President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy introduced newly appointed Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Ihor Klymenko to the Council’s team.
The Head of State emphasized that Ihor Klymenko had proved his effectiveness as Minister of Internal Affairs.
“By its nature, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is a system of security and emergency response agencies managed and directed specifically by the institution, by its head – the Minister of Internal Affairs,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted.
The President said that Ihor Klymenko had coordinated the work of the National Guard, the National Police, the State Border Guard Service, the State Migration Service, and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine extremely well.
According to the Head of State, making it through the winter has become a separate challenge during the war, which is why it is important to strengthen coordination among government institutions.
“I really want the experience that Ihor Klymenko drew on while heading the Ministry of Internal Affairs to be further developed within the Secretariat of the National Security and Defense Council. We are talking about winter for a reason. Winter – it is already clear what challenges we will face. But we are not going to give up, and we are not going to surrender our country to anyone. So we will certainly keep fighting this winter,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The President emphasized that Ihor Klymenko, together with the Security and Defense Forces, the government, and other institutions, would coordinate efforts to protect Ukraine amid the challenges of winter.
The Head of State noted that the National Security and Defense Council must continue its work on sanctions policy against Russia and strengthen cooperation with partners on synchronizing sanctions.
According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, work with the United States, the European Union, and defense cooperation formats on arms exports must also continue.
“In some areas, we must provide the greatest possible opportunities for exports, while in others we should probably be a little more cautious so as not to lose all the capabilities and all the knowledge accumulated during this war by our warriors and our companies,” the President emphasized.
He noted that the National Security and Defense Council must work with other institutions to strengthen air defense, including anti-ballistic capabilities and the FREYJA program.
The Head of State separately emphasized the need to step up efforts to counter Russian propaganda.
Ihor Klymenko thanked Rustem Umerov for his work as Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council and said that he would continue the work already begun. According to the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, preparations for winter and coordination of efforts are already a focus. In particular, discussions have been held with regional leaders on implementing resilience plans.
“Of course, our first priority is to strengthen and coordinate the work of all the Security and Defense Forces and the entire state ecosystem. We have already begun this work today. Other areas will, of course, also be addressed. They include cyber defense, cybersecurity, and information security – everything that makes our country stronger. I am ready to get to work. Thank you for your trust,” Ihor Klymenko said.