea. The Parliament always embodies democracy, represents different communities of each country. Therefore, when parliaments help restore territorial integrity, when, thanks to parliamentary cooperation, expert work and exchange of experience can be directed in the right direction, it is very powerful. We will definitely liberate Crimea. We will return this part of our country not only to the all-Ukrainian space, but also to the all-European space. This was confirmed once again today. And I am grateful to all our partners - almost 50 states and international organizations - who help in the parliamentary format. I am also grateful to Croatia separately for the hospitality towards our Crimea Platform. Today I held a meeting with representatives of the Jewish community – American, European and, of course, Israeli. We talked primarily about the protection of our people, about the need to make Russian terror impossible and to end this war as soon as possible by guaranteeing complete security and freedom for all Ukrainians throughout the territory of Ukraine. The sooner peace is achieved on our land thanks to the Ukrainian victory, the less evil Russia will bring to other regions, including the Middle East in its cooperation with Iran. I believe that one day Israeli politicians will hear this position, as Israeli society has already done - we feel it. The protection of historical memory in Ukraine was discussed separately. Despite the war, we must continue to implement our programs that restore historical justice. We started the implementation of an important project commemorating the victims of Nazism - the construction of a memorial in Babyn Yar. We will definitely complete it. I held extremely meaningful negotiations with the President of Germany, who arrived in Ukraine. Today, President Steinmeier visited the Chernihiv region - the districts that were under occupation. While he was there an air alert started. And actually the Russian missile terror, the enemy's use of Iranian drones was one of the key topics at our negotiations. We are deeply grateful to Germany for the modern and effective air defense system already provided to us. We are looking forward to new similar systems. We discussed the entire range of our cooperation - defense, political, financial. Significant attention was paid to reconstruction - and I am grateful to President Steinmeier for his willingness to personally patronize this work. We will enhance cooperation with Germany in the field of reconstruction. And at the local government level, it will also receive presidential patronage. And one more thing. Just before recording this address, I spoke with new British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. I believe that the partnership between our countries and the already traditional British leadership in the defense of democracy and freedom will be further strengthened. Ukraine and Britain have achieved the best relations so far, but there is still potential to increase our cooperation to bring more benefits to our societies. I invited the Prime Minister to visit Ukraine. I am grateful to everyone who helps us fight for freedom! I am grateful to everyone who fights and works for our victory! I am grateful to all our warriors who are now holding their positions, destroying the occupiers and giving Ukraine the most important feeling: a feeling of confidence in our future. Glory to Ukraine!
Ukraine needs victory over Russia, in particular in energy sphere – address of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
EN 2022-10-26
Dear Ukrainians, I wish you health! Today I held a big meeting on the energy situation. The participants were government officials, the Office, energy companies, and the State Emergency Service. The topics were diverse. It was recovery of damaged objects, protection of generation, ensuring people's access to energy. The state of nuclear and hydrogen generation was analyzed separately, as well as the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant. Russian terrorists have created such difficult conditions for our energy workers that no one in Europe has ever seen or encountered. There were no such threats that our specialists are forced to overcome now. And they overcome them with honor. I thank all the workers in the energy sector, our rescuers, repair crews, representatives of local governments, private companies who work efficiently enough to maintain the stability of our energy system despite all threats. In many cities and regions of Ukraine, emergency blackouts happen, power consumption has to be limited. But we all have to remember one thing: we need victory over Russia in the energy sphere as well. No matter what the enemy does, our task is to break its plans and protect Ukraine. And this is not just someone's task, it concerns not only energy workers or anyone else. Conscious energy consumption is now needed by all Ukrainians. Please choose your own scheme for limiting electricity consumption while there is a shortage in the general power system. The situation on the front line has not undergone significant changes. The fiercest battles are in Donetsk region: Bakhmut direction, Avdiyivka. The craziness of the Russian command is now most visible there: day after day for months, they drive people there to death, concentrate the maximum power of artillery strikes there. All our soldiers who hold positions in these directions in Donetsk region are simply heroes. Active actions in other directions continue. Today I would like to mention the soldiers of the 25th Airborne Brigade for their bravery in liberating the occupied territories in Luhansk region. In general, we are strengthening our positions everywhere at the front, reducing the capabilities of the occupiers, destroying their logistics and preparing good news for Ukraine. Today, during the day, the air raid alerts sounded several times over most of the territory of our state. The Air Force has results – another helicopter of the occupiers was shot down, another drone. By the way, the total number of downed Russian helicopters is already approaching 250. The Russian occupiers have already lost as much equipment – aircraft and other – as most of the world's armies simply do not have and will never have in service. Russia will not be able to recover these losses. I thank all our fighters for such a gradual and irreversible demilitarization of the enemy. We continue to do everything possible to free our people from Russian captivity. Today, we can finally announce the release of ten more Ukrainians. Our exchange team is working around the clock. And I want to emphasize once again that any of our front-line units can speed up exchanges by capturing the occupiers. The more Russian soldiers are in our exchange fund, the sooner we will return Ukrainians home from Russia. The President of Guinea-Bissau visited Kyiv today. He also chairs the Economic Community of West African Countries. In fact, he is a representative of 15 African countries that are part of this community. And this is the first African leader who visited our country after February 24. In general, we are consistently expanding our contacts with Africa, filling them with new content. Many negotiations and agreements are taking place for the first time in our history. It is very important that on this continent, where the Kremlin's influence is traditionally significant, they hear the Ukrainian position and know the full truth about what is really happening. We provide it. We also work every day to protect our grain export initiative. It is obvious that Russia intends to exacerbate the global food crisis again, to bring back the threat of large-scale famine. And this, in particular, is the responsibility of all our partners – after all, to guarantee food security and end this dirty Russian game with hunger. Today, due to deliberate Russian inhibition of our food exports, the number of ships waiting for the opportunity to meet contractual obligations is already 175. And this is not just some trade problem. This is the deterioration of access to food for millions of people and the threat of an even greater increase in the prices of essential products on different continents – both in Africa, and in Asia, and in Europe. If, after all, Russia succeeds in the negative scenario, it will end in a new large-scale migration crisis. Russia as a terrorist state is a terrorist in everything and deserves daily increasing international pressure on it. I am grateful to those leaders and those politicians who understand and ensure this. I am grateful, in particular, to the Senate of Poland, which decided to officially recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. And such decisions should be adopted by the majority of the countries of the world – Russia itself, by its actions, leaves no alternative. I thank everyone who helps us fight against Russian terror! Glory to all who fight and work for the freedom of Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine!
Today we remember the expulsion of the Nazis, approaching the expulsion of the Rashists - address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-10-27
Good evening, warriors of light! Energetic people who are always ready to fight! Its 246th day is coming to an end. We continue our resistance. The aggressor continues his terror. We are again attacked from the sky by a flock of their crows. More than 30 drones were launched in two days. The defenders of our sky prevented the enemy's vultures from breaking into the rear of the country and downed 23 Shaheds. In addition, the Kh-59 guided air missile, two Ka-52 attack helicopters and another Su-25 attack aircraft were turned into scrap metal. In total, during this period, Russia carried out 4,500 missile strikes and more than 8,000 air raids. But we are fighting, we will shoot down more. I thank the guardians of our sky. I am grateful to everyone who participated in the fundraising for the "catchers" of such "Shaheds". Only on the U24 platform those are 665,000 people from 70 countries. Together, we will certainly clip the wings of all metal monsters, no matter how many of them and from where they fly in the direction of Ukraine. Enemy planes will fall. Enemy helicopters will fall. "Shaheds" will fall. It is only the Ukrainian people who will not fall! A heroic people who will definitely go down in world history. Actually, like this day. It is already history. It's already midnight on the clock. October 28 is already on the calendar. Every year on this day, we celebrate the liberation of Ukraine from the Nazi occupiers. We pay tribute to the Ukrainians who fought and defeated Nazism during World War II. Today we do it, holding not flowers in our hands, but weapons. Today, preserving the memory of the exploits of our ancestors means protecting their achievements. We remember the expulsion of the Nazis, approaching the expulsion of the Rashists. Evil, which seemed to have been finally defeated and burned to the ground in 1945, is reborn from the ashes 80 years later. Gets on its feet. It becomes possible. How did it turn out? Imperceptibly. And very quickly. Just as one day changes another. Instantly. A new day and a new evil are coming instantly. At the very moment when the world does not notice. Some are sleepy, some are fast asleep. Some are not paying attention. Some do not care. And in general, everyone is silent and thinks the same: I will not be affected. The war is somewhere far away. Somewhere in Transnistria. This is the problem of Moldovans. Somewhere in Abkhazia and Ossetia. This is the problem of Georgians. Somewhere in Crimea and Donbas. This is the problem of Ukrainians. We will not be affected. It will not cause damage to us. They will not come for us. Unfortunately, as a result, it becomes everyone's problem. Sooner or later, memories of a terrible war become a terrible reality. The neighbor becomes the aggressor. The aggressor becomes a terrorist. And Nazism becomes an example to follow. It may come in a new guise, with new slogans, but with the same goal. Unfortunately, it is not from books that we know about it. We know how evil can break into your house in the last century, eight years ago and eight months ago. Violate the western borders or come from the north, east and annexed Crimea. Attack peaceful cities with bombs or cruise missiles. Mine the Dnipro HPP or seize the Zaporizhzhia NPP. Drop bombs despite the red cross or the "Children" inscription. Steal grain according to the "Hunger Plan" or threaten the entire planet with hunger. Abduct and deport people. Abduct and deport children. The form of evil has changed, but the essence has remained unchanged. Evil always begins in the same way. The invaders call themselves liberators. The invasion of one's army is called self-defense. As 80 years ago, the Ukrainian people stand up for the defense of their native land. And the enemy's blitzkrieg plan becomes a failure. Evil always acts in the same way. Kills civilians, assuring that it hits military targets only. Arranges blockades and filtration camps. And Syrets becomes Olenivka. Destroys cities and villages. And Koryukivka becomes Bucha. But sooner or later war crimes become known. The reaction of the world becomes painful. The policy of appeasement becomes a tough countermeasure. The evil finds itself in a zugzwang. So evil always ends the same way. The occupier becomes a capitulator. The invader becomes a fugitive. War criminals become defendants, aggression becomes a sentence. Destruction becomes reparations. Enemy equipment becomes museum exhibits. The feats of grandfathers become the victories of grandchildren. The day of the liberation of Ukraine from the Nazis on the 247th day of our struggle becomes a symbol: the result of our struggle definitely becomes the liberation of our Ukraine. The captured territory becomes free. This has always been the case in the past, and will certainly be the case in the future. In the future of Kherson, Donbas, Luhansk, Crimea. Because our land always becomes free. Resistance becomes pride. Struggle becomes victory. And Ukraine becomes united! Today, Russia's only tactic has become terror. Defeat is the only possible outcome of such tactics. Terror became a proof of their weakness and a test of our resilience. We will not be broken by shelling. The enemy's rockets in our sky are less scarier than hearing the enemy's anthem on our land. We are not afraid of the dark. The darkest times for us are not without light, but without freedom. Our warriors are strong, volunteers are tireless, partners are reliable, and people are indomitable. The second army of the world will become smaller and smaller. The losses of the enemy will become bigger and bigger. I am confident that enemy propaganda does not work, provocations do not work, threats do not scare. Any hard winter will not scare us as well. We know that the darkest night comes before dawn. We know that all invaders flee our land in the same way. Gauleiters and self-appointed "governors" end up the same. Reichskommissariats and quasi-republics die equally. And all our cities will definitely have our flags. Both Junkers and kamikaze drones fall equally. And in our sky there will definitely be our birds, our blue sky, our "Mriya"! Glory to all who fought against Nazism during World War II! Glory to all who are fighting for Ukraine today! Glory to our people who will go down in history! Glory to Ukraine!
Russia is trying to make the Kherson region literally an exclusion zone; the world must react to this - address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-10-28
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! I’ve just finished speaking with the students and educational staff of Yale University, one of the leading universities in the US and the world. Its graduates have a significant influence on decision-making - political, business, at the level of public and international organizations. It is with appeals like this to representatives of Yale University that we expand the circle of those who understand what is happening in Ukraine and help us protect freedom. I will continue this work next week. We will continue to expand our capabilities, in particular through informal diplomacy - through the public in partner countries, through the student community, through professional and business communities. I held talks today with Giorgia Meloni, head of the Italian government. I congratulated Mrs. Prime Minister on her appointment, and discussed opportunities for strengthening our cooperation in various areas, including security, economy, diplomacy, and in particular, the integration of our country into European and Euro-Atlantic structures. I held several meetings with the military regarding the current situation on the frontline, our active actions. Today the enemy reports about the alleged completion of their mobilization... About the alleged needlessness of new waves of sending Russian citizens to the front. We feel completely different on the frontline. Although Russia is trying to increase the pressure on our positions by using mobilized people, they are so poorly prepared and equipped, so ruthlessly used by the command that it allows us to suggest that Russia may soon need a new wave of sending people to war. We are preparing for this - we are preparing for the fact that the current Russian leadership will look for any new opportunities to continue the war. In particular thanks to its accomplices in Iran. That is why we are working with our partners every day to strengthen our air defense, our other defense capabilities. Every day we strengthen the protection of our critical infrastructure, primarily energy. As of this time, many cities and regions of our country use stabilization blackout schedules - about 4 million Ukrainians face restrictions now. Kyiv and the region, Zhytomyr region, Poltava region, Rivne region, Kharkiv region, Chernihiv region, Sumy region, Cherkasy region, Kirovohrad region. Emergency blackouts are also possible in other regions. We are doing everything so that the state has the opportunity to reduce such blackouts. The occupiers added another challenge - in the occupied territory. Virtually, they are dismantling the entire healthcare system there. The occupiers have decided to close medical institutions in the cities, take away equipment, ambulances - just everything... They put pressure on the doctors who still remained in the occupied areas for them to move to the territory of Russia. First of all, this concerns the Kherson region. Russia is turning the Kherson region into a zone without civilization, without elementary things available in most countries of the world. Before the arrival of Russia, this region, like all other regions of Ukraine, was completely normal and safe, all social services for people were guaranteed there... Life was guaranteed there. And now Russia is trying to make the Kherson region literally an exclusion zone. The world must react to this. Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, all our representatives inform international organizations and partners about this new escalating step of the occupiers. And I want to appeal now to all our people in these occupied cities and districts: please do everything to help each other - despite any actions of the occupiers. The Ukrainian flag will return. We will return normal life. But you need to endure this time. The time when even formally the occupiers confirm that they cannot stay on the territory of Ukraine, and therefore they already try to steal medical equipment and enslave medical personnel. I thank the United States of America - another package of military aid to Ukraine was announced today. Its volume is 275 million dollars. Much needed items for our defenders that allow us to liberate our territory step by step. It's not just what helps us advance on the battlefield, it's what enables us to guarantee people their fundamental right to life. Today I want to thank Canada - our long-standing and sincere partners. For an unprecedented act regarding the issue of Canada's sovereign bonds, all funds from the placement of which will be directed to help Ukraine. The amount is half a billion dollars. And these bonds will be available for investment not only in Canada, but also around the world. This is an extremely powerful example for all our partners. Canada is the first country to offer such a support tool. Thank you, Justin, Mr. Prime Minister! Thank you, Chrystia Freeland, a true friend of Ukraine! Glory to all who help Ukraine fight for freedom! Glory to all our heroes! Glory to Ukraine!
It is in Ukraine that the global fate of democracy will be determined – address of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to US senators and the Yale community
EN 2022-10-29
Thank you so much to everybody for the support! Thank you for the honor of addressing you today. Dear Mr. Rector! Dear Senators! I also know you well. Thank you for being with us, supporting us in Kyiv. Thank you to the honorable professorial team and students! Dear friends! I am glad to welcome you all and thank you for your attention to Ukraine! I watched this video, a beautiful video made with heart and soul. Beautiful, but at the same time very tragic. You have seen everything and there is nothing to talk about. I think we will be able to discuss and assess this and the details in the questions and answers part of our discussion. However, I also have a short video. I think it will be helpful too. We still have a question-and-answer session ahead of us, so I will try not to waste a lot of time so that as many people as possible can express their thoughts today. You probably all know what is happening in Ukraine and what a brutal war Russia is waging against us. Tough and cruel. By the way, thanks to the fact that Professor Timothy Snyder works at your university - a very remarkable individual, an outstanding historian – you can easily find out absolutely all the details about why Russia acts in the way it does and why it started acting like that from Ukraine. I will describe the situation in general. For Russia, this is a war not only to seize our land. And not only for breaking our independent statehood, spreading its imperial influence. It's a bit more. With its terror, Russia is trying to destroy what is constantly reborn in our people despite the wars that have taken place, despite the invaders who came here, and even despite the Kremlin's policy of genocide against Ukrainians, which was implemented in the 20th century. And one of its manifestations was, in particular, the Holodomor – the destruction of people by artificially organized hunger. Ukrainians went through very terrible things and still preserved their ability not to obey, their love of freedom and inner confidence that the source of any power on earth is the people. Not a royal throne, not power, not wealth, but people. And it is very important that Ukraine has the potential to protect this fundamental democratic spirit. Protect not only for itself, but also for other peoples in our part of the world. This is where the front line is. And not only for Ukraine! It's the royal throne against freedom. The army is made up of those who have been deprived of any freedom during the years of the rule of this Russian leadership, against the defense forces made up of those who know for sure that everyone's freedom makes everyone stronger. Look even at how we differ on the battlefield in Ukraine now. For us, this is a people's war for freedom, and each of the Ukrainian military units has guardian angels in the rear – people who help with everything that may be necessary for our soldiers. We constantly feel this direct connection between the defense forces and society. Do you see something similar in Russia? It is not there. Their people feel a direct connection except with television propaganda of hatred. Our commanders on the battlefield have the freedom to make their own decisions in general defense operations and use that freedom to decide how to operate more effectively at one point or another. Instead, Russian commanders tremble, waiting for orders from above from those who have never seen a battlefield in their lives, and sometimes spend months trying to fulfill orders that are hopeless from the start, simply wasting people's lives, sending them to their deaths, wave after wave. Our defense forces are immediately followed by sappers, rescuers, repair crews, energy workers and all those who have to restore normal life to people. And what does the Russian flag bring to the land where it was erected? Mass graves, torture camps, deportations, filtration camps and total looting. Imagine: Russian occupiers remove Ukrainian books from libraries and destroy them. Everything that can remind of Ukraine is being destroyed in schools as well. Already 51 Ukrainian universities have been hit by Russian missiles and artillery! At checkpoints and infiltration camps, Russian soldiers force people to undress to reveal whether they have Ukrainian patriotic tattoos. Even the simple presence of Ukrainian national symbols on the body or, for example, a yellow-blue ribbon on a backpack is a sufficient reason for the Russian military to detain, torture or kill a person. And thousands of such cases have been recorded. Why is this happening? Because Ukrainian is a target for Russia. Russia is fighting against freedom, destroying Ukrainian and Ukrainians. This is exactly how they see it in the Kremlin – the destruction of the people, and therefore of freedom. They do not believe that it is possible to conquer Ukraine in any other way. And that is why, for example, they went to Iran for weapons, for killer drones and missiles, because Russia lacks its own means of terror, and it simply does not have anything else in its plans or thoughts. Take a look at what the Iranian drones purchased by Russia are sent. They are sent against what enables the people to live: against power plants, boiler houses, transport, even houses. They want to destroy everything Ukrainian, they hate the entire Ukraine – our every manifestation. And this is precisely the strategic threat of Russian aggression. Because according to Ukrainianness, Russia will go to destroy Polish or Georgian life in the same way – that is, the life of other nations on a huge territory – from the countries of Northern Europe to Kazakhstan. And that is why we say that it is important for the whole world that Russia loses now – in the war in Ukraine. When we win for ourselves, we will win for other nations whose freedom is potentially under attack: the ambitions of the Russian throne are known. And so that all this does not sound too general, I ask you to watch one video. Video about what we will save Ukraine and other nations of our part of the world from, when we expel the Russian invaders from Ukraine and achieve security guarantees for all of us. ...This was a picture of our survival under Russian terrorist attacks only during October. And this full-scale war has been going on for nine months. Dear friends! On behalf of the Ukrainian people, I want to thank your people for the support you provide to our defense. Thank you to your leaders – President Biden, both chambers and parties of Congress, public figures and businesses who feel how important it is for Ukrainian democracy to endure. I am sure Russia has no chance of winning this war and destroying us and any other nation in our part of the world. But the sooner we stop Russia, the more certain our cooperation will be. The more Russian threats, the more our cooperation should be. And the more Russian escalating steps, the more our steps should be in response to defend freedom and people. We cannot slow down the momentum in cooperation and give Russia even the slightest hope that its terror can work. Right now, and precisely in Ukraine, it is being decided whether our part of the world will be free and democratic. Ultimately, this is how the global fate of democracy will be determined. This fate should be determined by you and us – the free world, not Russia and its accomplices. I believe that it will be so! Thanks again for your attention! Glory to Ukraine!
