At the instruction of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak, Deputy Head of the Office of the President Ihor Zhovkva held a meeting with a Norwegian delegation led by Arild Eikeland, Director of the Department for International Security Policy and Operations at Norway’s Ministry of Defense.

The leaders share a common vision: the need to increase pressure on Russia, including through the introduction of secondary sanctions. It is important to do everything possible to make Moscow finally feel that this war is truly costly for them. Only then will the Russians start thinking about how to end what they themselves started.

The parties discussed diplomatic efforts in detail, the importance of achieving a ceasefire, and the development of security guarantees. Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that it has now been two weeks since the talks with the U.S. President and European leaders in Washington. During this time, Russia has shown no intention of being ready for a meeting at the level of leaders and has instead continued attacking Ukrainian cities and communities, killing dozens of Ukrainians.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that one of the key components of security guarantees for Ukraine is its membership in the European Union. The leaders agreed that no division should be allowed between Ukraine and Moldova on this path.

The parties discussed preparations for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. The Head of State noted that Ukraine, as well as other countries defending life, equally count on the IOC to maintain the principled stance it upheld during the 2024 Olympics in Paris toward aggressive Russia and its accomplice, Belarus.

Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov and his team showcased Diia.AI and five other new features of the application, all powered by its core technology, to the President.

On Knowledge Day, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy greeted students at a school in the Kyiv region on the start of the new academic year.