Dear Ukrainians!
Today, the Russians struck Kherson again – twice in one day. They destroyed the regional administration building – yet another civilian structure. It’s not the first time they’ve attacked this building, but today’s strike was clearly demonstrative. There was no military logic behind it whatsoever. And all of this – every such strike – has absolutely nothing to do with the so-called “root causes” of the war that Moscow likes to talk about. It’s about the fact that they are obsessed with war, consumed by hatred and the desire to destroy the lives of other nations. You can only defeat such ones with force – the force of diplomacy, sanctions, weapons and technology. The Russian army has destroyed the lives of the peoples of the Caucasus. They destroyed lives in Syria. They’ve even gone to Africa – to sell their brutality to local warlords. Russia takes pride in this – takes pride in its ability to kill – and frankly, that’s the only thing this state has ever really learned to do. The strike on Pryluky in the Chernihiv region today. Russian drones killed the family of a Ukrainian rescuer – a man whose life was dedicated to saving others. And Russia did this to him, as it has to so many others… There were strikes on Kharkiv, on the Sumy and Donetsk regions, Nikopol, communities in the Zaporizhzhia region, villages in the Kherson region. This is the daily reality of what the Russians, unfortunately, are allowed to do. The world, unfortunately, is allowing them to do it. But we see how many people around the world are with us no matter what.
These days, our team is having meetings in Washington – government officials, military representatives, the Office team. Thank you to everyone who attended the briefings from the Ukrainian delegation for your support. In particular, there were meetings in Congress, with U.S. Administration officials, conversations with journalists, and NGO representatives. We see understanding and support. We do count on strong steps. That’s what’s in short supply right now. And this is what can make even the sleazebags in Moscow realize they can’t pull the war off. This must be ensured. And this is why we need new and sufficient sanctions, first and foremost from the United States. This is why we need clear political pressure for diplomacy to be effective. There’s not a single peace initiative in the world that Russia hasn’t rejected. They dislike everything. They only like ruins and murders. They must be held accountable for this.
A few more things. Today, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal reported on his negotiations in France. There is a decision on additional funding for Ukraine’s recovery. I thank our French partners for this decision. The Prime Minister and I also discussed certain measures that will strengthen Ukraine’s resilience. There was also a report by Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha. We are preparing decisions together with the G7 countries. Thank you to everyone who stands with us, who stands with Ukraine!
Glory to Ukraine!