How can Russia be among G20 if it is deliberately working for hunger on several continents – address of President of Ukraine
EN 2022-10-29
Dear Ukrainians, I wish you health! Today we managed to return another 52 people from Russian captivity: 50 of our defenders and two civilians. Among them are soldiers of the National Guard, the Navy, border guards, security forces... Andriy Albov is the head of the surgical department of the Mariupol military hospital, he was evacuated from Azovstal. Vasyl Chalenko is a volunteer, security guard, commander of the reconnaissance platoon. Among these 52 are a sailor from Snake Iceland, as well as a National Guardsman who was taken prisoner while defending the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, and a pensioner who earlier worked in the SBU and who was taken prisoner by the occupiers in Bucha. We remember all those held captive in Russia and in the occupied territory, and will do everything to return each and every one. Our exchange team is always working. These are Budanov, Yermak, Usov, Lubinets and others who help. In total, since March, 1,031 people have already been released from Russian captivity. Thanks to the whole team for this result! I would like to once again commend the work of our energy workers, repairmen, and regional administrations. All those who are working to restore the normal technical possibility of electricity supply after the Russian terrorist attacks. Today, there are significantly fewer stabilization and emergency blackouts – much less. But there is still such a need, and in some cities and districts restrictions are still possible. In particular, it is Kirovohrad region and some other regions. We do everything to make power outages as predictable as possible and so that people can plan their day. Special thanks to those who worked and are working to restore energy supply to the city of Uman and the Uman district of Cherkasy region. There was indeed a difficult situation after one of the Russian strikes. As of now, it is possible to return the technical possibility of power supply. The same situation is in Kyiv region: it was critical, but we are now changing it for the better. I want to emphasize: the return of the technical possibility of supply does not mean that the energy shortage in the system has been overcome. Russian terror continues. It is very cynical. Sometimes it repeatedly attacks deliberately when repairs have begun, when recovery work is in progress. Unfortunately, we have casualties in repair crews, in energy companies. My condolences to their families. Therefore, please – this applies to all Ukrainians – it is very important to be conscious of electricity consumption. This necessity persists. Now we all have to contribute to maintaining the stability of the entire power system. During the week – from Saturday to Saturday – more than 40 Iranian strike drones, a significant number of Russian missiles, six attack helicopters of the occupiers, several of their planes were shot down... Such a result means hundreds of Ukrainian lives saved, dozens of critical infrastructure objects saved. And as proposed by the military command, today I want to especially note the Odesa and Kherson anti-aircraft missile brigades of the Air Force. Well done, guys! I also thank all our defenders of the sky, absolutely everyone – all anti-aircraft fighters, pilots, mobile fire groups, who are currently performing one of the most important strategic tasks – saving the country from airstrikes by terrorists. Today, a rather predictable statement came from Russia – a statement that they are finally canceling the grain export initiative. But in fact, this is not their decision today. Russia began deliberately aggravating the food crisis back in September, when it blocked the movement of ships with our food. From September to today, 176 vessels have already accumulated in the grain corridor, which cannot follow their route. Some grain carriers have been waiting for more than three weeks. This is an absolutely deliberate blockade by Russia. This is an absolutely transparent intention of Russia to return the threat of large-scale famine to Africa and Asia. Literally today, more than 2 million tonnes of food are in the sea. This means that access to food has actually worsened for more than 7 million consumers. Algeria, Egypt, Yemen, Bangladesh, Vietnam, others countries – very different countries, from different parts of the world... But they can all be equally destabilized by this Russian decision to block exports. I emphasize: this decision was made by Russia apparently in September. Only this queue of ships with food at sea can testify to this. It is also important that Russia attacked our Naval Forces at least twice during the grain initiative. Precisely by those forces that guarantee the safety of the grain corridor. A strong international response is needed now. Both at the UN level and at other levels. In particular, at the level of the G20. How can Russia be among the G20 if it is deliberately working for starvation on several continents? This is nonsense. Russia has no place in the G20. All partners see this artificial queue of vessels. They see what Russia did to disrupt the grain initiative. They see that even ships with grain, which are contracted within the framework of the UN Food Program for the poorest countries, do not get a guaranteed opportunity to pass through the sea route. Russia is doing everything to ensure that millions of Africans, millions of residents of the Middle East and South Asia find themselves in conditions of artificial famine or at least a severe price crisis. But why a handful of people somewhere in the Kremlin can decide whether people in Egypt or Bangladesh will have food on their tables? What is it? The world has the power to protect people against this. Ukraine has been and can continue to be one of the guarantors of global food security. Russian terror and blackmail must lose. Humanity must win. I thank everyone who is fighting with us to restore peace and stability to international relations! I thank everyone who fights and works for Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine!
There were no emergency blackouts in the country today, but the generation deficit persists, therefore frugal electricity consumption should be continued - address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-10-30
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! I held a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief today - the 27th since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia. Key defense issues were considered: our active actions on the frontline, further liberation of the territory from occupation, supply of ammunition and equipment, repair of equipment, other support for the defense forces, as well as preparations for winter. Of course, the plans of the Russian military were also considered. The Commander-in-Chief, head of intelligence, commanders of operational directions, ministers delivered reports. Every day and without any breaks, we work to speed up the restoration of the territorial integrity of our state. And always at the meeting of the Staff we celebrate the successes of our warriors, the result ensured in the liberation of Ukrainian land. Every time we have reasons to rejoice together with all Ukrainians. Following this week, I would like to celebrate the warriors of the 54th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Hetman Ivan Mazepa, the 5th Separate Assault Regiment and the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade for their bravery and steadfastness while holding the lines in the Siversk direction, as well as the warriors of the 25th Sicheslav Separate Airborne Brigade for determination during the liberation of our territory, for special energy. Thank you, warriors! The warriors - border guards of the Chop detachment, who are currently protecting our state in the Donetsk region as part of the Defense Forces of Ukraine, showed themselves perfectly. Today, they stopped the enemy's brutal assault - the Russian attack was repulsed. In addition, they managed to replenish our exchange fund. Thanks guys! The Air Forces also have a result: today there is a downed Russian attack helicopter and a downed Russian aircraft - Su-25. Russian terrorists continued shelling in various directions: Chernihiv region, Kharkiv region, Donbas, Dnipropetrovsk region, Zaporizhzhia and the region, Mykolaiv and the region... We respond to the occupiers. We respond tangibly. In general, there were no emergency blackouts throughout the country today - we managed to restore the technical possibility of energy supply after the Russian strikes that took place during the week. But generation deficits still persist, so extremely frugal electricity consumption and stabilization restrictions must be continued. And please be especially careful on the roads at night. There have already been many appeals, in particular from the National Police, regarding the need for pedestrians to have reflective elements on their clothing. This is very important for both children and adults. But it is no less important that drivers have a conscientious attitude. Now you should not just follow the speed regime, but also reduce the speed additionally, especially in those places where there are unregulated pedestrian crossings. Please take care of the safety of others. And, by the way, today I want to congratulate all Ukrainian motorists - not only civilians, but also military - on the Day of Motorists and Road Workers. Usually they wish you a good road. And I know that this road of ours, although not easy, definitely leads to our joint victory. Congratulations! Another vessel chartered by the UN Food Program has already been loaded in the port of Chornomorsk. This is a bulk carrier carrying 40,000 tons of wheat for Ethiopia, a country experiencing a severe food situation. Ethiopia is on the brink of famine. This is a problem not only of rising food prices, but also of a physical shortage of food. We are ready to release this vessel into the sea, like all others that left the ports of the Great Odesa during the grain export initiative. But this bulker with wheat for the UN Food Program and other vessels with agricultural products are forced to wait, because Russia is blackmailing the world with hunger. What did the world hear? That someone allegedly launches drones from a bulker... At first they talked about "war birds", then - "war insects", now - "war grain"... A killer wheat, which drowns Russian admirals. Well, what can you say? They are truly sick people. But these sick people are once again putting the world on the brink of a severe food crisis. Russia is the only one to blame for the fact that food will now become more expensive for people across a vast expanse from West Africa to East Asia. Russia is the reason why people, in particular, in Ethiopia, Yemen or Somalia, are left with a catastrophic food shortage. Of course, the partners are trying to convince the terrorist state to slow down the blackmail a little. But is it realistic? So far, the facts indicate that the Russian leadership is more interested in exacerbating the food crisis than in implementing the signed documents. And this, by the way, is the answer to all those who talk about negotiations with Russia. The grain corridor is a very specific example. There are now 218 pieces of evidence that Russia does not want any real deals. 218 vessels waiting for the opportunity to carry food under export contracts or enter Ukrainian ports. Week after week, Russia has been slowing down the grain corridor despite its own promises to partners, and has now blocked it completely. Ukraine, for its part, will do everything to ensure that the grain export initiative continues to work. And I thank everyone who helps our state! Thank you to everyone who fights and works for our victory! Thank you to everyone who shows concern for others under these circumstances! Glory to Ukraine!
Lawyers will put an end to this war after the military and politicians - address by the President of Ukraine to the participants of the meeting organized by the International Bar Association (IBA)
EN 2022-10-31
Ladies and Gentlemen! Dear defenders of the law and human rights! Greetings to all of you – participants of the International Bar Association meeting and thank you for your attention to the Ukrainian struggle for freedom. This year, your Association celebrated its 75th anniversary. It was on February 17 - a week before the terrible Russian invasion of Ukraine, which undermines the long-term achievements of humanity in the protection of international law and order and peace. This ongoing war in Ukraine has long had echoes in all other parts of the world. Somewhere there are waves of refugees. Somewhere there is a threat of large-scale famine due to the artificial food crisis provoked by Russia. Somewhere there is a brutal cost-of-living crisis that drives millions of people into poverty and destroys the well-being of the middle class even where Russia cannot reach with its aggression. And somewhere there are the toughest possible things. This is happening in Ukraine. Artillery shelling of our cities - hundreds of Ukrainian cities were destroyed, dozens - completely burned. Constant missile and bomb terror. Iranian combat drones that Russia is using against our infrastructure. Millions of Ukrainians suffered losses from this war unleashed by Russia - they lost loved ones, friends, their homes. At least tens of thousands of Ukrainians have already been killed. Of course, we are doing everything to protect our people and oust the Russian invaders from Ukrainian land as soon as possible. We are doing everything to restore freedom to all Ukrainians in all corners of our country. And I believe that we will do it - thanks to our heroic defenders, thanks to everyone who fights and works for the victory of Ukraine. Very powerful assistance is provided by our partners - and I am especially grateful to the United States of America for its leadership in the global coalition formed this year to protect Ukraine and freedom. But I would like to draw attention to the fact that lawyers will put an end to this war - after the military, after politicians. Exactly lawyers. Those who will ensure that all those guilty of terror are brought to justice and that all damages caused by Russia are compensated - at the expense of the assets of the aggressor state itself. It is this kind of justice that should be the end of the evil that Russia has brought. Behind every of four and a half thousand Russian missiles there are people who are responsible for the deaths and losses that those missiles have caused. Behind every mass burial of the victims of Russian torturers, there are savages who are guilty of these murders. Behind every manifestation of Russian aggression there are those who planned it, organized it, justified it and prevented its termination. We have already started working to establish a Special Tribunal to punish Russia for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. This tribunal will happen. We are already cooperating with the United States, with European countries, with the International Criminal Court to punish all Russian murderers and torturers. We have already started the creation of the Compensation Mechanism, which will ensure the confiscation and channeling of Russian assets to compensate for the losses caused by this war. And I invite you to join this work! This is an opportunity for each of you to help people who have become innocent victims of war as specifically as possible. This is a chance for each of you to become part of the multi-generational global effort to establish the force of international law. Perhaps, right now in this hall, among you, there are those whose names will soon be inscribed in the world history of the protection of freedom and law and order - for all people, for all countries, for all times. I thank you for the already started cooperation of your Association with the Ukrainian Office of the Prosecutor General and for your initiatives that help us fight for justice for all the victims of this Russian terrorist war. I urge you to be active in the future! Together we can prove that the law is effective, that the law works, that every war crime will be investigated, and every war criminal will be brought to justice. Thank you for your attention! Long live freedom and let justice prevail! Glory to Ukraine!
Every Russian attack on our civilian objects brings the international consensus on Russia's liability closer - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
EN 2022-10-31
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! Currently, restoration work is still ongoing in those regions where Russian missiles hit today. We are doing everything possible to restore energy and water supply. And we will restore it. Russian terrorists do not have such missiles that could hit the Ukrainian desire to live, live in a civilized manner and take care of each other. And if someone over there in the Kremlin listened to their crazy propagandists and decided that the darkness in Ukraine would help put pressure on Ukrainians, then let them not be surprised at their losses when they see how Ukrainians conduct "negotiations" in the dark. Today our Air Forces and everyone involved in protecting the skies did a great job. Most of the objects that the terrorists identified as targets were saved. This morning alone, the terrorists used 55 cruise missiles for a massive strike, 45 of which were shot down. I thank all Air Forces Commands for this result: South, North, East and West, as well as all units of the Defense Forces involved in protecting our skies. Plus, four more Russian helicopters were shot down today: three attack Ka-52 and one Mi-8. Of course, we will continue to strengthen our air defense. But already now, for every ten hits, terrorists have to spend at least four times more missiles. Russia has an even worse result with regard to drones, including those supplied by its Iranian accomplices. And the world sees that. It sees that the former "2nd army of the world" is no longer even the 22nd in terms of its effectiveness. And we will do everything to make it into the second hundred. And it will be so. I would like to especially mention the units and employees of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, who both last week and today eliminated the consequences of terrorist attacks. They worked even despite the threat of repeated strikes and extinguished dozens of fires. A big gratitude to all energy workers, utility workers, local self-government, regional administrations - to each and every one who restores normal life. The same gratitude to those of our people who, each at their own level, guarantee that there will definitely be a response to the terrorists. There will be a response on the battlefield. And I want to remind you that the total level of personnel losses of the Russian occupiers is almost 72,000. There will be a response to terrorists in international relations as well. Complete international isolation of the terrorist state is just a matter of time. There will be a response in the area of criminal responsibility - everyone involved in Russian terror, everyone who organized, carried out and justified it, will be responsible for it before the international court. Every new Russian attack on our civilian targets only makes the international consensus on Russia's liability easier and closer. And the fragments of the Russian rocket that fell on the territory of Moldova only remind us how important it is to protect ourselves from this evil together - from rashism, which recognizes neither state borders nor human values. Today, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic visited Ukraine - one of our greatest friends. The Czech Republic currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and this is how Russia treats European structures: during the visit of the Czech representative - 55 cruise missiles. However, no matter what they think in Moscow, Ukraine takes care of itself and does its own thing. Today, we signed a special declaration with the Prime Minister regarding the Euro-Atlantic integration of our country. The Czech Republic has confirmed that it will support Ukraine's membership in NATO. The declaration also contains specific directions of our cooperation for the implementation of NATO standards in Ukraine. We are starting the work on signing such declarations with all members of the Alliance. I had a call with German Chancellor Scholz. I thanked him for the provided IRIS-T air defense system, and informed about the results achieved by the German system. We discussed the possibilities of increasing German support for Ukraine, in particular in the restoration of our infrastructure after terrorist attacks. I also spoke with UN Secretary-General António Guterres. I informed him about the new level of escalation due to Russian actions. Terror against Ukrainian energy facilities, moreover against the background of Russia's attempts to exacerbate the global food crisis, clearly indicates that Russia will continue to oppose itself to the entire international community. And if so, Russia should have no place in the UN Security Council and all other international structures. I am grateful to both Mr. Scholz and Mr. Guterres for supporting our actions aimed at preserving the grain export initiative and preventing the spread of large-scale famine in some regions of the world. It is very important now to prevent this global destabilization that Russia seeks. And we can prevent it. Today I signed three decrees on awarding our warriors. A total of 406 warriors of the Armed Forces of Ukraine received state awards. I would like to separately thank the warriors of the units of the National Guard of Ukraine, who perform tasks in the Donetsk region. They perform them accurately and efficiently. They skillfully defend their positions and put significant pressure on the rashists. Thank you for this, guys! Thank you to all those who make Russia get used to the idea that neither the army, nor terror, nor anything else will help them conquer Ukraine! Glory to all our heroes! Glory to our fantastic people! Glory to Ukraine!
