Today, we are ending this week with a strong diplomatic event - for the first time in 32 years, a high-level delegation from Saudi Arabia visited Ukraine.
This is yet another sign of respect for Ukraine, for our invincibility and strength. Respect of the world.
Monday – the leader of the United States of America, President Joe Biden, was in Kyiv. Director of the International Monetary Fund was in Kyiv.
Tuesday – Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was in Kyiv. And a powerful delegation from the U.S. Congress - representatives of the Republican Party - was also in Kyiv.
Wednesday - a conversation with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The first conversation in the history of bilateral relations with the President of Uganda. A conversation with the President of Pakistan. A conversation with the President of Estonia.
Thursday - Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez was in Kyiv. A conversation with the President of Egypt. A visit of representatives of the global parliamentary network "United for Ukraine". These are 13 European states’ parliaments and the European Parliament. Finally, a historically significant vote of the UN General Assembly in favor of our resolution on peace and territorial integrity of our country. 141 countries endorsed it!
Friday, the anniversary of invincibility - Polish Prime Minister Morawiecki was in Kyiv, and Leopards, modern battle tanks, arrived in Ukraine. The result we have been working on for many, many months. The meeting of the G7 leaders and Ukraine's participation in this meeting. Over the past year, Ukraine has become a traditional participant in top international formats.
Now I had another good meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was the first official visit of such level by a representative of this country. Of course, we are working on a higher level of visits and relations. But now we have finally reached an interaction.
And this, by the way, brings concrete and sensitive results for Ukrainians, in particular with regard to the release of prisoners of war. I thank our Saudi partners for their cooperation and assistance.
This is one week. And again and again, it's about strengthening our state, our soldiers, our steadfastness, our international positions.
Today, I met with representatives of our Ukrainian television, the Ukrainian telethon "United News". Journalists, editors, producers. It was a meaningful online meeting. The reason for the meeting is the anniversary of the telethon and gratitude to everyone who works in it.
But the content was much broader. We talked about intensifying the information work of our state and society. This especially concerns those parts of the world where our diplomacy has not been represented for many decades for various reasons.
And now we have to make sure that we are as powerful as possible in terms of information and diplomacy. We need to make Ukraine's position absolutely clear in all parts of the world. This is important in our work to ensure the de-occupation of the territory and our planned active actions.
The more people know about Ukraine, the more they understand Ukraine, the more they support Ukraine, the closer our victory becomes.
I once again thank everyone who works in the telethon, who creates this information foundation of our national unity.
Thank you for your dedication to the Ukrainian cause, for your sincere desire to find and develop formats that will strengthen the telethon and, therefore, Ukraine.
And I thank you for your constant search for new methods of work for those who are now in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine, for finding new ways to access our people in Donetsk, Luhansk, the south of the country, and Crimea.
It is very important that Russia has not succeeded in closing off our people and our land informationally in the part of Ukraine where the terrorists' tricolor is still present. We have to do everything we can - and we will do everything to ensure that our people have more access to truthful information.
Today, on February 26, we mark the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol. And today this conversation is especially important. It is about ensuring an understanding through information and all other means that Ukraine will not abandon anyone, will not leave anyone to the enemy. We will return all our people and everything ours from Russian captivity.
In 2014, Russian aggression began with the seizure of Crimea. It is logical that by liberating Crimea, we will put a historic end to any attempts by Russia to ruin the lives of Ukrainians and all the peoples of Europe and Asia that the Kremlin once claimed to conquer.
International law will prevail here, on the lands of Ukraine: in Donbas, Pryazovia, Kherson region and Crimea.
I thank everyone who brings this victory closer! I thank everyone who helps our people in the temporarily occupied territory!
Glory to each and every one who is now in combat!
By the way, today I am especially grateful to our guys from the 110th separate mechanized brigade who shot down another enemy aircraft near Avdiivka!
Glory to all our heroes of resistance in the temporarily occupied territory! All of Ukraine will be free!
And one more thing. Today we have new decisions of our state on sanctions against those who are involved or help Russia wage war and destroy lives and people.
I signed three decrees to implement the NSDC decisions. Against those Russians who are involved in the abduction of Ukrainian children. Against those representatives of the Russian sports sector who are trying to put sports in the service of aggression. And against those who help maintain mercenary structures in Russia for the war against Ukraine and all free people.
Ukraine's pressure will continue. The world's pressure on the terrorist state will continue.
Glory to Ukraine!
