Speeches

Here, at the Lavra, and in our other places like this – in our national shrines – you feel that you are part of something much greater, truly greater and longer-lasting than your personal story, your personal experiences, and your personal memory.

The long-range sanctions plan is being implemented, and there are more and more of our mid-range strikes as well. In fact, we have succeeded in blocking off Russia’s south, and we are expanding this strategic operation – quite rightly, in response to Russian strikes on our ports and our cities.

This is indeed a landmark day, one we have been moving toward throughout this year, ever since we decided that we needed to launch this initiative and make it real. The idea was to create the largest permanent program for culture in history.

Putin’s plan is not particularly complicated. He wants to create the impression that Russians supposedly support the war – every party still permitted to run is, one way or another, against peace. And then, after the so-called elections, he plans an additional rapid mobilization of several hundred thousand Russians by the end of the year.

Today marks yet another achievement by our Ukrainian Defense Forces – another facility in Russia’s oil refining industry was hit, and the distance was significant – more than 2,500 kilometers. This was in Tobolsk, in Siberia.

This week, we will have new contacts with mediators, specifically regarding the steps and proposals that are needed. Ukraine is always active in diplomacy. There will be new contacts to secure air defense packages too – to protect our country and our people.

President Vučić and I discussed our bilateral cooperation with Serbia – things that can make our infrastructure stronger, including our ports and railways in both countries, and strengthen our economies and security overall.

Our FREYJA program – a joint European anti-ballistic system – is already actively underway. Ten countries are already involved, and more of our partners will join – those capable of providing real support. We've already agreed on that.

We are in contact with President Trump’s envoys every day, and that is important. At the meeting in Washington, we discussed how new circumstances could be created to enable real diplomacy. We are working to make all this happen. Budanov, Umerov, Arakhamiia, and Kyslytsya delivered reports – each on their respective elements of the negotiation track – on where we currently stand in the negotiations and what is happening in Moscow regarding its attitude toward the negotiations.

All of us are now engaged in diplomacy – the President, the Government, Parliament, our teams, very often our journalists, Ukrainian businesses, and civil society. Ukrainian warriors, of course, whose strength enables Ukraine to endure. But the role of professional, systematic, career diplomacy is, of course, important and irreplaceable. Please make our diplomacy consistent, effective, and victorious.