President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with the Ukrainian negotiating group following the meetings with the American and Russian sides that took place on February 17 in Geneva. The Head of State and members of the Ukrainian delegation also defined further steps and positions for the negotiations that will take place today.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree enacting the decision of the National Security and Defense Council to apply sanctions against the self-proclaimed president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Ihor Zhovkva, met with NATO Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, Boris Ruge.

We do not need war. And we always act symmetrically – we are defending our state and our independence.

Right now everyone is awaiting the continuation of the trilateral meetings. Our delegation is already in Geneva and preparing for the negotiations. Russia cannot resist the temptation of the last days of winter cold and wants to inflict painful blows on Ukrainians. The more of this evil comes from Russia, the harder it will be for everyone to reach any agreements with them.

This sanctions package was formed on the basis of a petition prepared by Ukrainian skeleton racer and member of the National Olympic Team of Ukraine Vladyslav Heraskevych.

The Head of State thanked the Secretary General of the Council of Europe and his team for supporting the Ukrainian people in times of difficult trials, especially for the efforts to establish a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression by Russia against Ukraine.