We will do everything to give people electricity and heat, but Russia will do everything to destroy normal life - address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-11-01
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! Today, I continued our diplomatic activity so that the world reacts strongly to another Russian escalation, to the terror against our energy facilities, and to Russia's attempt to exacerbate the food crisis again. I had a call with French President Emmanuel Macron. I thanked him for the support already provided and informed him about our urgent needs, primarily in defense. There must be an air shield for Ukraine. Today it was clearly said. We discussed with Emmanuel very specific projects both to strengthen our defense and to rebuild the destroyed facilities. The bet of terrorists for the winter is completely transparent to everyone, and this challenge should be viewed precisely as a challenge to all of Europe. Moscow will present any winter difficulties in its propaganda as alleged proof of the failure of a united Europe. Therefore, together we must prove to the terrorists that failure is a word about them, not about Europe. We agreed to hold two very important events. The first is in December in France. The subject covers all the challenges of winter: from energy to finance, from weapons to protecting the sky. And the second event is to convene the business of France and help Ukraine. We talked with President Macron about the situation with our food exports. These days, the movement of ships with Ukrainian agricultural products has continued, primarily thanks to the principles of the partners, namely the UN and Türkiye, which do not accept Russian efforts to destroy the grain agreement. But the grain corridor needs reliable and long-term protection. Russia should clearly know that it will receive a tough response from the world to any steps that disrupt our food exports. This is literally a matter of life for tens of millions of people. In particular, I talked about this with the Prime Minister of Cambodia today. This country now holds the presidency of ASEAN, one of the most powerful world associations. That's more than 600 million people in ten countries. And for each of these countries, the food crisis is a real threat to national security. If food prices rise due to Russian aggression, if there is a deficit in the food market, this will inevitably lead to catastrophic consequences in most ASEAN countries, as well as in other regions of the world. Therefore, pressure on Russia for the sake of guarantees of food security is now needed from everyone - and from Asian countries as well. We work for this. European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson visited Kyiv today. She helped us a lot in the process of Ukraine’s accession to the pan-European power grid. This is what significantly strengthened Ukraine. And now we heard the necessary signals of support from the European Commissioner. We discussed the initiative to create such a format, which, like a military "Ramstein", will work for the sake of our common security, but precisely in the energy sphere. Something like an "energy Ramstein" - funds, technical support, transformers, generators, energy carriers - this is what is vitally necessary for our defense. Assistance to specific cities and communities was also discussed. Such as Mykolaiv, Nikopol, Kharkiv and others, which are subjected to constant Russian terror - literally every day and every night. I informed the European Commissioner about the liquidation of the consequences of yesterday's massive Russian attack on our energy sector. About our needs due to such strikes. As a result of the visit, we have many working agreements. As of now, we can report that the technical possibility of water supply has already been restored for all consumers in Ukraine. For most, it is also technically possible to supply electricity. Stabilizing blackouts continue in nine regions of Ukraine. Energy workers and local authorities are doing everything to reduce the time of blackouts. It should not be forgotten that restoration work continues without a break in the territories that were liberated from the occupiers: in the Kharkiv region, in Donbas, in the south of the country. For example, gas supply has already been restored for more than 20,000 consumers in liberated areas of the Kharkiv region. Heat supply systems are being restored in Vovchansk, Balakliya and other cities. We will do everything to give people electricity and heat this winter. But we must understand that Russia will do everything to destroy the normality of life. They do not care about the cost of energy terror. If you look at the cost of yesterday's Russian attack alone, the missiles and drones used cost Russia the equivalent of more than 2,300,000 average Russian old-age pensions. And that's one attack! Monthly incomes of 2,300,000 Russian pensioners... Instead of overcoming poverty in their country, the Russian leadership spends everything to avoid admitting a historical mistake they made with this war against Ukraine. They are hopeless on the battlefield. Ukrainian warriors have already proved it. But it takes time, it takes effort, it takes patience to prove that even the hope for winter will not come true for Russian terrorists. I'm sure we'll get through it. I thank everyone who helps Ukraine! Glory to each and every one who works to bring our victory closer! Glory to all our warriors who are holding their positions, no matter how difficult it may be, and are gradually liberating our land! Glory to Ukraine!
Grain Initiative will continue, Russian blackmail turns out to be fruitless – address of President of Ukraine
EN 2022-11-02
Dear Ukrainians, I wish you health! Today, we have a significant diplomatic outcome for our country and the whole world – the Grain Export Initiative will continue being implemented. Russian blackmail has led nowhere. The UN and Secretary General Guterres personally responded in a principled and effective way. The President of Türkiye, Erdoğan, also participated. Other key international actors also made timely and fair steps. Once again, everyone saw that there is only one threat to global food security in our region, and that is the Russian Federation, and no one else. This entire situation was immediately reflected in the stock exchanges' indicators – we see some decrease in the price of both wheat and corn. Every time Russian blackmail intensifies, food prices rise. And every time the world does not give in to blackmail, foodstuffs become cheaper. And if there was no Russian attack on Ukraine, there wouldn't even be a phantom threat of the global food crisis. Because every Russian missile that hits our ports, grain storage facilities, and power plants that power our agricultural production ultimately affects the standard of living of tens of millions of people in many countries. This includes Egypt, Algeria, Somalia, Sudan, Lebanon, Bangladesh, India, China, Indonesia, Vietnam... This year they overpaid tens of billions of dollars for food – and only because of Russia, only because of crazy Russian aggression that destabilizes international trade. Today, I spoke with President Erdoğan, in particular, about the security of the grain corridor and the Black Sea in general, about the work of the Crimea Platform, about the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war and political prisoners – we remember each and every one who is in captivity, we will release everyone. We also talked in detail about constant Russian provocations, about Iranian drones, about missile strikes by the Russian army. For example, this morning a Russian plane launched cruise missiles near Snake Island, and they actually flew over the grain corridor routes. And every such Russian launch – and they are almost daily – directly threatens food exports. And it is the partners' responsibility to work together to reduce the Russian threat. I held a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief today. The agenda of the meeting is quite obvious. This is the situation on the front lines, in particular in Donetsk region, where the fiercest fighting is going on. By the way, I want to commend the fighters of the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade and the 79th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade for their steadfastness in repelling enemy attacks right there, in Donetsk region. It is especially difficult there these days – dozens of Russian attacks every day. Our guys are standing firm and not giving up a centimeter. This is true heroism. And I thank everyone who defends our Donetsk region! Of course, we also discussed the situation in other areas at the meeting: Kharkiv region, Luhansk region, the south of the country, the situation on our borders. We are strengthening our positions everywhere and working towards the key goal – the complete liberation of the entire Ukrainian land. I held talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain – he was in Ukraine today. I thanked Spain for the new defense aid package for our country. We discussed what could further strengthen our defense. In particular, we are working together with Spain to really provide an air shield for Ukraine. And it is very nice that today famous and talented historian Timothy Snyder became the new ambassador of our charity platform UNITED24. His name is well known in Ukraine. He is one of those who consistently defends the historical truth about Ukrainians and explains to the world why Ukraine is important. Now that Mr. Snyder has joined the fundraising effort to strengthen our anti-drone defense, he will focus on the Shahed Hunter project. I am sure that when we together provide Ukraine with reliable protection against this partnership – the Russian and Iranian regimes – it will be one of the strongest pages of our state history. And one more thing I would like to pay attention to. You probably heard today that the Kremlin is saying that they demanded security guarantees from Ukraine. We should think for a moment about their statements. Two hundred fifty two days ago Russia demanded security guarantees from the United States of America. After eight months of Russia's so-called "special operation," the Kremlin is demanding security guarantees from Ukraine. These are really striking changes. This shows both the failure of Russian aggression and how strong you and I are when we remain united. Millions of Ukrainian men and women who fight and work for our freedom. And millions of people around the world who help us resist Russian terror. Together we will ensure the defeat of the terrorist state and its punishment for terror. And we guarantee that all of Ukraine is and will be free. Eternal glory to all our heroes! Eternal memory to all those who gave their lives for Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine!
To endure Russian energy terror is our national task now - address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-11-03
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! First of all, I want to congratulate you on two professional holidays that are celebrated today. This is the Day of Missile Troops and Artillery and the Day of Engineering Troops. I sincerely congratulate all warriors, veterans and relatives of our heroes who serve in these troops. Ukrainian artillery became the strongest in Europe and one of the strongest in the world. It will always be like that. Despite the physical advantage of enemy artillery - simply quantitative - our warriors provide better results. The advantage of our gunners is qualitative - skills, intelligence, faith in themselves and in our country. And I signed the decrees on awarding two brigades with a special award - "For courage and bravery". These are the 43rd separate artillery brigade named after Hetman Taras Triasylo and the 44th separate artillery brigade named after Hetman Danylo Apostol. Thank you guys for your precision! Ukrainian engineering troops are exactly those warriors who make a vital contribution to the advancement of our units, and therefore to the liberation of our territory. They create a material basis for the movement of troops and for the protection of positions - barricades, crossings, demining and much more. I thank all units of these two branches of the troops, each soldier, relatives of our soldiers and all those who support them and who help them. Today, there were various negotiations and meetings to strengthen our state. The visit of the President of Greece took place, and the key meaning of the visit is precisely defensive. We received from Greece the first batch of armored vehicles, which are extremely necessary now. Defense cooperation, strengthening of sanctions against Russia, creation of a special tribunal on the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine were discussed. Of course, we also talked about the reconstruction of Ukraine. All this is a special topic for Greece. The community of Ukrainian Greeks traditionally lives in the south of our country, in many cities and villages, a large part of which was badly damaged by Russian strikes. Many Greeks lived in Mariupol, in the Mariupol area... I hope that Greece will actively support our efforts to bring all Russian murderers and torturers to justice for what they have done against our people. And when we return the Ukrainian flag to all the cities and villages of the south of our country, we will certainly invite Greece, its companies and specialists to participate in the restoration of normal life in this part of Ukraine. Today I also met with representatives of the US Congress - Senators Chris Coons and Rob Portman. I thanked them for the continued bipartisan support and for the assistance that the United States provides to our country. We talked primarily about an air shield for Ukraine, about how to speed up the liberation of our territory. Challenges in the energy sector were discussed separately and in a very specific manner. Russian attacks on our energy sector, on our energy facilities, do not stop for a single day. Kryvyi Rih was attacked by Iranian drones this night. Such Russian terror must receive - and surely will eventually receive - a powerful global response. I am grateful to our friends in the United States who are helping with this. In general, there is damage to energy facilities in different areas across the country - this is the volume of electricity generation and transportation for millions of people. Only as of this evening, about 4.5 million consumers have been temporarily disconnected from consumption under emergency and stabilization schedules. In particular, in Kyiv and ten regions: Kyiv region, Dnipropetrovsk region, Zhytomyr region, Zaporizhzhia region, Sumy region, Kirovohrad region, Kharkiv region, Chernihiv region, Khmelnytskyi region, Cherkasy region. Blackouts may take place in other regions as well. To endure Russian energy terror and such a challenge is our national task, one of the main ones now. The very fact that Russia resorted to terror against the energy industry shows the weakness of the enemy. They cannot defeat Ukraine on the battlefield, and that is why they are trying to break our people in this way - to humiliate Ukrainians, to strike at the morale of our people, at the resistance of our people. I believe that Russia will not succeed. It is important now to preserve our ability to act together. Therefore, today I want to draw attention to two things. The first is the attention of local authorities. Please ensure that there is no unnecessary use of electricity in all cities and communities of Ukraine. Now is definitely not the time for bright showcases, signs, advertisements and other such lighting. I also appeal to the energy companies - publicly, so that everyone can hear it. Please be more active in explaining to people when and why you disconnect this or that street, this or that district. Now is the time for such microcommunications. People have a right to know. And if consumers contact and report this or that injustice in energy supply, please respond to it immediately. Work together with local authorities. If someone stays without electricity for eight or ten hours, and everything is connected, including street lighting, across the street, then this is definitely unfair. It is necessary to do everything so that disconnections are predictable and completely understandable for consumers. In particular, I spoke today with the President of Moldova about energy challenges. The terrible consequences of Russian hybrid aggression are felt by all Europeans, and the citizens of Moldova as well. We talked with Mrs. Sandu about what we can do together in the interests of our people and for the protection of our states. I also spoke with the President of Indonesia today. The topic is clear - this is the G20 summit, which will begin shortly. This is our effort to prevent a food crisis. And I thank Mr. President for his support in this matter, for his positive assessment of our efforts. There is a conclusion of the IAEA today - it is quite obvious. The organization's mission visited all the objects that Russian representatives mentioned when they told their fantasies about the so-called dirty bomb. We have invited the IAEA to check, we have given them full freedom of action at the relevant facilities, and we have clear and irrefutable evidence that no one in Ukraine has created or is creating any "dirty bombs". And the only thing that is dirty in our region now is the heads of those in Moscow who, unfortunately, seized control of the Russian state and are terrorizing Ukraine and the whole world. The important document was prepared and published today by an international group of experts working under the leadership of Michael McFaul and Andriy Yermak. This is a document about absolutely necessary sanctions against Russia in the IT sphere. This is what can really weaken the potential of Russian aggressiveness. IT is used for missile and drone terror, for the production of military equipment, for cyber attacks and the spread of disinformation. That is, it is one of the pillars of the Russian war against Ukraine and freedom in the whole world. We offer a concrete way to break this Russian IT pillar. I am sure that we will complete this task as well - there will definitely be corresponding new sanctions against Russia. And the last point. Today, another 107 Ukrainians were freed from Russian captivity. Six of them are officers, 101 are sergeants and privates. Army, Navy, territorial defense, National Guard, border guards... Many of them were wounded, and very seriously. Everyone is already getting the aid they need. I am sincerely glad that another 107 families have seen their loved ones, and I thank all our team who made this exchange possible: intelligence, the Office, the Security Service, the ombudsman. We will definitely return home all Ukrainian men and women who are in captivity in Russia or in the temporarily occupied territory. We remember each of our heroes. Glory to all who defend our state! Glory to all who fight and work, bringing our victory closer! As for the front, the guys are moving forward. As for the grain, the ships are on their way. As for the occupiers, they are also on their way... following the warships! Glory to Ukraine!
It is good that the world pays attention only to what the terrorist state actually does, not what it says - address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-11-04
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! Today is Railway Worker's Day - a professional holiday of thousands of people who have become a real pillar for our country. For us, the railway is transport, as it has always been, the provision of defense, the supply of everything necessary for society, and the production of defense structures. In the afternoon, I congratulated the workers of Ukrzaliznytsia, presented state awards. I want to once again thank all the railway workers for their conscientiousness, for the fact that they show with their work how the ordinary performance of official duties in unusual circumstances becomes an important part of the movement of the entire nation towards victory in the war. During the day, an air alert was announced several times in most regions of our country. There are downed Shaheds, there are downed Kalibrs. In particular, eight Shaheds were shot down by the unit of the 301st Nikopol anti-aircraft missile regiment. Two Kalibrs were destroyed by the units of the South and Center air commands. I thank you warriors for this result! In the south, as usual, the fighters of the 59th separate motorized infantry brigade named after Yakov Handziuk have good results. They destroy enemy equipment, Russian manpower. The fighters of the 406th separate artillery brigade are also doing a great job - very precisely. The most fierce fighting throughout this week is concentrated in Donbas - Bakhmut and Soledar. We are holding our positions. And in these and some other directions in the Donetsk region, the Russian army has already spent as many lives of its people and as much ammunition as it probably did not spend in the two Chechen wars combined. But the real level of Russia's losses is concealed from Russian society. They even concealed their mobilization now and are simply lying to people that the mobilization task has allegedly been completed. The truth is, in the regions of Russia and on our occupied territory, they continue to collect people to send them to death. And this absolutely insane stubbornness of the owners of today's Russia is the best indicator that everything they tell some foreign leaders about their alleged readiness for negotiations is just as false. When someone thinks about negotiations, he does not look for ways to deceive everyone around him in order to send tens or hundreds of thousands more people to the meat grinder - mobilized or in the form of some mercenaries. And it is very good that the world perceives Russian rhetoric as it deserves, namely as a lie, and pays attention only to what the terrorist state actually does. Does, not says. We are ready for peace, for a fair and just peace, the formula of which we have voiced many times. The world knows our position. This is respect for the UN Charter, respect for our territorial integrity, respect for our people and due responsibility for terror - this is punishment for all those who are guilty and full compensation by Russia for the damage caused to us. Today we have a very important statement from the ministers of foreign affairs of the G7, a very thorough one. It covers key aspects of the situation in our defense against Russian aggression. I especially want to thank the partners for creating a coordination mechanism to help our country rebuild its critical energy infrastructure. Today we have a new defense assistance package from our American friends. The amount of the package is $400 million. And in particular, it is armored vehicles, which we very much need to move forward at the front. I am grateful to President Biden, the U.S. Congress and the entire American people for the continued and vital assistance. I would like to single out the Netherlands, which announced its next package of military assistance. The amount is 125 million euros. This is, in particular, what will ensure the strengthening of our tank units - together with American and Czech efforts. Jake Sullivan, U.S. President's National Security Advisor, visited Kyiv today. He is constantly working in communication with Head of the Office Andriy Yermak, and this line of Ukrainian-American interaction is very helpful to us in protecting the state. We are working on the issue of air defense and anti-missile defense for Ukraine. Today, I celebrated Mr. Sullivan's personal efforts by presenting him with one of the most honorable awards of our state - the Order of Yaroslav the Wise. And we discussed in detail with Mr. Sullivan how we can further strengthen our interaction. These days, the First Lady of Ukraine and representatives of our government visited Portugal - the Web Summit, one of the most powerful annual events for the global IT industry, took place there. Olena opened the summit with her speech. She called on the IT community to help protect our state, and this requires very technological things. And we feel that there will be a response. In general, Ukraine was represented at the Web Summit by the largest team in history: representatives of leading IT companies, foundations, and more than 70 Ukrainian startups. The IT industry is one of the foundations of the modern economy, and even this year - despite everything - our export of computer services is growing - and significantly compared to the 21st year, and Ukrainian IT companies attracted about $350 million in investments. This is a serious result, but we will do everything to make the result even greater. There was also a meeting of the First Lady with the leaders of Portugal - the President and the Prime Minister. I thank them for the support and willingness to help Ukraine more. And one more thing. November 4 is the day when an important step was taken in the development of our sovereign statehood. 31 years ago, on this very day, the Law of Ukraine "On the State Border" was adopted. This is one of the first fundamental documents of restored Ukrainian independence. We remember every corner of our country. We will liberate all our cities and villages, no matter what the occupiers plan to prolong their stay on Ukrainian soil. Ukraine will be free. And our entire border will be restored - both on land and at sea. Both in the east and in the south. Glory to all who bring our victory closer! Thank you to everyone who helps Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine!
