I wish you all good health!
Happy Independence Day!
Dear Mr. Prime Minister, dear Mark,
Dear attendees, teams, guests,
Dear journalists,
First and foremost, I want to once again thank Mark for this visit today – on such an important day for Ukraine and all Ukrainians, our Independence Day. This is deeply symbolic, as Canada was among the first to recognize the restoration of Ukraine’s independence, to recognize our sovereign state. For 34 years now, we have stood firmly together with Canada – as friends, as partners – sharing the same understanding of what our values are and how they must be defended. I am grateful to Canada for all the support – support that is truly sincere. We also deeply value the special bond between our peoples and cultures: Canada is home to one of the largest and strongest Ukrainian communities – more than one million people. This significantly enriches our relations and our closeness – the closeness between Ukraine and Canada. I am confident that we will always remain this close. Thank you.
But today, Mark’s visit is not limited to symbolism alone – we have had a very substantive meeting. There are important documents signed, there are clear agreements. The Action Plan for the Implementation of the Agreement on Security Cooperation between our countries, the Agreement on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters signed at the ministerial level, and the Letter of Intent on drone production. This is important, this is a priority, and you all know it. And now is the time when every day matters and should be filled with meaning. We discussed diplomacy – all our contacts and opportunities with partners. I informed Mark about our work with our American partners, and we discussed the prospects together with the Prime Minister. We must continue to put pressure on Russia to end this war, to end it with dignity, with guaranteed security and guaranteed peace. This is possible only through the joint strength of everyone in the world who wants peace and respects international law. The leaders’ dialogue format is the most effective path. I am grateful to Canada for its support in this regard and for its willingness to work at its level with other global actors to put greater pressure on Russia.
Canada is an active participant in the Coalition of the Willing, and we expect Canada to take an active role in implementing the security guarantees. Our teams – the members of the coalition – are currently developing the format for future joint security guarantees for Ukraine and for the region. It is important to make everything as practical as possible. We believe that Canada should be represented at the same level as our closest partners in Europe in developing the security guarantees and in engaging in the process of safeguarding peace. We count on the presence of Canadian forces in Ukraine. This is important for us.
Today, we discussed our defense cooperation. NATO countries are now joining a new program called PURL – a collective tool that allows for increased support for Ukraine through the procurement of weapons specifically from the United States of America. The program already includes decisions totaling 1.5 billion dollars. European countries have taken their steps, and I am grateful for Canada’s readiness to join the program. We have discussed this, and the Prime Minister has already said that there will be an additional $500 million, which is very important for us. I informed Mark about our capacities in weapons production, and this is primarily about identifying our priorities with Canada. Our top priority is drones for the front. We face a significant funding shortfall, even though we could substantially increase the supply of drones. Drones are now the kind of weapon that is essential – to hold the front, to deliver the necessary strikes to protect our energy infrastructure, and to strike enemy targets. That is why drones are number one in our defense efforts and tactical operations.
They allow us to save lives on the battlefield. The funds provided by Canada will be directed specifically toward drone production. We discussed this, and we have reached agreements. Canada is ready to provide funding and join this initiative. Thank you for that, Mark. Thank you.
Another important area of our cooperation is sanctions. Here, of course, we are grateful to Canada. Canada is among the leaders in sanctions efforts, and we greatly appreciate that. Canada is often the first to impose sanctions against certain entities, and then the world follows suit. We have now effectively prepared a new level of such work – Ukraine has synchronized its sanctions with those of Canada, and the corresponding decision took effect yesterday. In the near future, we are preparing for Canada to synchronize with our Ukrainian sanctions – our initial sanctions packages will be extended to Canada’s jurisdiction. This is important, and I am grateful that together we are raising the pressure on Russia to a truly tangible level. We are also working to ensure that Russian assets are used for protection against Russian aggression. We are thankful for this support.
We discussed energy cooperation, which is very important for us – energy is the foundation of resilience. Today, I offered Canada to join major energy projects – a large-scale energy partnership. We have the necessary port infrastructure and storage capacities. Ukrainian storage facilities can be used for the supply of Canadian gas, and this is crucial for stability not only in Ukraine but across Europe. Mark and I discussed the possibility of a rapid implementation of such a program. I believe that our energy ministers will hold a separate meeting to discuss all these details. We agreed that this will take place in the coming days. We are counting on Canada’s participation in the reconstruction of Ukraine, and this applies not only to restoring facilities but also to restoring people – rehabilitation after injuries. We discussed such programs for our veterans, and I am grateful to Canada for its readiness and very hopeful that we will see concrete initiatives that can truly benefit many of our people.
And one more thing.
I want to especially highlight Canada’s participation in our global coalition to bring home Ukrainian children who were abducted by Russia. These are thousands of children who remain in Russia, and it is extremely difficult to bring them back. But this must happen – without a doubt. We are grateful to everyone who is helping. Forty-one countries are now part of our coalition. I am thankful to Canada for its active involvement. We must bring back all Ukrainian children, all prisoners – our servicemen and our civilians. And today, we have the opportunity – the Head of the Office will be there with the team, as well as the Prime Minister with the team. Today there will be an opportunity to visit the Bring Kids Back office and to discuss the programs we have and what we are counting on.
We are very hopeful that one day all our children will be home – in a peaceful, independent Ukraine with guaranteed security. We are working together precisely to make this happen.
And today, on Independence Day, I want to especially thank our warriors. They have achieved very good results in long-range strikes. Everyone can see it, and today we have, I believe, very, very positive results in Donbas. Some good surprises for the Russians. I think the Commander-in-Chief will share all the details later.
Glory to Ukraine!
