Dear Ukrainians!
Today, rescue and emergency operations continued all day across various regions and cities of our country. Ternopil, Lutsk, Kyiv and the region, also Poltava, Khmelnytskyi, Lviv, Chernihiv, Odesa and Sumy regions. In total, 80 people have been injured – all have received assistance. Unfortunately, there are fatalities. As of now, four people have been confirmed killed – in Kyiv and in Lutsk. My condolences to their families and loved ones. There may still be people trapped under the rubble. Those killed in Kyiv were rescuers who had arrived at the scene after the first strike and were tragically killed by a second Russian strike. Danylo Skadin, Andrii Remennyi, and Pavlo Yezhor – firefighters and rescuers from the 18th State Fire and Rescue Unit. This was a cynical Russian attack on ordinary cities. Over 400 drones, more than 40 missiles were launched. A significant number were shot down – but not all.
And, unfortunately, not everyone in the world condemns such attacks. And this is exactly what Putin exploits. He is buying himself time to keep waging war. The Russians constantly try to drive wedges into the unity of the world in order to prevent stronger pressure for their war. We must clearly see the task at hand. Diplomacy must work, security guarantees must be ensured, peace must be established – and for that, initial steps are needed, particularly a ceasefire. Pressure must be applied on Russia to make that happen and to stop the attacks.
Today, I received a report from our team that was in the United States this week: our government officials, military leaders, the Office. I was briefed on the meetings held and the negotiations still in preparation. I am grateful to everyone in Congress, the U.S. Administration, and the American media who understand what is happening and how this war can be ended with dignity and in a reliable way.
I also held a preparatory meeting with our diplomats regarding events scheduled for June, involving European countries, the G7, and our partners in other parts of the world. All is aimed at upholding Ukraine’s independence and ensuring that our resilience remains firm. Thank you.
Glory to Ukraine!