We must ensure full protection of Ukrainian sky, we will do everything for this – address of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
EN 2022-11-05
Dear Ukrainians, I wish you health! I held another meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Staff today – it was quite long, three hours. We analyzed the situation on the front line in great detail – in all directions, on the energy front, the situation on the borders. The Commander-in-Chief, commanders, head of intelligence, Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, head of border guards delivered reports. We know what the enemy is preparing for. We will respond and continue to liberate our land. Everything related to the defense forces supply support was also analyzed thoroughly. These are equipment, ammunition, communication, winter uniforms. Countermeasures against missile and drone terror were considered separately – there are already quite significant results in this, the percentage of shooting down has become higher, but there is still work to be done. We must ensure full protection of the Ukrainian sky and will continue to do everything possible and impossible for this. In the coming weeks, we expect good news regarding air defense and anti-missile defense for Ukraine. By the way, today there were messages from Iran, from official representatives. There they decided to admit that they did supply drones for Russian terror. But even in this confession they lied. We shoot down at least ten Iranian drones every day, and the Iranian regime claims that it allegedly gave little and even before the start of the full-scale invasion. Only during one day yesterday, 11 Shahed drones were destroyed. We know for sure that Iranian instructors taught Russian terrorists how to use drones, and Tehran is generally silent about it. And if Iran continues lying about the obvious, it means that the world will make even more efforts to investigate the terrorist cooperation between the Russian and Iranian regimes and what Russia is paying Iran for such cooperation. There will be no such thing in the modern world that any of the terrorists or their accomplices will remain unpunished. The situation on the front line did not undergo significant changes during the day. The greatest brutality of the occupiers, as before, is focused in Donetsk region. But constant fighting continues in other parts of the front as well – this is more than one thousand kilometers of the line of combat clashes. Today, I would like to pay particular attention to the National Guardsmen who defend our state in Luhansk region as part of the defense forces. In particular, the soldiers of the 27th Pechersk Brigade of the National Guard, who, together with units of the Ground Forces, very effectively erase enemy equipment and the occupiers. Thank you guys! We are doing everything so that you and all other soldiers have even more opportunities to chase the enemy. And the next weeks will be very important from this point of view – we are working extremely closely with our partners to get more tanks, more "armor," more artillery for Ukraine. I would also like to mention our border guards – those who continue strengthening the borders in Sumy region, Chernihiv region and Kharkiv region despite constant Russian shelling and provocations. In some border areas of our country, terrorists use mortar fire and there is a constant threat of rocket attacks almost every day. Thank you, guys, for your persistence and endurance! This week it was possible to ensure the continuation of the operation of the grain corridor in the Black Sea. According to the results of seven days, 28 vessels carrying more than 800,000 tonnes of foodstuffs left the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdenny. The destinations are Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Algeria, Oman, Turkey, China and Ethiopia. Moreover, the ship to Ethiopia with 30,000 tonnes of wheat on board was chartered by the UN Food Program. And this is a typical list of countries that consume most of our agricultural exports. It was the example of the grain export initiative by which we showed that the world is capable of guaranteeing stability despite any threats posed by Russia. The world did not succumb to Russian blackmail, key actors acted decisively, and as a result, the aggravation of the food crisis was avoided. This is one of the most significant international results of the entire autumn. When the world is united, terrorists stand no chance. Another proof of the power of real world unity is the work of our charity platform UNITED24. Today is exactly six months after its launch. Nearly $220 million received in donations from millions of people of more than hundred countries. Drones, helicopters, demining machines are being bought for Ukraine, in particular the very effective Armtraс machines, dozens of ambulance vehicles that are already used in the frontline areas. Star ambassadors joined the project: Andriy Shevchenko, Elina Svitolina, Oleksandr Usyk, Demna, Liev Schreiber, Mark Hamill, Imagine Dragons, Barbra Streisand, Scott Kelly and Timothy Snyder. I thank every UNITED24 donor and ambassador, the project team and everyone who helps us defend ourselves against Russian terror! And, by the way, next week we will launch another fundraising direction – we will raise funds for a fleet of marine drones. I think absolutely everyone understands what this is and what it is needed for, and I am sure that millions of people will support this direction in our defense. Everyone has already seen how it works. And this is only for the protection of our marine water area, we claim nothing that does not belong to us. Glory to all who fight and work for Ukraine! Glory to every our hero! Glory to Ukraine!
Anyone who helps Russia prolong the war should bear responsibility for the consequences along with it - address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-11-06
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! Today I spoke with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. It was a very productive conversation. Working conversation. We have got confirmation from the President regarding macro-financial support for Ukraine - until the end of this year and next year. The scope and details of this program will be presented by our European friends already in the upcoming week. We also talked about assistance in restoring our energy sector and energy infrastructure. I am also grateful for the full support of our efforts to preserve the grain export initiative. Of course, increasing pressure on the Iranian regime was discussed today with Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen. Its complicity in Russian terror must be punished. And we will bring this issue not only to the level of our traditional partners. The whole world will know that the Iranian regime helps Russia prolong this war, and therefore prolong the effect of those threats to the world provoked precisely by the Russian war. If it was not for the Iranian supply of weapons to the aggressor, we would be closer to peace now. And this means closer to a complete solution to the food crisis. Closer to solving the cost of living crisis. Closer to stabilization at the energy market. Closer to reliable security against radiation blackmail, which Russia does not give up. Therefore, absolutely everyone who helps Russia prolong this war must bear responsibility for the consequences of this war along with it. Today, the occupiers used Iranian attack drones again. There are downed ones. But, unfortunately, there are also hits. We also understand that the terrorist state is concentrating forces and means for a possible repetition of mass attacks on our infrastructure. First of all, energy. In particular, for this, Russia needs Iranian missiles. We are preparing to respond. But also, please note: more and more often there are reports that not a single Kalibr carrier has gone on combat duty in the Black Sea. This is a significant result, which was ensured by our defenders. The smaller the Russian Black Sea fleet, the safer it is in the Black Sea. And there will definitely be a day when we will announce that we have provided Ukraine with full protection from the Russian threat both at sea and in the sky. I am sure of it. Very fierce Russian attacks in the Donetsk region continue. The enemy suffers serious losses there, but despite everything, despite any losses, he continues to drive his mobilized soldiers and mercenaries to their deaths. I thank all our warriors who withstand this terrible pressure, who remain steadfast and heroically defend our positions. And I especially want to single out today the fighters of the 79th separate airborne assault brigade for their bravery and heroism during the defense in the Avdiivka direction. I also thank everyone involved in eliminating the consequences of Russian terrorist attacks in Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, cities and communities of the Dnipropetrovsk region, and Mykolaiv. We will definitely drive out the occupiers, we will definitely guarantee the safety of all our cities, all our communities. As of this evening, stabilization blackouts continue in Kyiv and six regions. More than 4.5 million consumers are without electricity. Most of them are now in Kyiv and the Kyiv region. It’s really difficult. During the week, I had several special meetings with government officials, representatives of energy companies and regional administrations regarding probable scenarios in the energy sector. We consider each scenario in detail and prepare appropriate actions. No matter what the terrorists want, no matter what they try to achieve, we must endure this winter and be even stronger in the spring than we are now, be even more ready for the liberation of our entire territory than now. Every month we have to set difficult goals and, passing through them, become even stronger. Glory to all who fight and work for our victory! Gratitude to everyone who helps! Glory to Ukraine!
Escalation of Russian missile and drone terror only led to the world responding with new aid to Ukraine - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
EN 2022-11-07
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! I’ve just spoken with Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of the bloc that won the elections in Israel. I congratulated him on victory. We discussed the main aspects of relations between our states. I think it is clear to everyone what Ukraine emphasizes and what security emphasis Israel makes. I believe that we can significantly strengthen our states, especially since the threats to us are related. Today, the occupiers struck more than 50 settlements in our country. Donbas, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson region, Mykolaiv region, Kharkiv region, Dnipropetrovsk region... Missiles, aviation, MLRS. We respond everywhere. We have the necessary results - another Russian aircraft was shot down. We also received new systems that significantly strengthen our air defense. The protection of the Ukrainian sky is, of course, not one hundred percent, but we are gradually moving towards our goal. As of today, we can say that the recent escalation of Russian missile and drone terror has only resulted in the world responding - responding with new aid to Ukraine. We will do everything so that as many countries as possible join this aid. In general, along the front, our forces are in a state of active defense - in some parts of the east and south, we are gradually pushing back the enemy. We are gradually moving forward. The Donetsk region remains the epicenter of the greatest madness of the occupiers - they die by the hundreds every day. The ground in front of the Ukrainian positions is literally littered with the bodies of the occupiers... And some of the Russian military started to think about what was happening. They "complained" to the governor of their region - Primorsky Krai - about colossal losses. And this governor, comrade Kozhemyako, predictably lied in response: he says that the losses are "far from being such". Not such... And what kind are they? From Vladivostok to Pavlovka, Donetsk region, it is more than 9 thousand kilometers. But he is sure that the losses "are not such." The governor, probably, can better see from there how many soldiers from his region are sent for slaughter and in what way. Or he was simply ordered to lie. Ordered from Moscow. This is how the order to lie about Russian losses crosses thousands of kilometers. And even the bodies of most of those killed will not be brought back to some Vladivostok. But I am sure that Governor Kozhemyako will come out and explain why not everyone arrived, not everyone from those “not such” returned. You can avoid this not by complaining to some wimps, but by your own opinion. And not in Telegram, but in public. Not by a complaint, but by a fierce protest. Not somewhere under the blanket, but on the streets. Against those in Moscow. Or by surrendering to Ukrainian captivity. This is how you can survive as well. Decision regarding some Ukrainian enterprises was announced today. This decision was dictated by military necessity and was agreed upon at the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. Five strategic enterprises were forcibly alienated for wartime needs - Motor Sich, KrAZ, Ukrnafta, Ukrtatnafta and Zaporizhtransformator. Some of them hardly worked. Now all of them will work. For defense. This is the repair and production of equipment, provision of the defense forces, and restoration of our infrastructure. A complex task that can be accomplished only through the system of military-state management. I do not rule out other similar decisions either. I delivered an important international address today. Climate summit in Egypt. A very significant event, a very representative gathering. Dozens of state leaders and heads of government. The main thing for us is to inform the world about the ongoing Russian aggression, about the destabilizing influence that Russia exerts. When the world is focused on combating war, energy and food crises, the destruction of customary international relations, the climate agenda is clearly suffering. And the destruction of the climate cannot somehow be put on hold... Therefore, anyone who is serious about the climate agenda should also be serious about the need to immediately stop Russian aggression, restore our territorial integrity, and force Russia into genuine peace negotiations. Into such negotiations, which we have repeatedly proposed, and to which we always received insane Russian responses with new terrorist attacks, shelling or blackmail. Once again - restoration of territorial integrity, respect for the UN Charter, compensation for all damages caused by the war, punishment of every war criminal and guarantees that this will not happen again. These are completely understandable conditions. Today I signed the decree on awarding our heroes. 396 Ukrainian servicemen were honored with state awards. Thank you to everyone who fights for Ukraine! Thank you to everyone who works for our victory! Thank you to all our partners who help us defend freedom! Glory to Ukraine!
The Liberty Medal is for everyone who fights and works to protect Ukraine, everyone who supports us - speech by President at the 34th award ceremony of the National Constitution Center
EN 2022-11-08
Dear Friends! It is a great honor to be awarded with the Medal of Liberty, presented to me by senators Chris Coons and Rob Portman during their visit to Kyiv. This award really demonstrates how and what Ukrainian people are fighting for. Liberty is the main word for us and what really unites all Ukrainians. As in any democratic society, Ukrainians have different views on life and politics. As the case was in previous years, we felt divided arguing whether we would ever be able to stand together. But when Russia decided to destroy our freedom and wipe Ukraine off the face of the earth, we immediately got united and we keep this unity. All divisions are put aside. There is no place for political conflicts. Because when there is a mortal threat to freedom, everything else is not important. Millions of people are fighting and working to protect Ukraine. They are very different people. After the Russian full-scale invasion started, they all decided – "we are here" and we will never give up our freedom. And I believe that this Liberty Medal is for all men and women of Ukraine who, after the 24th of February, showed to the world's largest autocracy that only defeat is what it can win in Ukraine. These are our soldiers and officers. This is a massive wave of our volunteers – those who provide our defenders with everything they need. These are farmers who stopped Russian armored vehicles on the roads to their communities and helped the Army. These are IT specialists, who build defense against Russian cyberattacks. These are companies that work despite constant Russian terror and keep jobs for Ukrainians. These are doctors who help always everywhere. These are school teachers and university professors who can read lectures even in bomb shelters and distantly from the trenches on the front lines, but they do not give up and teach children – teach them to believe in themselves, in freedom and in Ukraine. In less than nine months, more than thirty thousand Ukrainians have been honored state awards for their contribution to our national defense. First of all, they are our heroic soldiers. These are rescuers who do away with the effects of Russian shelling. These are energy workers who return electricity to people after Russian missiles and Iranian drones hit power plants – Russia wants to leave millions of our people without energy in the winter. These are transport workers who supply our defense, economy and communities. These are different people of various jobs who are all equally fight against the invasion. However, this Liberty Medal is an award not only for our people. When this war began, Ukraine heard something very important from the world – we heard that "the democracies are here." And we see now what democracies are capable of when they act in unity. Every potential aggressor in the world sees the help that the United States and the free world is providing to us, and all the sanctions imposed against Russia – sees and believes that it is better not to start a war against freedom at all. In fact, this is one of the greatest contributions to the global peace and security during our lifetime. Together with our partners, we are developing a new security architecture – these are security guarantees for Ukraine and Europe which will not only re-empower the principles of the UN Charter, but will also become a model for nations in other parts of the world – a model to avoid new cruel wars. And that is why, I believe that this Liberty Medal is also to all friends of freedom in the United States and other countries. To all those, who are helping us to restore our territorial integrity, and thus to restore peace. This Liberty Medal is to those who support us with weapons, air defense systems, fInance and diplomacy. To those who are helping to rebuild after the Russian strikes. To those who impose sanctions against Russia and its accomplices such as the Iranian regime. When after the beginning of the Russian invasion, I said – "the president is here", when millions of Ukrainians decided at the same time – "we are here" and we will not surrender, and when the world supported us, saying – "democracies are here", then it meant and still mean – "freedom is here ", "human dignity is here", "law is here". And one day it will definitely mean – "peace is here". I call on you to maintain unwavering unity, as it is now, until that very day when we all hear those important words we have been dreaming of… Until we hear that peace has finally been restored. Democracies must not stop on their way to the victory. I thank you for your attention! Thank you for your support – President Biden, both parties of the Congress, and every American citizen! Please know that you support not just a country or its leader, you support millions of people who, like you, cherish freedom. And I decided to send the prize money of our Liberty Medal to help Ukrainian veterans – to rebuild and modernize the rehabilitation center for veterans in the city of Borodyanka, Kyiv region of Ukraine. Let everything bring our victory closer! Слава Україні!
There can be no effective climate policy without peace on earth - address by the President of Ukraine to the participants of the 27th UN Conference on Climate Change in Sharm el-Sheikh
EN 2022-11-08
Dear colleagues! Dear Mr. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi! Ladies and Gentlemen! At this Conference, like at other summits and high level meetings on catastrophic climate change, there is no lack of words. There is no lack of good definitions and no shortage of prescriptions for what the world should do. I listened to some of the speeches today – and I agree with many of the assessments. The world is on the brink. And beyond this limit – devastating changes that will forever change the usual life on all continents. Colleagues have described well what this means. No one can stay aside. And the poorer the person, the poorer the family, the poorer the country – the more painful the effects of climate change will be for them. However, this also applies to all rich nations – it is impossible to buy off the destruction of the climate. But why do we keep talking about it every year? Why instead of reports on what has been done, the same forecasts and appeals are made every year? I will be honest – there are still many who do not take the climate agenda seriously. And not only in politics, but also in big business. There are still many for whom climate change is just rhetoric or marketing or political ritual – whatever, but not real action. They are the ones who hamper the implementation of climate goals. They are the ones in their offices who make fun of those who fight to save life on the planet, although in public they seem to support the work for the sake of nature in every possible way. They are the ones who start wars of aggression when the planet cannot afford a single gunshot, because it needs global joint actions. You all know about the war that Russia started in Europe, trying to destroy the independence of my country. But what does this war mean? This Russian war has brought about an energy crisis that has forced dozens of countries to resume coal-fired power generation in order to lower energy prices for their people at least a little... To lower prices that are shockingly rising due to deliberate Russian actions. The Russian war brought an acute food crisis to the world, which hit worst those countries suffering from the existing manifestations of climate change – catastrophic droughts, large-scale floods. The Russian war destroyed 5 million acres of forests in Ukraine in less than six months! Not every country in the world has such an area of forests that were burned in Ukraine by Russian shelling. We have to check every day the situation at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe. If there is no radiation leaks? The Russian army has turned this nuclear power plant de-facto into a military training ground. They are constantly "playing" with connecting and disconnecting the plant and nuclear reactors from the power grid. This is a direct risk of a radiation disaster. Who will care, for example, about the amount of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere if part of Europe or the Middle East, and possibly northern Africa, God forbid, are covered by a radiation cloud after an accident in Zaporizhzhia? Last year we could not even imagine that kind of question, but this year Russia has posed dozens of such questions to the world. Ladies and Gentlemen! World needs honesty.We must tell those who do not take the climate agenda seriously that they are making a catastrophic mistake. We must stop those who, with their insane and illegal war, are destroying the world's ability to work united for a common goal. There can be no effective climate policy without peace on the Earth. Because, in fact, nations are thinking only about how to protect themselves here and now from the threats created in particular by the Russian aggression. Russia needs to shut the guns and hide its missiles so the world finally hears what we can all really do together to save ourselves from the climate disaster. All of us – in Europe, Africa, Asia, America, Australia. I invite you all to support our initiative presented here at the Conference – creation of a global platform to assess the Impact of military actions on climate and environment. We are all thinking about how to generate hundreds of billions of dollars to help developing countries protect themselves from the climate change. Under these conditions, how can anyone cause additional insane damage to the nature with their invasive military ambitions? Such ambitions deserve only punishment. Mr. President of Egypt said an important thing in his speech: we must meet expectations of the people all over the world – people who are suffering more than ever. I absolutely support this goal. We must ensure that suffering does not multiply because the world does not have time to respond to climate challenges. But to do this, we need joint effective actions. And for them to be, we need peace. And I thank everyone who works for peace! I thank everyone who takes seriously the need to protect life on the Earth for the benefit of all people – all nations, all classes, all cultures. I thank you for your attention. Слава Україні!
