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ARTICLE - Ukraine continues work on peace plan

Andriy Yermak discusses implementation of sixth point of Peace Formula regarding withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine at another meeting with ambassadors
15 September 2023 - 21:10
https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/andrij-yermak-na-chergovij-zustrichi-z-poslami-obgovoriv-rea-85641

On the instructions of the President of Ukraine, Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak held the eighth meeting with representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in our country regarding the implementation of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula.

The event was devoted to the implementation of the sixth point of the Formula “Withdrawal of Russian troops and cessation of hostilities.” Representatives of over 70 foreign states participated in the discussion, which took place on the territory of the Antonov airport in Hostomel.

Ambassadors and diplomatic representatives had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the consequences of the attacks of the Russian troops on the airport, inspect the destruction of the office premises of the Antonov State Enterprise, hangars, and see with their own eyes the hangar and the remains of the legendary An-225 Mriya aircraft.

Congratulating those present, Yermak emphasized that the sixth point of the Peace Formula is being discussed in the place where one of the most important battles of this war took place in the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine – the battle for Kyiv.

“On February 24 last year, the battle for the capital of Ukraine began here. Here the myth about the invincibility of the Russian army was shattered. Here, the Kremlin’s ambitions to “take Kyiv in three days” were dispelled. And here, during five weeks of occupation, the “Russian peace” showed its true essence: robbery, torture, mass murders,” the head of the Office of the President said.

He said that thanks to Ukrainian warriors, this place became truly heroic.

“We had a unique “Mriya.” It evoked wonder and admiration from the entire world. It brought goodness, delivered goods to the most remote corners of the planet. The aggressor destroyed this Ukraine’s symbol. But even its remnants, which you see here, have become a new symbol of our resistance. And I am confident that in the future they will become a symbol of recovery,” Yermak added.

At the same time, the head of the President’s Office said: with the loss of the “Mriya,” Ukrainians have achieved a goal – a just and lasting peace, which, according to Yermak, is possible only when Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity is restored and the armed formations of the aggressor are withdrawn from our territory.

The head of the President’s Office emphasized: the withdrawal of troops is a mandatory condition for peace, and any other options are unacceptable, as they can lead to a prolongation of the war.

“Since 2014, Russia has been using the temporarily occupied territories to expand its aggression against Ukraine, causing severe humanitarian consequences and civilian casualties, massive migration flows and artificially altering the national and ethnic composition of these territories. Therefore, ceasing fire and freezing the conflict without the liberation of all Ukrainian territories is an obviously unacceptable scenario. It will only contribute to the preservation of the criminal regime in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and create conditions for the continuation of the war,” he said.

The head of the Office of the President also said that the defense forces will continue to do everything to knock out the aggressor from Ukraine, and the success of our fighters is the key factor in restoring the territorial integrity of the state.

“Restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity without turning the war into a frozen conflict will determine global security for decades to come. This can serve as a universal mechanism for ending international armed conflicts in the future. The relevant instruments implemented in the context of the war in Ukraine can potentially become universal and be reflected in United Nations General Assembly resolutions,” Yermak is convinced.

He urged those present to work on these mechanisms and noted that he expects fruitful results from today’s meeting.

In particular, a representative of the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense spoke about the defense of Hostomel and the impact of these events on the further success of defending the Ukrainian capital.

Deputy Head of the President’s Office Roman Mashovets informed about the current situation at the front, namely about the counteroffensive actions of the defense forces in each of the operational directions.

Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umerov focused the attention of the participants on the specifics of the military and political aspects of the implementation of the Peace Formula.

Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavliuk familiarized the event participants with the details of the operation of the newly created working group, responsible for the implementation of the sixth point of the Peace Formula “Withdrawal of Russian troops and cessation of hostilities.”

Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov outlined the key aspects of the global context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The Ukrainian side called on representatives of foreign states not only to work together to end the war in our country, but also to join forces to create new security mechanisms. The need for further support for the Ukrainian military, strengthening our air defense and creating conditions for Ukrainian dominance in the sky was also emphasized.