Dear Ukrainians!
Just now – over the past few days – I have already held nearly twenty conversations with our partners, and every single one of them says the same thing: we are impressed by how Ukraine is holding on under the current pressure, by how Ukraine keeps fighting in pursuit of peace for its people, and in truth, for everyone in Europe, at the very least in Europe. Today, I spoke with the President of Finland. Alex briefed me on what Russia conveyed, both formally and informally, and on the conditions Russia is putting forward. And now we are preparing for a meeting with the American side to discuss the steps needed to make peace a reality. And to ensure it is a dignified peace. And when all attention is focused on diplomacy and on defending ourselves in this war, we need internal strength. Internal strength is the foundation of our external unity and of our relations with the world.
And for that internal strength to exist, there must be no reasons to get distracted by anything other than defending Ukraine. I want no one to have any questions for Ukraine. So today, these are the next internal decisions.
First. There will be a reset of the Office of the President of Ukraine. The Head of the Office, Andriy Yermak, has submitted his resignation. I am grateful to Andriy for always representing Ukraine’s position on the negotiation track exactly as it should be represented. It has always been a patriotic position. But I want to eliminate any rumors and speculation. As for the new Head of the Office – tomorrow I will hold consultations with those who may lead this institution.
Talks will take place soon, with our representatives present – including the Chief of the General Staff, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, and our intelligence. And when we all face such an external challenge – war – we must remain strong internally. One hundred percent of our strength will be focused squarely on defending Ukraine. Everyone must now act in this very way – in the interests of our state – and defend our state. This principle remains unchanged. Meetings with the American side will be held very soon.
Second. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. I expect that Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, together with Members of Parliament, through dialogue and unity, will ensure three things for Ukraine. Most importantly – adopting the budget for 2026, which means ensuring our state’s ability to defend itself, to fund our defense, to provide all social payments, and to sustain the resilience we need. This is what people need. I also expect candidates to be proposed for the Ministers of Energy and Justice. The current ministers must be evaluated in a way that allows absolutely clear conclusions – whether these officials meet the challenges of both this winter and this war.
Third. I spoke with the Security Service of Ukraine, asking them to carry out their own assessment of the situation within the law enforcement system and in the regions. Reports will follow soon, then my conclusions, and then the decisions. Too much negativity is coming from the regions. We agreed that the Security Service will provide me with the necessary information promptly.
And of course – the army. Our warriors are heroes. Our warriors are destroying the enemy, and this is the foundation of our ability to build diplomacy. There are issues that should have been resolved long ago. The Commander-in-Chief, the General Staff, and Pavlo Palisa are already working on this, and for next week, I am preparing the relevant Staff meeting. Above all, we need a truly fair, rational distribution of personnel among brigades. The principles for doing this are already in place, and every combat brigade is talking about it. The decision will come.
I thank everyone who stands with Ukraine! I thank everyone who defends Ukraine now and always. I thank everyone who ensures that pressure is placed on Russia – on the cause of this war – and not on our state, not on our people, not on Ukrainians. Ukrainians must prevail. That is what matters most. Russia is eager for Ukraine to make mistakes. We won’t make any. Our work goes on. Our struggle goes on. We have no right to fall short, no right to retreat or turn on one another. If we lose our unity, we risk losing everything – ourselves, Ukraine, and our future. We must stand together. We must hold our ground. There is no other choice. There will never be another Ukraine. We defend Ukraine.
Glory to Ukraine!