We are doing everything to ensure that the Russian plan to turn winter into a weapon fails - address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-11-08
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! An important preparatory week for us continues on the eve of diplomatic activities in the second half of November. These are important summits: G20, ASEAN, NATO Parliamentary Assembly and some others. The position of Ukraine must be and will be heard in all parts of the world. We are also working to continue and expand our grain export initiative. We will add a permanent humanitarian component to grain exports. Together with the advanced and most conscientious states, we will increase aid to those countries and peoples who are particularly suffering from the food crisis. And the first meetings have already taken place, we already have the first international agreements. In fact, together with our partners, we are starting cooperation, which can become the basis for guaranteeing food security at a new level. It has long been said that global coordination is needed to save the world's poorest countries from starvation. And we are currently developing such a coordination mechanism. I hope it will be implemented. Today I met with United States Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, and a significant part of our talks was devoted to humanitarian topics. Because the more meaningful our cooperation with partners to overcome various humanitarian problems will be, the less international conflicts and crises will be used by Russia to blackmail the international community. We separately discussed with Mrs. Thomas-Greenfield our steps within the UN General Assembly and draft resolutions proposed by Ukraine. It is very important that we talked about how to ensure the access of representatives of the UN and the Red Cross to Ukrainian men and women held in Russian captivity. We use every day and every international opportunity to move closer to the release of all our people from captivity. We remember everyone who is being held captive by the occupiers. In the information space, there is a certain decrease in the number of news from the front. There are fewer messages than, for example, at the beginning of autumn. But this does not mean that the intensity of the fighting has become less. The situation is difficult on the entire front. In some areas, brutal positional battles continue, as before, and it is especially difficult - also as before - in the Donetsk region. The activity of the occupiers there remains at an extremely high level - dozens of attacks every day. They suffer extremely large-scale losses, but their order has not changed - to reach the administrative border of the Donetsk region. We do not give up a single centimeter of our land there. And I thank all our heroes who are holding positions in Donbas. Kherson region. We clearly understand what the enemy is planning, so we act accordingly. Carefully, thoughtfully and in the interests of the liberation of our entire territory. We are reinforcing our positions, ruining Russian logistics, and consistently destroying the potential of the occupiers to keep the south of our country under occupation. East. Step by step, we are moving towards the return of the Ukrainian flag to all our cities and communities. We are also actively reinforcing the border. At the same time, work continues to restore normal life in the liberated areas. Only in the past day and only, for example, in two districts of the Kharkiv region, gas and electricity have been restored to more than a thousand households. Repair work is also ongoing at all the energy facilities damaged by the recent Russian strikes. As of this evening, about 4 million Ukrainians in 14 regions and the city of Kyiv are disconnected from electricity supply. But most of them are disconnected based on stabilization schedules, not on an emergency basis. I thank all our energy workers, utility workers, regional administrations, local self-governments - everyone who restores the predictability of life to our people even in such conditions. Today, the government of Ukraine made an important decision that will help get through the winter period. The import of goods needed during the heating season will be exempt from VAT and import duty. This should simplify and reduce the cost of supplying Ukraine with generators, batteries, transformers and other equipment for energy and heat supply. It is also important that sufficient volumes of gas and coal are being accumulated to provide for Ukrainians. We clearly understand: turning winter into a weapon is the plan of a terrorist state against our state, as well as against the whole of Europe. But we are doing everything so that this Russian plan also fails, like various previous ones. And one more thing. On the Walk of the Brave in Kyiv, we opened a plaque that appeared there first. This is a plaque dedicated to Sean Penn. He was in Ukraine on February 24 and since that day he has been doing everything to help us accumulate international support. The Walk of the Brave is not just a sign of our gratitude to political, public and cultural leaders who defend freedom together with Ukrainians, but also a reminder to all future generations of our people about what different people, forces and industries united for our victory. The Walk of the Brave will feature all the leaders who supported Ukraine personally, coming to our land at the crucial time of a full-scale war. When such a leader arrives in Ukraine now, we open his name plaque. In general, dozens of names will be presented on the Walk of the Brave. To date, in addition to Sean Penn, the following have already been honored: President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, President of Poland Andrzej Duda, President of Latvia Egils Levits, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala, Prime Minister of Slovenia Janez Janša, Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki, Deputy Prime Minister of Poland Jarosław Kaczyński. I thank everyone who helps Ukraine! Glory to everyone who fights for our state! Glory to our strong people! Glory to Ukraine!
The enemy does not bring us gifts, "gestures of goodwill," we fight our way up – address of President of Ukraine
EN 2022-11-09
Dear Ukrainians, I wish you health! Today, the day started very early with a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. The situation at the front line was analyzed in detail. South, east... Very carefully – Donbas. The greatest confrontation is now in Donetsk region, it's very important, a lot is being decided there. Any losses there are further losses in the country. That's why we stand. We stand firm. We don't surrender anything. I thank each of our heroes who are holding back these terrible attacks of the occupiers. Constant attacks. South. We are moving gradually, strengthening our positions step by step. There is a lot of joy in the media space today, and it is clear why. But our emotions must be restrained – always during war. I will definitely not feed the enemy with all the details of our operations, either in the south, or in the east, or anywhere else. When we have our result, everyone will see it. For sure. Maybe it doesn't sound like what anyone expects now. Maybe not as in the news. But you need to understand: no one just gets away if they don't feel the strength. The enemy does not bring us gifts, does not make "gestures of goodwill." We fight our way up. And when you are fighting, you must understand that every step is always resistance from the enemy, it is always the loss of the lives of our heroes. Therefore, we move very carefully, without emotions, without unnecessary risk. In the interests of the liberation of our entire land and so that the losses are as small as possible. This is how we will secure the liberation of Kherson, Kakhovka, Donetsk, and other our cities. But this will be the result of our efforts, our defense operations, those that are currently ongoing, those that we are planning. And now I want separately and once again to warn everyone in Moscow who makes the relevant decisions: any attempt by you to blow up the Kakhovka HPP and flood our territory and dehydrate the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant will mean that you are declaring war on the whole world. Think what will happen to you then. At the meeting of the Staff we also discussed the supply and production of weapons – our weapons – the repair of equipment, the strengthening of our anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense, which is ongoing, the recovery of critical infrastructure, primarily energy, after the Russian terrorist attacks. As of this evening, there are electricity blackouts to stabilize the situation in 15 regions and the city of Kyiv. There are no emergency blackouts. Wherever electricity is out, it should be in accordance with published schedules. Please, if the blackout at your house or street is not on schedule today, notify the local authorities and representatives of the energy company that serves you. They must change the situation and stick to the schedule. I spoke today with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte. Just about recovering our energy sector, protection of the Ukrainian sky. Thank you for your willingness to help! Separately, we discussed the export grain initiative, the fundamental need to extend and expand our grain exports. We agreed to cooperate even more closely to support Ukrainian initiatives at the UN. Tomorrow will be a very active negotiation day – many contacts are planned. It is these days that we are completing our preparations for Ukraine's possible participation in the G20 summit next week. The Ukrainian stance has been shaped. As always, our stance will be in the interests of global security. In the evening, I signed another decree on awarding our soldiers. 106 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were given state awards. And one more thing is very important. Today is the Day of Ukrainian Writing and Language and the Ukrainian Day of Cultural Workers and Masters of Folk Art. There was also a dictation of national unity. I thank everyone who joined writing the dictation, it is an important annual tradition. And you know... Today I want to congratulate not only those who teach languages and literature, work in the field of culture and preserve folk art. I want to congratulate all our people. Ukraine holds. Ukraine defends itself. And will definitely defend. It is no longer a question of whether Ukraine and everything Ukrainian exist. Ukraine exists. Ukraine will exist. And our enemy will die – they will die like the dew does in the sunshine. Or like the Russian river crossings under the strikes of the HIMARS systems. Glory to Ukraine!
Dozens of Ukrainian flags have already returned to their rightful place in the framework of the defense operation - address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-11-10
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! Today we have good news from the south. The number of Ukrainian flags returning to their rightful place in the framework of the ongoing defense operation is already dozens. 41 settlements were liberated. I thank all our heroes who make this advance possible. Armed Forces, intelligence, special services... Everyone. And I will especially mention the warriors of the 28th separate mechanized brigade, the 46th airborne assault brigade, the 60th separate infantry brigade and the 128th separate mountain assault brigade. Those who implement offensive actions. Thank you guys! Now we are all happy to see how the Ukrainians who remained in the occupied villages and cities meet our warriors. Many are now checking almost every hour where our units have reached and where else our national flag was raised. But, rejoicing, we should all remember now and always what this movement means, we should remember that every step of our defense forces is the lives of our warriors. Lives given for freedom for Ukrainians. Everything that is happening now has been achieved by months of fierce struggle. It was achieved through courage, pain, and loss. It's not the enemy leaving. It is the Ukrainians who drive the occupiers out at a heavy cost. Just as in the east of our country, in the Kharkiv region. Just as before, in the north - Kyiv region, Sumy region, Chernihiv region. Now - Mykolaiv region, Kherson region. We have to go all the way - on the battlefield and in diplomacy - for our flags, Ukrainian flags, and never again enemy tricolors, to be hoisted on our entire land, along our entire internationally recognized border. It will be so. Our warriors are virtually immediately followed to the liberated areas by those who restore all conditions for normal life. The first and basic one is demining. The occupiers leave behind thousands of unexploded mines and munitions. I have often heard estimates that clearing Ukraine of Russian mines will take decades. We can't wait that long. We have to do in years what elsewhere in the world could have taken decades after hostilities. First of all, houses, social facilities, communications, roads - the entire space of people's lives - are being demined. But the occupiers mine everything: power lines, enterprise buildings, fields, forests. At the peak of mine contamination in Ukraine, we had 300,000 square kilometers of dangerous territory. Today, thanks to the true heroism of Ukrainian sappers and pyrotechnicians, our rescuers and everyone who helps them, the area of land contaminated by mines and munitions has been reduced. Now about 170,000 square kilometers remain for demining. In particular, this is also the case in the most difficult areas - where hostilities are still ongoing, where the enemy will add mines before his retreat, as it is now in Kherson... Plus forests, plus a huge area of fields. I am grateful to our partners who are already implementing mine clearance assistance projects. These are the US, Canada and Great Britain, as well as Denmark, Norway, Estonia, Austria, Poland, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Slovakia, UN structures. Any person on earth - everyone who supports Ukraine - can make a personal contribution through our United24 charity platform. In particular, thanks to such aid, we have already purchased the first most effective demining machine - Armtrac 400 which is currently operating in the Kharkiv region. It covers 1.5 hectares in an hour, fully guaranteeing the disposal of mines. And first of all, it clears the territory along the power lines so that energy workers can fulfill their duties and restore power supply. We will add more such equipment and speed up demining wherever we return our flag, our normal Ukrainian life. The forces of the National Police immediately follow the warriors to the liberated areas. Today, the police entered Kalynivske, Bobrovyi Kut, Yevhenivka, Kotsyubynske and Snihurivka. Stabilization measures began there. I had two important phone calls today. Together with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom we discussed further defense support for our country and exchanged views of the ongoing frontline operations. We are preparing for important international events next week, in particular for the G20 summit, we are coordinating positions with partners. Together with the Prime Minister of Canada we also discussed the G20, our initiatives within the UN - we have important draft resolutions that we propose the General Assembly to support. Separately, we touched upon the areas of defense and security cooperation that already exist with Canada. We are planning to expand our cooperation. There are still important negotiations scheduled for tomorrow. Today I also want to thank the Netherlands for another step to strengthen our defense. 100 million euros will go to the fund to support our defense. These funds, as well as funds from other partners, will be used to purchase equipment directly from manufacturers and will work for the future. For Ukraine to become stronger. And one more thing. Today we have the announcement of a new military assistance package from the United States of America. Important means of air defense. Just what we needed, what we asked for. Glory to all who fight and work for our country and our people! Gratitude to everyone who helps! Eternal glory to all those who give their lives for Ukraine and who gave their lives. Glory to Ukraine!
Volodymyr Zelenskyy's greetings to US Veterans
EN 2022-11-11
US Veterans! On behalf of all Ukrainians, Happy Veterans Day and thank you for your service! For almost 250 years the men and women of the United States armed forces have prevailed against tyranny often against great odds. Your example inspires Ukrainians today to fight back against Russian tyranny. Special thanks to the many American veterans who have volunteered to fight in Ukraine and – to the American people for the amazing support you have given Ukraine. With your help, we have stunned the world and are pushing Russian forces back. Victory will be ours. God Bless America and Слава Україні!
Today is a historic day, we are regaining Kherson - address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-11-11
Ukrainians! Strong people of our indomitable, beautiful and united country! Today is a historic day. We are regaining the south of our country, regaining Kherson. As of now, our defenders are approaching the city, there is still quite a bit left and we are starting to enter. However, special units are already in the city. The people of Kherson were waiting. They never gave up on Ukraine. Hope for Ukraine is always justified - and Ukraine always regains its own. I am happy to see how people, despite all the threats, despite the repression and abuse of the occupiers, cherished the Ukrainian flags, believed in Ukraine... And even when the city is not yet completely cleansed of the enemy's presence, the people of Kherson themselves are already removing Russian symbols and any traces of the occupiers' stay in Kherson from the streets and buildings. It was the same in all other cities liberated by our defenders. It will be the same in those cities that are still waiting for our return. Ukraine will come to all its people. Due to our strength on the battlefield and in diplomacy, we will restore the territorial integrity of our state. I thank every warrior and every unit of the defense forces who are making this offensive operation in the south possible now. Absolutely everyone - from privates to generals. The Armed Forces, intelligence, Security Service, National Guard - all who were bringing this day closer for the Kherson region. We will name all the heroes soon. And they will be awarded even sooner. Shortly after our defense forces reach the designated frontiers, stabilization measures will begin in Kherson, as was the case everywhere. We consistently neutralize the threats. The first is mines. The occupiers left a lot of mines and explosives, in particular on vital objects. We will carry out demining. It is very important: now, when demining has not even begun, we cannot ensure access of media representatives to Kherson. It is necessary to demine at least basic communications, check the main objects. We will restore all conditions of normal life - as much as possible. Our defenders are immediately followed by policemen, sappers, rescuers, energy workers... Medicine, communications, social services are returning... Life is returning. I would like to separately address those Russian soldiers, mercenaries and collaborators who were left behind in Kherson and other cities of the south. The only chance for salvation for you is to surrender to Ukrainian captivity. We guarantee that you will be treated in accordance with the law and international standards. And to those Russian soldiers who have put on civilian clothes and are hiding somewhere I want to say that there is no point in hiding. We'll find you anyway. Don't drag it out. Voluntary Ukrainian captivity is the only option for all occupiers. I held another meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief today. First and foremost is the situation on the frontline, of course, with an emphasis on the developments in the south. But we do not reduce our attention to other areas. We are moving everywhere, reinforcing our positions everywhere. We are holding the line in the Donetsk region. Separately, the situation in the energy sector and the course of restoration work were reviewed. Last night, the occupiers dealt another blow to our critical infrastructure. It is because of this that emergency blackouts had to be applied in parts of the country this morning and afternoon. But in most cities and districts we managed to return to the schedule of stabilization energy restrictions. And we are working as actively as possible to strengthen our ability to protect the sky and restore everything that the occupiers, unfortunately, destroyed. I spoke today with Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz. Informed him about the situation in Kherson, generally at the front. I thanked him for the next steps in defense support, we agreed on the development of such cooperation. Of course, preparations for the G20 summit were discussed. It is obvious that Russia does not think about peace. Another terrorist attack on Mykolaiv, the destruction of a residential building by a Russian rocket is a clear proof of what really worries Russia: not how to reach peace, but how to inflict the most painful damage... Not how to start real negotiations, but how to hit something with a missile or drone in Ukraine so that Ukrainians suffer... Well, Ukraine and the world have the power to punish the terrorists for everything they have done and restore peace. Peace on our terms. Our fundraising platform, United24, has launched a fundraising campaign for a fleet of naval drones. I announced that. So, now everyone - and not only in Ukraine, but also in other countries - can join the formation of the world's first naval drone fleet - something that can provide security to our marine area. The first naval drone, for which funds were raised in less than an hour, was named "Kherson". Quite logical. We will call the second naval drone "Sevastopol". I believe that all this is bringing the time of the liberation of our Crimea closer. I had a meeting with the Lithuanian delegation led by the Speaker of the Seimas of Lithuania. It is symbolic that her name is Viktorija. And it is on such a day that she is with us. I thanked our Lithuanian friends for their help, for the defense support that we have been receiving since the beginning of the Russian invasion. We discussed a wide range of topics: further cooperation in defense, our reconstruction, European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine. And one more thing. Today, another 45 Ukrainian defenders were released from Russian captivity, all of them are warriors of the Armed Forces, soldiers and sergeants. We remember all our heroes who are still in captivity. We will return each and every one. Our team - Budanov, Yermak, Usov, Maliuk, Lubinets and others - works every day to free all our people from Russian captivity. I sincerely thank everyone who cares about Ukraine! Glory to everyone who fights for freedom! Eternal memory to all those whose lives were taken by the occupiers. Glory to Ukraine!
Defense forces win back control in more than 60 settlements of Kherson region – address of President of Ukraine
EN 2022-11-12
Dear Ukrainians, I wish you health! Today we all feel enthusiastic together. I don't know if we have at least one person who hasn't watched the video of our Kherson people greeting the Ukrainian defenders. Months of Russian occupation, months of the mockery of our people, months of stories that Russia is supposedly there forever... And still, there is a sea of Ukrainian flags on the streets. People did not even think of refusing Ukraine. And the world sees it now. It sees what it means when Ukrainians meet their own people. It sees what the unity of Ukrainians means. And it sees why we should liberate our entire land from the invaders. We will see many more such greetings. In those cities and villages that are still under occupation. We don't forget anyone, we won't leave anyone. Thanks to our defense operations and diplomacy, we will definitely reach our state border – all sections of the internationally recognized border of Ukraine. As of this evening, the defense forces have won back control in more than 60 settlements of Kherson region, the police have started taking stabilization measures. Stabilization measures are also ongoing in Kherson itself. Everywhere in the liberated territory, our bomb-disposal experts have a lot of work to do. Almost 2,000 explosive items have already been removed – mines, trip wires, and unexploded ammunition. Before fleeing from Kherson, the occupiers destroyed all critical infrastructure – communication, water supply, heat, electricity... Ruscists everywhere have the same goal – mockery of people as much as possible. But we will restore everything. Believe me. Although it takes time for this, it is already clear to everyone that the outcome will be ours, the Ukrainian one. It is very important now to tell all Kherson residents to be careful and not try to independently check any buildings and objects left by the occupiers. Please, if you have a connection with the townspeople, be sure to pass this on to them. There are ten groups of bomb-disposal experts working in Kherson, the police are working, and there are various units of the defense forces. Today, unfortunately, one of our sappers was injured during demining of the administrative building. Therefore, please, dear citizens of Kherson, be careful and inform the police or rescuers about any suspicious objects you see. The same concerns residents of other settlements in the liberated territory. Please remain vigilant of your own safety. It is very important. Separately, today I want to address all our military personnel who are in other areas of the front, to all those who take care of our security at the borders, to all those who defend Ukraine in the air and at sea, to all those who work for defense in the rear regions. This success of ours in the south became possible thanks to the fact that all our defenders honorably perform their tasks. The words of thanks that our defenders in Kherson region are hearing now are words of thanks to all of you. To everyone who fights for Ukraine, who works for our victory and who, at their level, helps and achieves the results our state needs. And especially these are words of thanks to those who endure the Russian attacks on Donetsk region – it's just hell there. There are extremely brutal battles there every day. But our units defend themselves bravely, withstand the terrible pressure of the occupiers, and maintain our defense lines. It is very important. Thanks to the strong defense there, in Donetsk region, we can conduct offensive operations in other directions. I thank all our soldiers who defend Ukraine in these particularly tough battles. Pavlivka, Maryinka, Pervomaiske, Avdiyivka... The first and second battalions of the 36th Separate Brigade of Marines, the 79th Separate Assault Brigade, the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, the 68th Separate Hunter Brigade, the 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade, the 56th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade and the 55th Zaporizka Sich Separate Artillery Brigade, which supports everyone there... Thank you, soldiers, for your courage, for your bravery! And I join the thanks and wishes that have already been heard from the people of Kherson by our fighters of the 28th and 63rd Separate Mechanized Brigades and the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, our intelligence officers, our fighters of the Special Operations Forces and national guardsmen. Well done. Thank you all for the brilliant performance of tasks for the liberation of Kherson! It will be the same in Henichesk and Melitopol. We will also come to all our cities and villages of Donbas. We will definitely see how people with Ukrainian flags, which they keep there, will meet the Ukrainian forces in Crimea, and there will be hundreds of them on the streets on the day of liberation. I thank everyone who fights and works for Ukrainian victory! I'm thankful to everyone in the world who helps us so much! Eternal glory to all those who gave their lives for their native Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine!
