In accordance with the directive of President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak conducted the fifth meeting with representatives of foreign diplomatic missions accredited in Ukraine as part of the implementation of the Peace Formula.
The meeting with ambassadors took place at the Cabinet of Ministers Club of Ukraine and focused on the aspects of the Formula: "Energy Security" and "Prevention of Escalation of War and Repetition of Aggression."
Ambassadors and representatives from the diplomatic missions of Japan, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Croatia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Estonia, Ethiopia, Jordan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Lithuania, Egypt, Brazil, Canada, South Korea, India, Belgium, Spain, Austria, Finland, Azerbaijan, Norway, Switzerland, Germany, Bulgaria, Denmark, Greece, the European Union, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, North Macedonia, Romania, the United States, Turkey, Hungary, France, Montenegro, Sweden, as well as the UN Coordinator System in Ukraine Denys Brown, the Special Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iceland Torlindur Kyartansson, the Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Ukraine, Titular Bishop of Komana Mykhail (Anishchenko), and the Temporary Chargé d'Affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature in Ukraine, Joseph Maramreddy, participated in the live event and video conference format.
Welcoming the participants of the meeting, Andriy Yermak specifically thanked those who joined this format of communication for the first time, namely the representatives of 16 countries: Austria, Belgium, Algeria, Portugal, Ecuador, Croatia, Switzerland, Guatemala, Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Hungary, Azerbaijan, Montenegro, New Zealand, and Ethiopia.
Overall, according to the Head of the Office of the President, representatives from 58 countries took part in the meeting, whereas the previous event at the Verkhovna Rada had representatives from 43 countries.
"This indicates that we are actively moving towards finding the right solution to ensure peace in the world," he emphasized.
Andriy Yermak informed foreign diplomats about the results of the second meeting at the level of advisors on national security and political directors of foreign ministries from around the world and international organizations, which took place on August 5th in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The Head of the President's Office explained the philosophy of the Ukrainian Peace Formula, which was presented in Jeddah, and highlighted the continuous growth in the real desire to establish a sustainable and lasting peace in Ukraine. He noted that the participation was three times higher compared to the previous consultations in Copenhagen.
"The international community understands that the biggest conflict since World War II, which is ongoing in Ukraine, has a negative impact on all countries and that Russian aggression poses a threat to the entire continent," Andriy Yermak concluded.
The Head of the Office of the President noted that the participants of the meeting in Jeddah affirmed their commitment to the principles of the UN Charter, international law, and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states. He emphasized that these very principles form the foundation of President Volodymyr Zelensky's Peace Formula.
"We are working on a joint plan. Each country can take leadership in the implementation of one or several, or all ten points of the Formula. Most of your countries, as far as I know, have already identified priorities and their role in the implementation of these points," said Andriy Yermak.
He also introduced designated responsible representatives of Ukraine for each point of the Peace Formula, who will ensure maximum support for the process of their implementation.
As the Head of the Office of the President mentioned, during the meeting in Jeddah, the necessity of preparing the agenda for the Global Peace Summit was also agreed upon, scheduled to take place by the end of the current year.
"Today we touched upon an extremely important point of the Formula – energy security. Russia systematically uses energy as a weapon. The Kremlin has begun to pressure Europe by increasing energy prices sixfold since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, but Ukraine has done everything to break its dependence on Russian energy resources and thwart Russia's plans. However, Russia continues its attacks on the Ukrainian energy structure. The aggressor plans to create a humanitarian catastrophe, depriving millions of Ukrainians of access to basic resources during the winter," he emphasized.
Andriy Yermak noted that Russia, circumventing sanctions to obtain imported components, is increasing the production of long-range weaponry to continue destroying Ukrainian infrastructure. He specifically mentioned the recent strike by the aggressor on an oil depot in Rivne region. In this context, the Head of the Office of the President emphasized the importance of preparing Ukrainian energy for the winter period and its protection from Russian mass attacks.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal provided detailed information to foreign diplomats about the measures Ukraine is taking to prepare for the winter period. According to him, in order to ensure energy security, Ukraine plans to create a multi-level protection system for energy facilities through their reinforcement and the decentralization of the energy system. European and global companies can utilize reliable Ukrainian underground gas storage facilities capable of storing over 30 billion cubic meters of gas, which will allow for a smooth passage through the winter period and ensure Europe's energy security in the long term.
Other important factors for winter energy security include continuous international monitoring of the security of energy infrastructure facilities and the creation of an international coalition to protect energy facilities through enhanced air defense. Additionally, partners are expected to participate in Ukraine's energy recovery efforts.
"We are undertaking projects that no one in the world has done before, because no energy system in the world has experienced such massive attacks. In the future, Ukraine will be ready to share this experience so that other countries understand how to act in such scenarios if necessary. By the way, this is what we consider a very important element of the Peace Formula for Ukraine – a unique exchange of experience that will protect each and every one of our countries," emphasized Denys Shmyhal.
Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Halushchenko, Chairman of the Board of Ukrenergo Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, and Chairman of the Board of Naftogaz Ukraine Oleksiy Chernyshov informed the attendees about the current situation in our country's energy system.
The Head of the Presidential Office also provided a detailed overview to the attendees about the progress in implementing another important point of the Peace Formula, which concerns security guarantees. He noted that already 13 countries have joined the Joint Declaration in support of Ukraine, agreed upon by the G7 countries at the NATO summit in Vilnius.
"The declaration is a framework document. The next step is the conclusion of a system of bilateral and multilateral security agreements. These must be clear and long-term commitments that will enable Ukraine to defend itself today and prevent Russian aggression in the future, ensuring peace and stability not only in Ukraine but throughout the world," he explained.
According to Andriy Yermak, Ukraine began negotiations last week on the conclusion of a bilateral document on security guarantees with the United States, and today with the United Kingdom.
The Head of the Presidential Office invited other countries to support the Joint Declaration and security guarantees for Ukraine.
Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, Ihor Zhovkva, noted that providing security guarantees to Ukraine before becoming a NATO member will help prevent a recurrence of Russian aggression. According to him, this is an important point not only for our country but also for others, as the consequences of Russian aggression are felt by countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
He noted that security guarantees entail not only providing Ukraine with arms, long-range artillery, air defense systems, and F-16s but also involve intelligence information sharing, training of Ukrainian military personnel, countering cyberattacks, developing Ukrainian industry, enhancing economic resilience and reconstruction, and holding all Russian war criminals accountable. All of this can be stipulated in bilateral agreements within the framework of the Joint Declaration.
"Twenty countries have already endorsed the Joint Declaration, and we look forward to the participation of other states to achieve a sustainable and just peace," said Ihor Zhovkva.
According to him, all countries that have supported or will join the Joint Declaration in the future automatically become participants in the working group on security guarantees. The coordinators of the working group could be representatives of the United States and the United Kingdom, who were the first to initiate negotiations on a bilateral agreement.
