​The Head of State thanked His Majesty for his personal support of Ukraine and of the entire Ukrainian people throughout more than four years of the fight against Russia’s full‑scale aggression.

The Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine is an international mechanism aimed at holding the senior political and military leadership of Russia accountable specifically for the criminal decision to launch and wage a war of aggression against Ukraine. Ukraine expects the Special Tribunal to become fully operational as early as next year.

The world did not look away from this war. It did not hand Ukraine over to a predator. And that has changed a lot – not only, by the way, not only for Ukraine.

In the Dutch city of Middelburg, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy accepted the Four Freedoms Awards on behalf of the entire Ukrainian people for courage and resilience in the fight for freedom. The award was presented by Prime Minister of the Netherlands Rob Jetten and Elizabeth Roosevelt in the presence of King Willem-Alexander and Princess Beatrix.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Guido Crosetto share the same position: there is significant potential for defense cooperation, and it must be realized. Future partnership will cover many different areas, including capability development, exchange of experience, and industrial cooperation in various sectors: air defense, unmanned systems, ammunition, and the maritime sphere.

The Head of State thanked the President of Italy for his unwavering, principled stance in support of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. Sergio Mattarella assured that his country’s position remains unchanged and that support for Ukraine will continue.

We work together with Italy and with partners to guarantee security in every sense of the word and to ensure that relations between us are always friendly and meaningful.