All of us already feel the approach of our victory - address by the President
EN 2022-11-13
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! It is Sunday today. I’m in my office together with our team. The Office is working, Kyiv doesn’t stop, the country works non-stop. Look around - there are always people fighting and working without weekends for the sake of our victory. The frontline has no weekends. Rescuers and sappers have no weekends. Doctors helping the wounded have no weekends. Doctors helping our children have no weekends as well. Ukrainian energy workers fighting against Iranian drones have no rest. All our transport workers… truck drivers ensuring both the defense and the rear, Ukrzaliznytsia and all public companies. Business, which helps. Volunteers we can’t do without. Military enterprises repairing and manufacturing equipment. Diplomats working almost round the clock for 263 days already… Communication workers, security forces, hundreds and hundreds of other spheres, thousands of organizations and enterprises, millions of people. All of us already feel the approach of our victory. Because we preserve our unity and know that we are rightfully on our land. And I thank our commanders, intelligence and everyone involved for working out our next steps. Liberation steps. Stabilization and restoration of law and order in 226 settlements will be ensured in the Kherson region. This is more than 100,000 local residents as of this time. We are restoring communication, Internet, television. We are doing everything to restore normal technical capabilities for electricity and water supply as soon as possible. We will bring back transport and postal services. We will bring back ambulances and normal medicine. Of course, the restoration of the work of authorities, the police, some private companies is already beginning. And I thank the business, which is among the first to participate in the return of normal life. Our presence will be felt! It will be felt that there is life. But please do not forget that the situation in the Kherson region is still very dangerous. First of all, there are mines. Unfortunately, one of our sappers died, and four others were injured while clearing mines. I urge all residents of Kherson to be very careful and immediately inform the rescuers about all dangerous objects. Detention of Russian soldiers and mercenaries who were left behind in this territory and neutralization of saboteurs are also ongoing. Investigators have already documented more than 400 Russian war crimes, the bodies of both civilians and military personnel are being found. In the Kherson region, the Russian army left behind the same atrocities as in other regions of our country, where it was able to enter. We will find and bring to justice every murderer. Without a doubt. The fighting in the Donetsk region is as intense as in previous days. The level of Russian attacks is not decreasing. The level of resilience and bravery of our fighters is the highest. We do not allow our defense to be breached. I thank each of our warriors for this! As of now, the territory of five of our regions was hit by missile, air and artillery strikes of the occupiers during the day. These are Sumy region, Kharkiv region, Zaporizhzhia region, Luhansk region, and Donetsk region. We do everything to make the enemy feel our retaliation. To the maximum. Along the entire frontline, we ensure the destruction of enemy supply chains, ammunition depots, and enemy headquarters. We have to reduce the potential of the occupiers every day - without days off! It saves the lives of our people. And we are already very actively preparing for an important week for Ukraine - diplomatic week. There will be a G20 summit in Indonesia and our position will be presented. In a very meaningful way. We will give answers to many questions that are being asked now. Public answers. So that they are heard by all our people, all our partners, everyone who supports us. Already on Tuesday there will be my address. I am grateful to everyone who endures this marathon! I am grateful to everyone who fights and works for our country and freedom for all our people! I am grateful to everyone who helps! Glory to Ukraine!
The reparations that Russia will have to pay for what it has committed are now part of the international legal reality - address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-11-14
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! Today was a very productive and symbolic day - a day in the Kherson region, in the Mykolaiv region. First of all, I had the honor of personally presenting our warriors with state awards. In Kherson, I presented 36 orders of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi and "For Courage", and handed over three more orders to wounded warriors. In particular, Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi of the 1st degree. In September, he became the commander of the Kherson operational-strategic group of troops, and we can see the result. The title of Hero of Ukraine was awarded to intelligence officer, sergeant Andriy Orlov. Back in September, he showed extraordinary bravery and effectiveness in battles in the Kherson region. He was wounded and recovered. Returned to the frontline. And already on November 10, as part of a reconnaissance unit, he took part in the liberation of Snihurivka. It was he who raised the Ukrainian flag over the district administration building. Of course, there will be more awards, there will be more gratitude. All our warriors who restore freedom to Ukrainians and the Ukrainian land deserve the utmost gratitude. It is so. It will be so. I held several meetings today - both in the Kherson region and in the Mykolaiv region. We will do everything to restore normal living conditions for our people. It is obvious to everyone what Ukraine is, what the presence of our flag is. When there is a Ukrainian flag, there is civilization, there is freedom. There is social security. There is infrastructure. There is security. There is someone to take care of people. There are all the things that disappear and that are destroyed when the occupier comes. This is what the Russian flag means - complete desolation. There is no electricity, no communication, no Internet, no television. The occupiers destroyed everything themselves - on purpose. This is their special operation. On the eve of winter, the Russian occupiers destroyed absolutely all critical infrastructure for the people. Absolutely all important objects in the city and region are mined. It is happiness for everyone when Russia is driven out. Happiness, which will also be in those cities and communities of ours, which are deprived of a normal life by Russia both after February 24 and in 2014. We will return everything. We will return normal life. And we know that peace for Ukraine is getting closer. For our entire country. In a few hours, I will talk about this in my address to the participants of the… G19 summit in Indonesia. This is an association of very influential states. And today, on the eve of the summit, influential statements have already been made. In particular, it is important that the United States and China jointly noted the inadmissibility of any threats to use nuclear weapons. Everyone understands whom these words are addressed to. Today, we also have decisions from our partners that strengthen Ukraine's position. I am grateful to Canada for the new package of defense support for our country in the amount of half a billion dollars. And also for new sanctions against Russian accomplices of tyranny - against the cogs of this system. I am grateful to the United States for the new sanctions. Today, sanctions have been introduced against more than 40 legal entities and individuals who help Russia wage a war. Absolutely everyone who in one way or another works for the Russian army, the defense sector, must receive complete personal isolation from the rest of the world. And then there will be punishment for complicity in terror. Within the UN, our diplomats worked for a long time with partners to agree on and adopt two very important resolutions. The first of them is supported today - regarding the creation of an international compensation mechanism that will make it possible to compensate all the losses caused by the Russian war, moreover at the expense of Russian assets. The reparations that Russia will have to pay for what it has committed are now part of the international legal reality. We are still agreeing with our partners on the second resolution - to create a special tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine. We will do everything to make them both work. Today, a meeting of the Coordination Council of Ukraine for Child Protection and Safety co-chaired by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Head of the Office Andriy Yermak was held. I thank Mr. Guterres for that. They discussed how to stop the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia and return home all those who were forcibly deported. At least these are almost 11 thousand children - we know them by name. But these are only the ones we know about. And in fact, there are more deported. The meeting was also attended by the ambassadors of the leading states, whom we call on to help with the implementation of this task. We will really need the power of the whole world to bring back all the deportees. I believe that we can ensure it! I am grateful to everyone who helps Ukraine! I am grateful to everyone who fights and works for our country! Eternal memory to all those who gave their lives for Ukraine and our people. Glory to Ukraine!
Ukraine has always been a leader in peacemaking efforts; if Russia wants to end this war, let it prove it with actions - speech by the President of Ukraine at the G20 Summit
EN 2022-11-15
Dear President Widodo! Dear colleagues! The world’s majority, which stands with us! I address you in Ukrainian, but in front of each of you on the table you will find our proposals. In your language. In demonstration of respect for you. I have just returned to our capital. Returned from the city of Kherson. Kherson is one of the key cities in the south of our country and the only regional centre that Russia managed to occupy after February 24. And now Kherson is already liberated. What does it mean? For Ukraine, this liberation operation of our Defence Forces is reminiscent of many battles of the past, which became turning points in the wars of the past. Those battles symbolized such changes, after which people already knew who will be victorious even though the ultimate victory still had to be fought for. It is like, for example, D-Day - the landing of the Allies in Normandy. It was not yet a final point in the fight against evil, but it already determined the entire further course of events. This is exactly what we are feeling now. Now - when Kherson is free. To liberate our entire land from the Russists, we still will have to fight for a while longer... To fight! However, if the victory will be ours in any case, and we are sure of it, then shouldn't we try to implement our formula for peace to save thousands of lives and protect the world from further destabilizations? That is why I want to present our vision of the path to peace - how to actually achieve it. And not only for us, but also for all of you, your allies and partners. In my statement in September of this year at UN General Assembly, I presented Ukraine’s formula for peace. A formula of peace for the world. Just when the world was hoping to recover from the blows of the pandemic, the Russian war provoked a whole series of new global challenges. This must be stopped! There is a set of solutions that need to be implemented. And I want the conversation about it to be public, not behind the scenes. I want it to be discussed in specific terms, and not in broad strokes. Maybe I'll go over the allotted time limit. But the issue of peace is worth it. I want this aggressive Russian war to end justly and on the basis of the UN Charter and international law. Not "somehow" - according to the apt formulation of the UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Ukraine should not be offered to conclude compromises with its conscience, sovereignty, territory and independence. We respect the rules and we are people of our word. Ukraine has always been a leader in peacekeeping efforts, and the world has witnessed it. And if Russia says that it supposedly wants to end this war, let it prove it with actions. Apparently, one cannot trust Russia's words, and there will be no Minsks-3, which Russia would violate immediately after signing. If there are no concrete actions to restore peace, it means that Russia simply wants to deceive all of you again, deceive the world and freeze the war just when its defeats have become particularly notable. We will not allow Russia to wait it out, build up its forces, and then start a new series of terror and global destabilization. I am convinced now is the time when the Russian destructive war must and can be stopped. So, here are the proposals of Ukraine: The first is radiation and nuclear safety. No one has the right to blackmail the world with a radioactive disaster. This is an axiom. However, in front of the eyes of the whole world, Russia has turned our Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant into a radioactive bomb that can explode at any moment. Where will the radiation cloud go? Perhaps towards the territory of the EU. Maybe to Türkiye. Maybe to the Middle East. I consider as criminal even a hypothetical possibility of such a scenario! Radiation safety must be restored. The IAEA has already provided respective recommendations, confirming all the risks that we have repeatedly raised. Therefore, Russia must immediately withdraw all its militants from the territory of the Zaporizhzhia NPP. The station must be immediately transferred to the control of the IAEA and the Ukrainian personnel. The normal connection of the station to the power grid must be restored immediately so that nothing threatens the stability of the reactors. We proposed that IAEA missions are sent to all Ukrainian nuclear plants - four of them, 15 nuclear units in total. Plus the Chornobyl plant, which has been shut down and is under conservation. Such missions can verify that any hostile activity against Ukrainian nuclear facilities has indeed ceased. How long does it take to implement it? Russia can begin the demilitarization of the Zaporizhzhia NPP as early as tomorrow if it is really ready to restore the radioactive safety it violated. The same goes for the crazy threats of nuclear weapons that Russian officials resort to. There are and cannot be any excuses for nuclear blackmail. And I thank you, dear G-19, for making this clear. However, please use all your power to make Russia abandon nuclear threats. The basis for such efforts can be the Budapest Memorandum and respective capabilities of the signatory states. The second challenge is food security. Thanks to the strong participation of the UN, Türkiye and other partners, we have demonstrated how the cooperation of a few can restore food security for the many. I believe our export grain initiative deserves an indefinite extension - no matter when the war ends. The right to food is a fundamental right of every person in the world. Since July, Ukraine has exported over 10 million tons of food by sea. We can increase exports by several million tons per month. Thus for this I propose to expand the grain export initiative to our other ports - in particular, to the ports of Mykolaiv and "Olvia" in the Mykolaiv region. I also call on all countries – and in particular your countries, dear G-19 leaders – to join our initiative to help the poorest with food. We have already launched the initiative – "Grain From Ukraine". And the first vessel - Nord Vind - leaves for Ethiopia with 27 thousand tons of wheat on board. This is the amount that can feed almost 100,000 people per year. There can be many such ships from Ukraine, and therefore there will be many people in poor countries who are saved from starvation. Ukraine can export 45 million tons of food this year. And let a significant part of it be directed to those who suffer the most. What do we propose exactly? Each country can join with a specific contribution and become a co-creator of the victory over hunger and the food crisis. The third is energy security. All of you can witness what the Russian terror is aimed at now. This is an attempt to turn the cold into a weapon. A weapon against millions of people. About 40% of our energy infrastructure were destroyed by the strikes of Russian missiles and Iranian drones used by the occupiers. Every week, Russia blows up our power plants, transformers, and electricity supply lines. A related goal of this terror is to prevent the export of our electricity to neighbouring countries, which could significantly help them stabilize the energy situation and reduce prices for consumers. Russia is interested in the energy crisis. And we should all be interested in ending terror. I thank all our partners who have already helped Ukraine with the supply of air defence and missile defence systems. This allows us to shoot down some of the Russian missiles and Iranian drones. But we must fully protect our sky. I ask you to increase respective assistance! We have already proposed that a mission of UN experts is sent to the objects of critical energy infrastructure of Ukraine to assess the scope of damage and the needs for restoration, as well as to prevent their further destruction. We need to speed up the dispatch of this mission! This will be a specific contribution of the international community to the stabilization of the energy situation in Ukraine and Europe, and therefore in the global energy market. However, regardless of the decisions of the world, any day Russia on its own can simply abandon strikes on Ukrainian energy generation and water and heat supply facilities. Let Russia prove by its rejection of terror that it is really interested in the restoration of peace. We must also take a fundamental step so that energy resources are no longer used as weapons. Price restrictions on Russian energy resources should be introduced. If Russia is trying to deprive Ukraine, Europe and all energy consumers in the world of predictability and price stability, the answer to this should be a forced limitation of export prices for Russia. So that the export price was not higher than the production cost. That's fair. If you take something away, the world has the right to take from you. The fourth challenge is the release of all prisoners and deportees. Thousands of our people - military and civilians - are in the Russian captivity. They are subjected to brutal torture - this is mass abuse! In addition, we know by name 11 thousand children who were forcibly deported to Russia. They are separated from their parents in full knowledge that they have families. Apart from the children, whose data we know, there are tens of thousands of those who were forcibly deported and about whom we know only indirectly. Among them are many, whose parents were killed by Russian strikes, and now they are being held in the state that murdered them. Add to that hundreds of thousands of deported adults, and you will see what a humanitarian catastrophe the Russian war has caused. Add political prisoners - Ukrainian citizens who are held in Russia and in the temporarily occupied territory, in particular in Crimea. We must release all these people! I want to point out that we did not find support from the International Committee of the Red Cross. We do not see that they are fully fighting to gain access to the camps, where Ukrainian prisoners of war and political prisoners are held. Neither they are helping to find deported Ukrainians. This self-withdrawal is the self-destruction of the Red Cross as an organization that was once respected. We cannot wait. Therefore, we must unite for the sake of the only realistic model of the release of prisoners - "all for all". And also for the release of all children and adults who were deported to Russia. I thank the partners for their efforts, which allowed the release of many Ukrainians and foreign citizens, who were captured by the Russians. And let your leadership and the sincere heart of other leaders, who are present now, help free other Ukrainians as well. The fifth – implementation of the UN Charter and restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and the world order. Article 2 of the UN Charter defines everything very clearly. Everything that Russia violated by this war. Therefore, we must restore the validity of international law - and without any compromises with the aggressor. Because the UN Charter cannot be applied partially, selectively or "at will". Russia must reaffirm the territorial integrity of Ukraine within the framework of the relevant resolutions of the UN General Assembly and the applicable international legally binding documents. It is not up to negotiations. The sixth challenge is withdrawal of Russian troops and cessation of hostilities. There is a clear understanding of how to achieve this. Russia must withdraw all its troops and armed formations from the territory of Ukraine. Ukraine's control over all sections of our state border with Russia must be restored. This will result in a real and complete cessation of hostilities. Every day of delay means new deaths of Ukrainians, new threats to the world, and an insane increase in losses due to continuation of the Russian aggression – losses for everyone in the world. The seventh – justice. This is what stokes the greatest emotions. Everywhere, when we liberate our land, we see one thing - Russia leaves behind torture chambers and mass burials of murdered people. This was the case in Bucha and other cities in the north of the country after the occupation. This was the case in the Kharkiv region. The same we observe now in the Kherson region. As of today, we have a full information about four hundred and thirty children killed by Russian strikes. Only children! And only those about whom we know everything for sure. And how many mass graves are there in the territory that still remains under the control of Russia? What will we see in Mariupol? That is why the world should endorse establishment of the Special Tribunal regarding the crime of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the creation of an international mechanism to compensate for all the damages caused by this war. Compensation at the expense of Russian assets, because it is the aggressor who must do everything to restore the justice violated by it. We have already proposed a resolution of the UN General Assembly regarding an international compensation mechanism for damages caused by the Russian war. It is endorsed. We ask you to implement it. We are also preparing the second resolution - on the Special Tribunal. Please join and support it. Because there is no such nation in the world that does not appreciate justice. The eighth challenge is ecocide, the need for immediate protection of environment. Millions of hectares of forest were burned by shelling. Almost two hundred thousand hectares of our land are contaminated with unexploded mines and shells. Dozens of coal mines are flooded, including the mine in which an underground nuclear test explosion was carried out in 1979... This is the “Yunkom” mine in the Donetsk region. It is located on the territory occupied by Russia. It has been flooded for several years - precisely because of the occupiers. Everyone in Moscow knows what a threat it poses not only to the rivers in the Donetsk region, but also to the Black Sea basin. Only the de-occupation of our territory can provide the conditions for the elimination of this threat. It is impossible to accurately calculate the amount of atmospheric pollution from burnt oil depots and other fires... As well as from blown up sewage facilities, burned chemical plants, innumerable burial sites of slayed animals. Just imagine this – due to the Russian aggression, 6 million domestic animals died. 6 million! These are official numbers. At least 50,000 dolphins were killed in the Black Sea. Thousands of hectares of soil are contaminated with harmful substances - most of them are fertile soils. Were fertile soils. During the last week’s Climate Summit in Egypt, I proposed a platform to assess the environmental damage of war. We have to implement it. We must also find common responses to all environmental threats created by the war. Without this, there will be no return to a normal, stable life, and the reverberations of the war will remain for a long time - in the explosions of mines that will take the lives of children and adults, in the pollution of water, soil and atmosphere. I thank all the countries that are already helping us with demining. There is an urgent need for an increased number of equipment and experts for these operations. Funds and technologies are also needed for the restoration of water treatment facilities. This is not just a Ukrainian problem. This is a challenge for the whole world. The next - the ninth – is the prevention of escalation. A risk that still exists and will remain until our security is properly ensured. Ukraine is not a member of any of the alliances. And Russia was able to start this war precisely because Ukraine remained in the grey zone - between the Euro-Atlantic world and the Russian imperialism. Now we do not have any security assurances either. So, how can we prevent repetition of Russia’s such aggression against us? We need effective security assurances. That is why we prepared a draft agreement – the Kyiv Security Compact, and have already presented it to partners. Thus, we should hold an international conference to cement the key elements of the post-war security architecture in the Euro-Atlantic space, including guarantees for Ukraine. The main outcome of the conference should be the signing of the Kyiv Security Compact. We can do it any time - even this year. And we must do it. And the tenth – confirmation of the end of the war. When all the antiwar measures are implemented, when security and justice begin to be restored, a document confirming the end of the war should be signed by the parties. I would like to emphasize that none of the steps above can take long. A month for one step at the most. For some steps, a couple of days are enough. We already have a positive experience with the grain export initiative. How does it work? There is the UN - and two other parties to the agreements: on one side Ukraine, Türkiye and the UN, and on the other side Russia, Türkiye and the UN. Implementation of each of the points I have just presented can be worked out in a similar fashion. States ready to take the lead in this or that decision can become parties to the arrangement. Once again: radiation and nuclear safety; food security; energy security; release of all prisoners and deported persons; implementation of the UN Charter and restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and the world order; withdrawal of Russian troops and cessation of hostilities; restoration of justice; countering ecocide; preventing escalation; and finally - confirmation of the end of the war. Dear leaders! I have outlined the paths each of you can choose for yourself - how to become a co-creator of peace. Please choose your path for leadership - and together we will surely implement the peace formula. What will it do? It will save thousands of lives. It will restore the validity of international law. It will revitalize the security architecture. It will return the global stability, without which the whole world is suffering. In essence – this is what the honest countries of the world are cooperating for. Peace is a global value. That, which is important for every person in the world. I am confident that it is likewise for each of you, leaders of G-19. I have outlined specific, practical solutions. They can be implemented. Quickly. They are effective. And if Russia opposes our peace formula, you will see that it only wants war. Ukraine is grateful to everyone in the world who helps us to protect freedom and to restore peace. Let our joint efforts be crowned with success as soon as possible and be reflected in the outcomes of this summit. Thank you for the invitation! Glory to Ukraine!
