Press remarks by Danylo Lubkivsky, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine

UCMC press center

Ladies and gentlemen,

  • This week is of utmost importance for Ukraine.
  • The Peace plan of President Poroshenko gives peace a chance.
  • It includes three major parts: ceasefire, restoration and dialogue.
  • The ceasefire allows Russian terrorists to lay down weapons and retreat back home to Russia.
  • All hostages must be released – all Ukrainian military personnel, foreign observers, journalists.
  • First 10 Ukrainian militaries have been already released.
  • Ukrainian cities will be free from mercenaries.
  • Mariupol is completely free of terrorists. Luhansk, Donetsk and other will be liberated soon.
  • After restoring security and territorial integrity of the country, dialogue is possible.
  • European decentralization of powers has no alternatives.
  • With assistance of EU Ukraine will restore houses and infrastructure destroyed by terrorists.
  • People of Donbas will have new workplaces and jobs.
  • The peace plan has already been supported by the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the UN, the OSCE and the Council of Europe.
  • Yesterday, on 23rd of June Foreign Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin presented President Poroshenko’s peace plan at the meeting of the EU Foreign Ministers Council in Luxembourg.
  • Today the Minister delivers the plan at the Annual Security Review Conference of the OSCE in Vienna.
  • On 25th of June Minister Klimkin will address the NATO-Ukraine Commission in Brussels.
  • On 26th of June President Petro Poroshenko will present his vision at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
  • The whole world demands Russia to stop disrupting peace.
  • This is our clear and strong appeal to Russia: stop the war, distance from terrorists, make real steps towards withdrawing mercenaries from Ukraine and securing the border.
  • Ukraine unilaterally implements the peace plan.
  • Despite the ceasefire, attacks of Russian terrorists did not stop.
  • Throughout just two recent days, the illegal armed groups made more than thirty attacks at Ukrainian army and border guards. We fought theses strikes back.
  • Last night we had four new attacks, including two railway explosions.
  • Terrorists continue to destroy infrastructure, schools, clinics. They simply do not care about human lives and peace.
  • Not only two crucial for Ukraine regions are flooded with heavy artillery and military vehicles from Russia, but also the Kremlin actually confirms a new increase in concentration of manpower and military equipment of the Russian army near our border.
  • Russians have no obstacles preventing terrorists from crossing the border with Ukraine. But they do not.
  • NATO previously released satellite images indicating that Russia indeed had allowed tanks to cross the border into the eastern part of Ukraine.
  • Russian helicopters violated Ukraine’s airspace on several occasions and even landed with invaders.
  • Russia also increases its occupational forces in Crimea. With occupation come curtailing of freedoms. Today we learned that unknown armed men have occupied a medrese – Muslim religious school – near Simferopol.
  • If Russia continues to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty, the West will have no other recourse but to carry on with stronger and more severe pressure against the aggressor – the political regime of President Putin.
  • No illusions. No rest. More pressure on Russia.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

  • This week is also critical in terms of signing the economic clauses of the EU-Ukraine Agreement on June 27. That’s a historic event.
  • We welcome plans of the EU to move forward with signing the Association Agreements with Georgia and Moldova.
  • No country has a right to veto foreign policy choices of other states.
  • We welcome the decision of the European Commission to launch the second phase of the Visa Liberalization Action Plan with Ukraine. It reflects our country’s achievements in meeting legislative and institutional requirements of the visa dialogue.
  • The EU will send a police mission to Ukraine for two years which will greatly contribute to reforms of the system of internal affairs and security services in the country.
  • Last week Ukraine received first installment of 500 ml euro under the EU relief program.
  • Ukraine appreciates Europe’s readiness to hold a donor conference in early July.
  • So, as you see now we have two agendas: the war agenda and the reform agenda.
  • In a way, they intertwine and complete each other. Both of them depend on support from international community.
  • Ukraine is the “place to stand”.
  • We will stop Russia.
  • We fight not only our own battle, but the battle of all who believe in freedom.

I thank you.