I wish you good health, fellow Ukrainians!
Today, it is important that the exchange was successful. It took a long time to prepare. Every return of our people matters. We remember everyone. We are searching for each name. Sometimes we find people after years, when nothing was known about them, and the most important thing is to bring them home, to Ukraine.
I am grateful to everyone working for the exchanges: our entire Coordination Headquarters team and intelligence services, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, of course, the army, and most of all, every Ukrainian unit on the front line that ensures the replenishment of the exchange fund for Ukraine. Your courage, warriors, is the guarantee that we will be able to bring our people home.
Prisoners of war, civilians – we remember everyone. We hope to continue the exchanges in the near future. At the very least, from our side, we are doing everything required for this.
We had detailed discussions yesterday and today with the Commander-in-Chief, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, and the Security Service of Ukraine regarding the ceasefire currently in effect for Easter. Ukraine has proposed this more than once, and it would be good if it truly works. Easter should be a time of security and peace. It would be right for a ceasefire to continue beyond the holiday. We have conveyed this proposal to Russia, and if Russia once more chooses war over peace, it will yet again show the world, and the United States in particular, who truly stands for what.
Ukraine will act symmetrically. Tasks have been set for our army. If there are no Russian strikes, there will be no response from us. We remember how it was in similar situations before, and we clearly understand who we are dealing with. If there are no Russian missiles or drones, we will also observe a ceasefire in the skies. The same task is set for the front line. But every Ukrainian unit retains the right to respond.
Our priority is real security. As for the possibility of extending the ceasefire, the signal has been delivered to the Russians.
We are also working with partners to move forward in negotiations and in guaranteeing security. Ukraine remains in constant contact with the American side at various levels. We are preparing very active work in the coming weeks with our European partners as well.
On Monday, there will be a detailed report from Rustem Umerov on all agreements in the Middle East, the Gulf, and other countries neighboring the region regarding our export of security capabilities. In fact, all partners equally see this as a success for Ukraine and say so – that Ukraine is truly contributing to greater security. There is interest in Asia as well, and the first agreements are already in progress. This definitely strengthens Ukraine, too. Rustem Umerov is already in Ukraine now – we are finalizing draft agreements.
And today, there was also a report from Prime Minister of Ukraine Yuliia Svyrydenko, and energy is the top domestic priority right now. It is very important that the energy system is operating, and quite well – we have managed to add generation capacity.
I thank everyone working to keep the lights on this Easter.
Glory to Ukraine!