Russia is told about peace, it responds with missiles - address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-11-15
Fellow Ukrainians! Today, the enemy launched another massive missile attack on our country. A total of 90 missiles. Energy system, enterprises, and residential buildings were damaged. And when did it happen? As soon as the first day of the G20 summit ended in Indonesia, the most significant statements were made, the key meetings took place. Russia is told about peace, but it fires missiles in response. It is told about the global crises that Russia caused, and it launches Iranian drones in response. It is offered ten points to end the war, and it fires ten missiles per each point about peace. At half past three this morning I joined the summit to present our proposals for restoring international peace and order. The world heard Ukraine. G19 members made their statements... And then in Moscow they decided that they could try again to achieve with terror what they could not and would not be able to achieve for the ninth month. 15:24 - rocket, Kyiv. And throughout the country... How we lived today... 15:54 – rocket, Kropyvnytskyi. 15:56 – two rockets, Kirovohrad region. 15:56 – rocket, Zhytomyr region. And also - Ivano-Frankivsk region, Rivne region, Kharkiv region... 16:29 – rocket, Kryvyi Rih. 16:29 – rocket, Poltava region. 16:35 – Zhytomyr region again. Kyiv region, Lviv region, Odesa region, Mykolaiv region. And also - Volyn, Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil region... And again Kyiv. Killed and wounded people. My condolences to the families! In many cities and regions of our country, there are again emergency blackouts. About ten million Ukrainians are without electricity. Most of them - as of this moment - in Kharkiv region, Zhytomyr region, Kyiv region and Lviv region. Lviv and some other cities suspended the supply of heat... All over the country there are problems with communication and the Internet. As a result of the strikes, automation today disabled several nuclear units at two stations - these are calculated consequences, and the enemy knew exactly what he was doing. This is the answer of Russia to Indonesia, India, China and all other countries that talked about the need to end the war. Russia is telling the world that it wants to continue. Now it is time for the world to answer. Moreover, what we warned about a long time ago happened today. We’ve been telling this. Terror is not limited to our national borders. It has already spread to the territory of Moldova. And today, Russian missiles hit Poland, the territory of our friendly country. People died. Please accept condolences from all Ukrainian brothers! How many times has Ukraine said that the terrorist state will not be limited to our country? Poland, the Baltic states... It's only a matter of time before Russian terror goes further. We must put the terrorist in his place! The longer Russia feels impunity, the more threats there will be to everyone who can be reached by Russian missiles. Hitting NATO territory with missiles... This is a Russian missile attack on collective security! This is a really significant escalation. Action is needed. And I want to tell all our Polish brothers and sisters now... Ukraine will always support you! Terror will not break free people! Victory is possible when there is no fear! We don't have it, neither do you. I want to thank all partners who help protect the sky. In particular, our NASAMS systems worked well today: ten hits out of ten launches. As of this hour, more than 70 missiles and 10 combat drones have been shot down. I thank all our American and European friends who help us ensure such a result. I am also grateful to all our warriors of the "South", "Center", "East" and "West" air commands, as well as air defense units of the Ground Forces. I am grateful to all our rescuers, our energy workers who will work round the clock to restore normal life for Ukrainians. Restoration work has begun across the country. We will get through this too. We will restore everything. Russia opposes itself to the world. Russia loses on the battlefield. Russia terrorizes us and everyone it can reach. Let's do everything to stop it! Glory to all who defend freedom! Glory to all who work for our victory! Eternal memory to all those whose lives were taken by terrorists! Glory to Ukraine!
Take the Ukrainian defense experience to guarantee the security of your people - speech by the President of Ukraine during the participation in the "Digital Transformation" panel within the G20 summit
EN 2022-11-16
Thank you very much, Mr. President Widodo. Dear colleagues! Yesterday at our summit, everyone talked about how to end the Russian war. The Russian representative even made some comments... And after that, almost 100 Russian missiles hit Ukraine. Burnt residential buildings. Destroyed power plants again. Hundreds of cities were left without electricity, water and heat. Internet traffic has fallen by two-thirds – imagine the scale. Unfortunately, there are human casualties. And not only in Ukraine! Russian missiles hit the territory of neighboring Poland yesterday. There should be a quick response. This missile attack is Russia's real performance at G20. So when I say G19, I'm not wrong. Because Russia is a terrorist, and we protect ourselves from it. Such is the reality. And I urge you to look at today's panel of our Digital Transformation Summit from a security perspective. This will be a timely view. Dear leaders, you now clearly see what modern war is. Today, it is impossible to imagine life without computer networks, high-speed communication, the Internet, and even more so - without electricity. But your enemies may try to deprive you of just that. My good advice to you is to take Ukrainian defense experience in order to guarantee the safety of your people. We have created an IT army that prevails in cyberspace. The best specialists and companies of the country have united to protect the state. We repelled more than 1,300 cyberattacks during the 8 months of the Russian war. In the first week of the invasion, Russia destroyed a key data center of our country, and the response solution is the "clouds" into which we moved part of the information systems. We have built the protection of public registers. We have preserved the digital resilience of banks. Thanks to digitization, we can quickly organize social payments to those affected by hostilities. Millions of Ukrainians use our Diia state service every day. These are more than 100 public services without contact with officials. A digital passport, opening accounts, paying fines and taxes, receiving state aid, raising funds to support the army... All this is Ukrainian "Diia". If you or your allies and partners do not already have such a system and such digital protection, we will be happy to help you build them! Cyber defense is about cooperation. The stability of institutions is cooperation. Reliable communication, including satellite communication, is also about cooperation. What we all need is to put aside disputes and develop collective efforts for global peace. The G19 can be very successful in this! Ukraine is willing to help. Our security experience is your security experience. And please remember that everything must now be considered from the point of view of security. Thank you Mr. President Widodo for a very meaningful summit! Thank you all for your support! Let there be peace! Glory to Ukraine!
We are returning everything to have normal life in Kherson region, Mykolaiv region – address of President of Ukraine
EN 2022-11-16
Dear Ukrainians, I wish you health! Today was a long and hard day. And now, in the evening, it seems that the events of the morning happened at least yesterday or the day before yesterday... The summit in Indonesia. I took part in today's work of the leaders. Then – another meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, discussion in detail. The situation at the front. Also, the military presented all the available data on the missile hitting the territory of Poland. Everyone responsible for liquidating the consequences of Russian missile strikes on Ukraine reported on the recovery work. Recovery does not stop for a minute. Emergency blackouts and stabilization outages continue in 18 regions and the city of Kyiv. These are millions of consumers. We are doing everything to restore electricity – both generation and supply. Another meeting of the "Ramstein" defense group took place. The key issue is the strengthening of our anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense. I held negotiations with the vice president of the World Bank, who is responsible for our region. We discussed projects for the reconstruction of our infrastructure and social facilities, the work of the Recovery Fund of our country. The total cost of projects discussed today is billions of dollars. This is something that needs to be rebuilt now to guarantee a normal life for people. There were reports on the liberation of the territories of Kherson region – we are doing everything to provide people with electricity, water, communications, financial and social services, and normal medicine as soon as possible. Pharmacies are finally reopening in Kherson, the post office, banks are working. People are getting access to the Internet. There are already 30 humanitarian aid distribution points. Electricity was restored to more than 20 de-occupied settlements in Kherson region. Mykolaiv region is the same. We return everything necessary for a normal life. We are working to restore the water supply to Mykolaiv. Payment of pensions has started in Snihurivka. And I thank everyone who provides recovery. And especially our sappers and rescuers. Thanks to their work everyone else can work safely. Once again, I will repeat to everyone in the de-occupied territory: please be very careful! Russia wants to kill even after fleeing from our land. Therefore, you need to be very careful. If you see anything suspicious, report it to the emergency services and the police. If a building has not yet been checked by sappers, please do not enter it. If a road has not been checked yet, please skip it. Reports and messages from Donetsk region are unchanged. Fierce battles continue at the same points as before. We hold our positions despite dozens of attacks. Of course, there was a lot of international communication. Not everything can be talked about now. We protect the interests of Ukraine, as always. Today is the professional day of thousands of our people who perform one of the most important jobs. And this is not only the work to inform people. The Day of Radio, Television and Communication Workers is about those who strengthen democracy at all times. Who integrates society informationally, emotionally and politically. Who unites our interests, our pain and our joys, our hopes and aspirations, our problems. The stronger this sphere is in the country, the stronger the democracy is there. I sincerely congratulate everyone who works in this field – each one. Those who make a telethon and those who work on other information platforms. Presenters, reporters whom we see and hear, studio workers, producers, editorial staff, whom society usually does not see and hear, but without whom this industry simply would not exist. Thank you all for your work for Ukrainians! Today there was a rather long interview. I also held an "off the record" meeting for journalists – specifically for radio and television workers. And the day is not over yet... There is also a meeting of the UN Security Council regarding the new wave of Russian missile terror. We are monitoring statements, working with partners, and defending Ukrainian interests. Of course, one of the main issues at the Security Council meeting is the situation in Poland, the clarification of all the circumstances of how Russian aggression crossed the Polish border. The Ukrainian position is very transparent: we strive to establish all the details, every fact. That is why we need our specialists to join the work of the international investigation and to get access to all the data available to our partners and the site of the explosion. All our information is in full access, we have been giving it to our partners since the night, from those first hours when the world began to find out what happened. I spoke with President Duda last night and expressed my condolences to him – Russian aggression took the lives of two Polish citizens. And I want all of us to honor the memory of all those whose lives were taken by this Russian war with a minute of silence. Citizens of Ukraine, citizens of Poland...
The more forms of terror Russia will use in this war, the more money the world will spend on weapons and defense - address by the President of Ukraine to the participants of the Bloomberg New Economy Forum
EN 2022-11-17
Ladies and Gentlemen! Thank you for your attention to Ukraine! Our communication today actually finalizes the work of your Forum, it is symbolic. Symbolic, because the global situation directly depends on when and how the Russian aggression will end. Look at how many threats and crises for everyone in the world have been provoked by this aggression. I will give three examples now, but there are more - much more. Another Russian terrorist attack has just taken place, in the morning - dozens of missiles, civilian objects are the main target. Russia is fighting against electricity and heat for people, blowing up power plants and other energy facilities. This is everyday life in Ukraine now - because of Russian terror. That is why we put so much effort into getting modern air defense and anti-missile defense systems from our partners. Plus constant hostilities on the frontline more than a thousand kilometers long. What does this mean from a global perspective? Instead of investing trillions of dollars in the development of human capital, the world will spend colossal amounts of money on rearmament - in addition to those already planned. You will see. Now everyone is paying close attention to how we defend ourselves in Ukraine. They look - which weapons are the best, which tactics work, which defense systems give the maximum result. To be honest, few countries could now defend themselves against aggression as intensively as we do. So many shells and weapons are simply non-existent. But there are still more potential aggressors in the world and frozen conflicts that can flare up again than such countries. Hence, there is an insane security deficit. Therefore, the more forms of terror Russia will use in this war, the more funds the world will eventually direct to weapons and to defense against a potential repetition of such attacks as we are experiencing. Another example... Instead of paying maximum attention to the green transformation, various governments are equally looking for ways to guarantee cheaper supplies of oil, gas, and coal in order to lower energy prices. It is the price of energy, not the purity of energy, that is the number 1 issue for many. And it wouldn't be like that if it weren't for Russian aggression - and Russia's use of energy resources as a weapon. The third example... In just a few weeks, the threat of starvation for tens of millions of people arose completely artificially. Not because of a drought or an economic crisis, but because of the military blockade of our ports - a food exporting country. The world has not seen anything like this for decades. Any new disaster in one or another country due to high food prices or, God forbid, due to famine, is minus years for global development. Many different topics were discussed at your Forum during these days... But how many of them do not depend on what Russian aggression has brought and, unfortunately, can still bring? Minority. Therefore, when Ukraine offers a peace formula, it is really a peace formula not just for us, but for the world. When the threat is complex, the response must be complex as well. Nothing can be solved by simply ceasing fire. This is our formula. We need to restore peace - reliably and for the long term. You will not restore stability by simply mitigating the crises provoked by Russia. Every threat must be completely dismantled. The other day, at the summit in Indonesia, I presented exactly such proposals of ours - reliable peace and complete dismantling of Russian threats. And I thank everyone who supports the Ukrainian peace formula. And now I want to add one more component. What does peace mean? It's very practical, actually. This is saving lives. Stabilization. Development. Development! Already now, by joining the reconstruction of Ukraine, various countries and companies are receiving incentives for growth. But when we restore territorial integrity and guarantee reliable peace, Ukraine will become a powerful source of new global development. And it's not just about the economy. It’s about the modern economy. I will give you three more examples. Ukraine is able to replace dirty fossil fuels from Russia with clean energy. We have huge potential in low-carbon energy. Ukraine is capable of becoming a key partner of the European Union for the purposes of decarbonization. We will become one of the main suppliers of green hydrogen and green electricity in the EU. Climatic conditions of Ukraine, free space, solar energy, wind energy will allow the production of green electricity with a very competitive cost. Just three years before the Russian invasion, we built 7 gigawatts of renewable energy. The potential is many times more. Plus, Ukraine can produce tens of millions of tons of green and cheap ammonia. Plus, strong positions in bioenergy. Plus, powerful nuclear energy and energy infrastructure, which is integrated with the energy grid of the European Union. Now the Russian missile terror is targeted primarily at these our facilities. Only the day before yesterday, Russia fired almost a hundred missiles against our energy facilities in one day. Almost a hundred! Today again... Of course, the losses are great. But this only means that the reconstruction will be large-scale. I invite your countries and companies to already assess the prospects and join our reconstruction. By the way, we now have the decision of one of the largest Australian private investment groups, which has committed to invest the first 500 million dollars specifically in the Green Growth Initiative of Ukraine as part of the creation of the $25 billion Recovery Fund. I am grateful to Mr. Andrew Forrest for the decision to be the first, and also to Mr. Larry Fink of BlackRock for helping to structure this Fund. Another example is resource extraction. The modern economy needs lithium, graphite and other rare earth metals. We have the largest reserves of some of these resources in Europe. These are already colossal opportunities. Plus production and transport capabilities, plus our potential in mechanical engineering, our work culture and access to the world's leading markets - this is the basis for exactly the economic growth that everyone so desperately needs. The third is the agricultural sector. The world saw that it is impossible to guarantee global food security without Ukrainian exports. Our export grain initiative already helps with stabilization. And a decision has just been made to extend it by 120 days. But Ukraine's proposal is to extend the Black Sea Initiative indefinitely. This is vital for stability. Plus, we founded the Grain From Ukraine program to provide together with our partners as much food aid to the poorest countries as possible. But the return of peace to Ukraine will mean that we will be able not only to stabilize the market in response to the crisis, but to guarantee food stability and the prevention of any crises. And again, I gave only three examples, and there are many more. Peace in Ukraine is a global need. I emphasize - not a temporary lull, not an illusion of peace, which Russia tempts with to simply prepare a new stage of aggression, but real peace. I know it can be achieved. But for this we need to preserve global unity - and continue to support our struggle for freedom. It is necessary to preserve global integrity - and increase pressure on Russia for terror. And it is necessary to preserve global rationality - and cooperate with us for the sake of future development already now. Once again, thank you for your attention! And let there be reliable peace. Glory to Ukraine!
