President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky met with heads of foreign missions and international organizations accredited in Ukraine.
He thanked foreign diplomats for staying in Ukraine in this difficult time of full-scale Russian invasion, for supporting our country, for hearing Ukrainians firsthand and being aware of their concerns and aspirations.
"The normal functioning of diplomatic missions shows our people that the world leaders are with us and that you believe in Ukraine and trust our country," the President said.
According to Volodymyr Zelensky, over the two years of full-scale war, Ukraine, with the help of its partners, has liberated more than 50% of the territory occupied by the Russian army, won the battle for the Black Sea and ensured the operation of the grain corridor, achieved GDP growth of 5%, protected the energy sector, preserved the work of state and social institutions, the stability of the financial sector, reached a political decision to start negotiations on joining the European Union, and is creating a new architecture of security commitments based on the G7 Vilnius Declaration, within which bilateral agreements have already been signed with the UK, Germany and France. The preparation of other agreements is also underway.
"All of this proves Ukraine's capability, the strength of our people, the effectiveness of our unity – of all formats of our interaction with the world. We have achieved and are achieving our goals. I think this is the key thing," the Head of State emphasized.
According to him, in the current year, 2024, we need to do as much as possible to end this war in accordance with the fundamental principles of international law and the norms of the UN Charter. So there are very specific tasks for this year.
According to the Head of State, the first absolute priority is to protect Ukrainians from Russian terror.
“We are extremely grateful to every state and every leader who provides defense, macro-financial and humanitarian support to Ukraine and our people. I am especially grateful for the programs of long-term support, both defense and financial. All this saves thousands and thousands of lives and really brings the end of the war closer," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The President called the second task to unite the world around the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula, which is capable of restoring the power of international law, and holding the first Global Peace Summit at the level of heads of state.
"I am grateful to each of your states that have already joined the relevant work. Each point of the Formula is based on the principles and norms of the UN Charter, General Assembly resolutions and basic international conventions. The Peace Formula is capable of bringing peace – real, fair, just and clear to every nation," the Head of State emphasized.
He added that the implementation of the Peace Formula, in particular, can fulfill an important humanitarian task – to bring home Ukrainian children and adults deported to Russia, including prisoners of war and political prisoners.
Volodymyr Zelensky called the third task to work with partners to enhance defense cooperation and increase pressure on Russia, which disregards all rules and poses a global threat. According to him, sanctions are a mechanism for reducing the duration and intensity of Putin's aggression. Also, according to the Head of State, the sooner the frozen Russian assets are confiscated, the sooner Russia will feel the true price of aggression against international law.
"This year should give Ukraine, each of our states and our cooperation more strength, more principled steps. Ukraine invites all reputable states and companies to defense cooperation. We must build up our arsenals and adapt them to the conditions and challenges of modern warfare," the President emphasized.
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi informed foreign diplomats about the operational situation at the front, particularly in the most difficult areas in the east of the country, via an online call. He emphasized that Ukraine's defenders continue to effectively hold back Russia, inflicting systemic losses on it.
During the speeches of the diplomats, Ambassador of the Republic of Italy Pier Francesco Zazo, in particular, noted that Ukraine will be a priority during this year's Italian presidency of the Group of Seven (G7) and expressed full support for all ten points of the Ukrainian Peace Formula.
"We will continue to support Ukraine in the defense of its freedom and territorial integrity. We will coordinate the activities of the Group of Seven to provide all necessary support: political, economic, financial, military, and humanitarian. We reaffirm our commitment to step up sanctions against Russia as long as necessary to achieve a just and lasting peace," he said.
Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Brazil Norton de Andrade Mello Rapesta, for his part, spoke about the priorities of his country's presidency of the G20 this year and emphasized that Brazil traditionally supports Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty at all international platforms.
Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova noted that the EU will continue to support Ukraine for as long as necessary and with whatever it takes.
"We support you financially and politically. We support you on all ten points of the Peace Formula. We are introducing new sanctions – a new package will be symbolically adopted tomorrow. And we are also contributing to the supply of military aid," the EU Ambassador said.
Katarina Mathernova also expressed her admiration for the resilience, courage and ingenuity of Ukrainians. In particular, she noted Ukrzaliznytsia, which continues to operate efficiently during a full-scale war, the banking sector, which has not stopped for a day, and digitalization.
For her part, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink, on behalf of U.S. President Joseph Biden and the American people, emphasized that the United States stands with Ukraine and will continue to support it in this difficult struggle.
Other representatives of the diplomatic corps also took the floor during the meeting, in particular: Ambassador of Sweden to Ukraine Martin Öberg, Ambassador of South Africa Shoayb Casoo, Ambassador of the Republic of India to Ukraine Harsh Kumar Jain, Ambassador of the French Republic Gaël Veyssière, Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Ukraine Mustafa Levent Bilgen, Ambassador of Norway Helene Sand Andresen, Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine Natalka Cmoc, Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania Valdemaras Sarapinas, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Jennes de Mol, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Ukraine Martin Jaeger and Ambassador of Switzerland Félix Baumann.
At the end of the meeting, Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked all the countries and their societies that began to help Ukraine from the first days of full-scale Russian aggression and sheltered forced migrants.
"I am convinced that we will win. In particular, thanks to unity and your support. I am grateful to everyone who is working with us for the sake of a quick and fair end to this war," the President summarized.