If the world works in unity, famine will be defeated – address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-11-17
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! Today we have important international results. Our export grain initiative has been extended. Despite all the difficulties, despite various manipulations by Russia, we will continue to export agricultural products through our Black Sea ports. This is a very specific thing that makes the world see the importance of Ukraine. Since August 1, more than 450 ships have already left the ports of Great Odesa. The total amount of food is 11 million tons. The geography is very broad: Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Yemen, Lebanon, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Türkiye, as well as the countries of the European Union. Tens of millions of people, primarily in African countries, have been saved from starvation, in particular by means of deliveries in the framework of the UN World Food Programme from our ports. We also managed to reduce the pressure on the global food market. And this means that food prices are significantly lower than they would be without our food exports. We have done everything to expand this work. And I thank all our partners who are helping: the UN and Secretary-General Guterres personally, Türkiye and President Erdoğan personally. Thanks to everyone in our team who is responsible for this direction. This is a truly important result. Today, a meeting was held in the Office regarding our Grain from Ukraine initiative. We have the consent of such countries as Germany, Poland, Belgium, Japan, Türkiye and the USA to join the work of the initiative. But these are the countries that have already made up their mind. There will be more participating countries. The meaning is very simple and as specific as possible. All the countries of the world, together with Ukraine, can ensure the supply of food for those in the world who suffer the most from food shortages. We will provide more details on how this will work shortly. I believe that this Russian aggression should lead the whole world to an obvious conclusion: never again should there be mass famine in the world. If the world works in unity, famine will be defeated. A very important decision was adopted today in the Netherlands. There is the first sentence for the murderers who destroyed the Malaysian Boeing in the sky over Donbas in 2014. Three men were sentenced to life imprisonment. And the day will surely come when they will begin to serve this punishment. But this decision is not just about three murderers. Russia lied a lot about this catastrophe, but nevertheless the key facts were established. Now the perpetrators have been convicted and the basis is provided to convict the culprits of a higher level, too. Those who bear full personal responsibility for the crime of aggression against Ukraine - the original crime that gave rise to all the others committed by the Russists since 2014. This is something without which it is impossible to protect the world from the repetition of such wars as Russian aggression against our state. When all the murderers and torturers are convicted, when their commanders and political "cover" face fair sentences, when Russia compensates for all the damage caused by Russian aggression, it will be a very solid foundation for a lasting peace. We have all the possibilities to ensure this. Every Russian war crime, every terrorist attack of theirs will receive its legal response. Today's decision in The Hague proves it. The elimination of the consequences of another missile attack against Ukraine continues all day... Again, there are emergency shutdowns in addition to planned, stabilization ones. Currently, more than 10 million Ukrainians are without electricity. Most of them are in the Vinnytsia region, Odesa region, Sumy region and Kyiv. We are doing everything to normalize the supply. In Dnipro, dozens of people were injured as a result of a missile attack. Everyone is provided with aid. In Zaporizhzhia, the clearance of the rubble of a residential building, which was destroyed by Russian shelling at night, continues... The list of the dead includes seven people. Unfortunately, this number may increase. Only in the first half of today, our defense forces managed to shoot down six Russian cruise missiles and five Shaheds. Unfortunately, not all of those launched by terrorists. We repeat to our partners again and again that only full protection of the Ukrainian sky will protect both Ukraine and Europe from many possible escalations of Russian aggression and will definitely encourage Russia to truly end the war. Not to the kind of propaganda that now sounds from the Kremlin about the alleged readiness for negotiations in order to buy some time and gather forces for a new offensive, but to real peace. I would like to thank Finland and Sweden today for the decisions regarding the new defense assistance packages. This is very important. Each such decision of the states makes them co-creators of our victory and future peace. Today I signed several decrees on awarding our warriors. 402 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were honored with state awards. In total, since February 24, more than 32,000 Ukrainian men and women have been awarded for bravery in battles. 4950 of them - posthumously. We must always remember how many people gave their lives to save Ukraine and freedom. Eternal memory to all those whose lives were taken by Russian aggression! Glory to all who gain victory for Ukraine! Gratitude to everyone who helps us and works for the state! Glory to Ukraine!
Russian aggression does not stop for a single day, so the pressure on Russia should not stop either, and everyone can do it at their own level - address by the President of Ukraine to the university community of Ireland
EN 2022-11-18
Dear friends! Mr. Minister, Mr. President, dear students! I am glad to see you! While preparing for this meeting, I learned that Russia has recently imposed sanctions against 52 political figures of your country. And for what? For the fact that your country supports European efforts to end Russian terror and to revive international law. Of course, the restrictions imposed by Russia do not particularly affect anything. This is more of a propaganda thing, so that on Russian television they can lie that Russia is allegedly capable of something in diplomacy. But after seeing this message about your 52 politicians, I remembered another number - 52, and a recent one too. And also the one that is related to sanctions. As you know, the summit of the countries with the largest economies just took place in Indonesia. And the participants of the summit agreed on a joint declaration - exactly 52 points. Quite meaningful - they reflect many existing global problems. Formally, Russia also supported the declaration, but in reality, it violates most of the things contained in the declaration. And some of the acute global problems that the "twenty" declares to solve are deliberately created by Russia. That is, after carefully reading these 52 points of the Bali Declaration, you can see why international pressure on Russia, particularly sanctions, should be not only maintained, but also intensified. Russia continues to destroy international relations and people's lives, and pretends that it is fighting against this destabilization together with everyone. This is from the fourth point of the declaration: "It is important to uphold international law and the multilateral system that guarantees peace and stability... Today's era must not be an era of war." And this is when Russia mobilized all resources to not only turn our time into a time of war, but to become the largest terrorist state in history. Point five of the declaration - Russia says that it will allegedly, together with others, take measures to promote energy stability and market stability. And at the same time, when this summit in Indonesia is still going on, Russia is carrying out a missile attack against our country. Almost a hundred missiles - specifically against the energy sphere. Another missile attack the next day. And not only against power plants, but also against gas production facilities. This is energy stability in Russian. The thirteenth point of the Bali Declaration is about combating climate change. Russia allegedly confirms the protection of the natural environment, but it has already destroyed almost three million hectares of forests in our country with its aggression! They were burned by shelling. And this is only one of thousands of crimes committed by Russia against the environment. Point 22 of the declaration - "Countries will make every effort for timely access to vaccines, therapeutic and diagnostic tools." And in fact, hundreds of hospitals were destroyed by Russian shelling. In most of the territory occupied by Russia, there is no access to medicine at all. Even to the simplest medicines, to surgical operations, to insulin... And this is in Europe. In 2022. And this is the case for almost all 52 points of the Bali Declaration. You read and see the scale of Russia’s lies and that it is now the biggest threat to the world. I will add point 44. It specifically states: "Access to education is a human right and a key tool for inclusive and sustainable economic recovery." Do you know how many educational institutions in Ukraine the Russian army destroyed in 9 months of war? 2,719 were shelled, and 332 were completely destroyed. These are universities, schools... Dear friends! Russian aggression does not stop for a single day. Just as Russian lies to the world never stop. Therefore, for all this, the international pressure on Russia should not stop for a single day. And this can be done not only by politicians, but also by everyone at their own level. Of course, new sanctions should be applied against Russia. It is effective. A new European sanctions package is needed. Please defend this need at the pan-European level. We must be active in spreading the truth about the war and the crises provoked by it. This is something that all of you can definitely do. Please talk about what is happening and find a format convenient for you to support honest media or bloggers who cover global affairs and, in particular, Russian aggression. And please look for specific projects that can help our defense and our people. The more collective efforts are made, the sooner we will force Russia to leave the territory of Ukraine and fulfill its obligations to the world. Thank you for your attention! Thank you for your support, Ireland! Glory to Ukraine!
Nowhere on the frontline do we give in to the enemy, in certain areas we are preparing future successes - address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-11-18
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! All day long, the energy staff worked to restore the normal technical possibility of electricity supply, as a result today there are already significantly fewer emergency shutdowns. As of the evening, in most regions where shutdowns continue, stabilization hourly schedules were in effect. Emergency shutdowns were used to a greater extent in the Odesa region and Kyiv. The difficult situation with energy supply persists in a total of 17 regions and in the capital. Kyiv region and Kyiv, it’s very difficult in the Odesa region, and also the Vinnytsia region and Ternopil region. Special "Points of Invincibility" were opened in Kherson today. The first two points. There will be more. While electricity is restored in the city, people can charge their phones, stay warm, drink tea and get help. We have provided communication service there, there are "Starlinks", etc. We know that it is very difficult for people, because the occupiers destroyed everything before fleeing. But we will connect everything, restore everything. Vice-President of the European Commission Dombrovskis was in Kyiv today. We talked with him, in particular, about energy. Financial cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union, the financing needs of our country until the end of the year and in the next year were also discussed in detail. This year, we expect two tranches of macro-financial aid - EUR 2.5 billion in November and EUR 0.5 billion in early December. We also discussed new sanctions against Russia, which may be introduced at the European level. I spoke today with the student community of Ireland - a country that supports us fundamentally. Although it is a neutral country militarily, Ireland strongly defends European values and helps us politically and humanitarianly. I made two requests to the Irish. The first is to promote at the pan-European level the need to strengthen sanctions against Russia. The second is to help us spread the truth about the events in Ukraine and about Russian terror. I also addressed the participants of the security forum in Halifax, Canada, which is one of the world's security forums. Once again, I presented the Ukrainian peace formula and invited Canada and our other partners to choose for themselves a component of the peace formula in which they can show their leadership as much as possible. This is the point of the way we present our proposals for restoring peace. We have broken them down into elements - what Russian aggression consists of. And we do everything to neutralize each of these elements and to neutralize the aggressor because of it. Every day, I receive very positive feedback from the world about this approach of ours - major leaders support Ukrainian constructiveness. And I believe that we will be able to implement our peace formula. The fierce fighting in the Donetsk region continues to this day, there has been no alleviation of hostilities or respite. About a hundred Russian attacks were repelled in the Donetsk region only yesterday. All our warriors who are holding out in Donbas are true heroes. Today, I would like to pay particular attention to the border guards of the Kharkiv and Sumy detachments, who are currently operating in the Donetsk region. Their mortars help a lot, giving the invaders no rest. Nice job, guys! Thank you! I also thank the warriors of the 4th operational brigade of the National Guard, which protects Ukraine in the direction of Bakhmut. Smart initiative and persistence are two things that produce extremely useful results. Nowhere on the frontline do we give in to the enemy. We respond everywhere, we hold positions everywhere. We are preparing future successes in certain areas. I spoke today with the President of Türkiye Erdoğan. Thanked him for the efforts to extend our grain export initiative. We also discussed the details of our new humanitarian initiative Grain from Ukraine. I hope that Türkiye will join its implementation. Of course, attention was paid to both security cooperation and energy situation. Tomorrow we will have a very active day, not a day off at all. We are expecting news and opportunities for Ukraine. And we are already preparing the appropriate soil for them. And today I want to say one more thing - congratulations. Congratulations to all sergeants of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on their professional day. Today, many kind words were said both in the army and in society. Sergeants are truly the people who ensure real unity and understanding between commanders and soldiers. The sergeant corps is the true backbone of the Army, and I thank all of our sergeants who live up to those words. Thank you to each and everyone who is currently serving in our defense forces! Thank you to everyone who made the defense of Ukraine a part of their personal destiny! Glory to our heroes! Eternal memory and honor to those who gave their lives for the freedom of Ukrainians! Glory to Ukraine!
For peace to exist, we must make all elements of Russian aggression impossible - address by the President of Ukraine to the participants of the Halifax International Security Forum
EN 2022-11-19
Dear friends! Maybe most of the discussions at this year`s forum will address one question – how to end the Russian war. But I will ask you to formulate a more precise question – how to restore real and just peace. Simply the end of the war does not guarantee peace. Russia is now looking for a short truce – a respite to regain strength. Someone may call this the war`s end. But such a respite will only worsen the situation. Any voiced ideas of our land`s concessions or of our sovereignty cannot be called peace. Immoral compromises will lead to new blood. A truly real, long-lasting and honest peace can only be the result of the complete demolition of Russian aggression. There are 10 items in the Ukrainian Peace Formula. These are challenges which should be overcome for the sake of security of Ukraine, Europe and the world. This is the Peace Formula for the world. Ukraine proposed precisely such a Peace Formula. I presented it to the UN General Assembly and the G20 Summit. And I am asking you to help us implement this formula! This is the only way to real peace. First item is radiation and nuclear safety. The second one is food security. The third is energy security. The fourth is the release of all war prisoners and deportees. The fifth is the implementation of the UN Charter and the restoration of our territorial integrity and world order. The sixth is the pull out of Russian troops and the end of hostilities. The seventh is the restoration of justice, namely the Tribunal for those guilty of aggression crime, and – damages compensation. The eighth is countering ecocide. Ninth are the security guarantees for Ukraine to prevent escalation. And the tenth is the confirmation of the war`s end. What is the goal of such approach? We emphasize on all of the elements of Russian aggression, and offer our partners to demolish all aspects of aggression together with us in order to provide security. That is something where each of our partners can show their leadership. We have already succeeded in some things, for example, we extended the grain export initiative and offer a new humanitarian initiative – Grain From Ukraine to enhance food security. In the same way, we can go step by step in other items of our Peace Formula. I suggest you, dear Forum participants, to choose the possible leadership options for your countries. Each item of our Peace Formula has the proposals for particular solutions. Please choose which item you can help with. I believe that Canada, which strongly supports us, will also choose one of the Peace Formula items for itself and will show all the strength of its leadership. I assure you that peace is possible! But for it to exist, we must make impossible Russian aggression – all of its elements. Let it happen! Let there be peace! Glory to Ukraine!
We will provide everything needed for our protection – address of President of Ukraine
EN 2022-11-19
Dear Ukrainians, I wish you health! I briefly report on the day, which started very early today, it was very active, and my schedule for this day is not yet exhausted. I just held another meeting of the Staff. The main issues are the front. The provision of our troops, the situation in particular sections of the front line and that we are planning to increase the number of Ukrainian flags in the cities in the south and east of the country. The battles in Donetsk region were discussed separately. Reports were presented. We are doing everything to help our heroes withstand Russian attacks. Of course, special attention was paid to energy. The composition of the participants of the Staff meeting is traditional. The Commander-in-Chief, commanders and all who work for our defense. An extremely important visit to Ukraine took place today – the visit of the new British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak. A very meaningful visit. We managed to discuss all the key issues of our relations. There will be new results for both our countries – that's for sure. Thank you, Rishi, Mr. Prime Minister, for your willingness to defend freedom even more strongly with us. We also have some very necessary decisions – we agreed on them today. As always, today I received reports on restoration work in the energy sector. We are working throughout the country to stabilize the situation. The most problems with electricity are in the city of Kyiv and Kyiv region, the city of Odesa and Odesa region, the city of Kharkiv and Kharkiv region. Vinnytsia, Ternopil, Cherkasy, Chernihiv and other regions – energy workers are doing everything possible to give people a normal life. Kherson – we are restoring transport connections. There is the first train from Kyiv. We create new opportunities for people every day. We are preparing important international events – they will be soon. We will provide everything that is needed for our protection. We involve everyone who can be involved in supporting our state. Thank you to everyone who works for Ukraine! Thank you to everyone who fights for Ukraine! Thanks to everyone in the world who helps! Glory to Ukraine!
Ukraine wants peace, but for its restoration we need support - President's address to the members of the International Organization of La Francophonie
EN 2022-11-20
Dear friends! Dear leaders! I want to tell you now about a typical day in our country. Unfortunately, typical... And not through our fault. A day of this week. Ask yourself: what have you been busy with this Tuesday? What were you worried about? What did you feel? For Ukraine, this Tuesday is almost a hundred missile strikes. A hundred different missiles against our cities. Against residential buildings. Against enterprises. Against power plants. Do you know what this missile strike is? It’s more than 20 million people without electricity. Such was the damage to the power system, such was the urgent emergency shutdown. The reactors at two of our nuclear power plants also shut down due to missile damage to the energy industry. Ladies and Gentlemen! You all know what a terrible war Russia is waging against Ukraine. You all know how we want to restore peace. All of you could hear what we have to offer for this. The Ukrainian peace formula is very clear, and each of its points has been thoroughly worked out. Radiation and nuclear safety. Food security. Energy security. Release of all prisoners and deportees. Implementation of the UN Charter and restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the world order. Withdrawal of Russian troops and cessation of hostilities. Restoring justice. Countering ecocide. Prevention of escalation. Fixing the end of the war. Each of these points are specific decisions, what needs to be done for security. Russian aggression will not simply stop – stability and predictability will be restored for everyone in the world. That is why our formula for peace is a formula for peace for the world. And I suggest to all leaders, to all conscientious countries, to choose the element of the peace formula that you can help us implement. Ukraine really wants peace. But in order to restore peace, we need support. That is why I am turning to you now. Ukraine always helps. Dozens of countries in the world, whose security directly depends on cooperation with Ukraine, know this for sure. This year it was confirmed again. When Russia blocked the Black Sea and our ports, hundreds of millions of people in various countries found themselves on the brink of an acute food crisis. When we managed to restore our exports and return millions of tons of Ukrainian agricultural products to the food market, a sense of stability finally began to appear. That is why it is so important that we stop Russian aggression. This is not just about our country, which Russia is trying to take over. It's not just about our land and resources that Russia wants to appropriate. It's about something more. About stability for everyone in the world. This is about our common radiation safety - so that not a single Russian missile hits our nuclear power plants. This is about our common energy security - so that the destabilization of energy markets, which Russia uses as a weapon, finally stops. This is about our common food security - so that people have basic food on their tables. Peace in Ukraine is peace for you too. Today is the 270th day of the full-scale war. Russia used more than 4,700 missiles. Hundreds of our cities are simply burned. Thousands of people died. Hundreds of thousands were forcibly deported to Russia. Millions left Ukraine for other countries, fleeing the war. We have to stop it. We must stop Russian aggression. I always say this: the return of peace is possible! But it is possible when everyone in the world understands that no one in the world deserves a single day of terror. Thank you for your attention! Thank you for your support! Glory to Ukraine!
This year the world saw how important the contribution of Ukrainians to global food security is – address by the President of Ukraine
EN 2022-11-20
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! This day is coming to an end - already the 270th day of the full-scale war. I will report briefly. The first topic is the frontline. The fiercest battles, as before, are in the Donetsk region. Although there are fewer attacks today due to the deterioration of the weather, the number of Russian shelling occasions remains, unfortunately, extremely high. Luhansk region - little by little we are moving forward with battles. As of now, there have been almost 400 shelling occasions in the east since the beginning of the day. Thank you to each and everyone who holds positions and helps our defense forces. South - we are holding the line, consistently and very calculatedly destroying the potential of the occupiers. The second topic is energy. Restoration of networks and technical supply capabilities, demining of power transmission lines, repairs - everything goes on round the clock. We managed to alleviate the situation in some regions where there were a lot of real problems yesterday. This evening there are stabilization shutdowns in 15 regions and in Kyiv as well. The largest are Vinnytsia, Sumy, Poltava, Khmelnytskyi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv regions and the capital. We are doing everything possible and impossible to return normal life to Odesa, Kharkiv and all our cities and communities. And I thank all energy workers, utility workers, regional administrations - everyone who works for the sake of Ukrainians. The third topic is foreign policy. Today I addressed the participants of the summit of the International Organization of La Francophonie. These are more than 50 participating countries, and more than 20 observer countries. Africa, Asia, America, Europe - everywhere they hear Ukraine, everywhere they know our proposals on how to restore peace to Ukraine and how to restore stability to the world. I will say right away that the Ukrainian peace formula is perceived extremely positively in the world. It is quite constructive and realistic - in contrast to the empty and mendacious Russian rhetoric about their alleged readiness for some kind of negotiations. We will do everything to make the world accept the Ukrainian peace formula. There will be several important international addresses in the upcoming week. And we are already preparing. And one more thing. Traditionally, the Day of Agricultural Workers is celebrated in Ukraine on the third Sunday of November. Was there ever an international context to this day? This year it’s definitely there. This year, many people in the world saw how important the contribution of Ukrainians to global food security is. The lives of millions of people in different countries directly depend on our agricultural sector. I thank all our people who work on the ground, who provide Ukraine and the world with the essentials. Thanks to you and your work, we can find support for our state in those countries with which we do not yet have traditional relations. But we will have them, trust me. Glory to all who fight for Ukraine! Glory to everyone who works and helps! Glory to Ukraine!