Ukraine will begin to implement an energy saving program next year, about UAH 300 billion is currently needed for implementation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
“This program [on energy saving] has been developed in absolute detail […] We see that this program can be implemented, and we will definitely implement it with the support of specialists and financial assistance from the European Union. In any case, we will start doing this next year. We cannot wait when our neighbor [Russia] threatens us with a shutdown or reduction in gas volumes,” Zelensky said during a briefing following the 23rd Ukraine-EU summit with President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
He said that Ukraine should be truly energetically independent.
According to Zelensky, Ukraine currently needs about UAH 300 billion to implement this program.
If the presidential elections in Ukraine were held in the near future, then 32% of Ukrainians who will definitely go to the elections and have decided on their choice, would vote for incumbent President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to results of the all-Ukrainian sociological survey “Socio-Political Moods of Ukrainians: September 2021”, held by the Ukrainian Institute of the Future together with the sociological company New Image Marketing Group.
Zelensky’s rating rose 2% from June, the Institute said in a press release on Facebook on Monday, October 4.
“That is, 32% of those who have made up their minds and will go to the polls are now ready to vote for him. While the ratings of his closest competitors Poroshenko and Boiko dropped by 2% and 1%, respectively. Both have 12% among those who have made up their minds and will go to the polls. The fourth place is consistently occupied by Yulia Tymoshenko – 11% among those who have made up their minds and will go to the polls. At the same time, the rating of Groisman and Muraev increased to 7% among those who decided to go to the polls,” the release says.
It clarifies that young people under 24 years of age support Zelensky the most – 39% of respondents.
“Even in the East, Zelensky is ahead of Boiko – 27% to 16% respectively. Nevertheless, Donbas remains an openly problematic region for Zelensky – there he loses to Boiko unquestioningly – 16% to 29%.
Relatively little support in Donetsk and Luhansk regions correlates with low confidence in the incumbent head of state there and a greater proportion of those who support early presidential elections,” the release says.
In addition, if the elections to the Verkhovna Rada were held next Sunday, then 23% of those polled would vote for the Servant of the People party. The Opposition Platform is on the second and third place in terms of electoral preferences of 16% of citizens who decided to go to the polls, and the European Solidarity party – for 15% of those who decided to go to the polls.
Just like in the presidential rating, Yulia Tymoshenko’s Batkivschyna party ranks fourth – 14% among those who have made up their minds and will go to the polls. Ihor Smeshko’s “Strength and Honor” received fewer votes – 7% among those who decided to go to the polls.
“The Ukrainian Strategy of Groisman party and Yevhen Muraev’s Nashi Party did not overcome the 5% barrier in absolute terms, having received 4% each among those who decided to go to the elections. Also the party of Anatoliy Shariy and the party of Prytula got 3% each among those who decided to go to the polls. And the Holos party got 2% among those who decided to go to the polls,” the Institute reports.
They clarify that in comparison with the sentiments of respondents regarding participation in the presidential elections, the share of those wishing to vote for MPs is slightly lower – 70% declare their desire to vote in the parliamentary elections. However, 25% will not go to the parliamentary elections and will not vote. And another 5% of citizens were undecided.
All-Ukrainian sociological research “Socio-political moods of Ukrainians: September 2021” was conducted by the Ukrainian Institute of the Future together with the sociological company New Image Marketing Group among 2,400 respondents throughout Ukraine from September 18 to September 28, 2021. The margin of error is no more than 2%.
President of Israel Isaac Herzog started an official visit to Ukraine.
“I just flew to Kyiv to start an official visit. The Jewish people here have a glorious past, but also a difficult and painful history. Tomorrow I will take part in the important opening ceremony of the Holocaust Remembrance Center in Kyiv, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Babyn Yar tragedy,” Herzog said on Twitter on Tuesday.
The official welcoming ceremony was held in Kyiv between President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and President of Israel Isaac Herzog. Statements of the presidents of Ukraine and Israel for media representatives are expected.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky calls on the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy to intensify an information campaign on the importance of vaccinating citizens against coronavirus (COVID-19) disease.
According to the presidential press service, Zelensky made a statement during a conference call on countering the pandemic on Monday.
“All resources, available methods and sources must convey to various segments of the population about importance of protection against COVID-19. People who are vaccinated not only protect themselves from a severe course in case of illness, but they protect the environment, in particular their family members,” Zelensky said.
It is noted that during the meeting, the Health Ministry along with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy was separately instructed to launch a campaign to vaccinate pensioners and also strengthen the information direction.
“Now in Ukraine, out of 11 million pensioners, about 25% are vaccinated. Volodymyr Zelensky suggested considering the possibility of involving business representatives to the aforementioned information campaign of Ukrposhta,” the press service said.
The special attention during the meeting was paid to the issue of combating the counterfeiting of certificates of negative PCR tests and certificates of vaccination. According to Chief of the National Police Ihor Klymenko, some 13 searches were carried out over the past week, some 12 criminal proceedings were initiated.
There is already the first court decision on the recovery of a fine in the amount of UAH 34,000 from a doctor from Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovsk region and deprivation of the right to work in the specialty for one year.
In addition, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said the number of Ukrainians with COVID-19 continues to grow, in particular, some 64,606 COVID-19 cases were registered in the previous week, which is almost 20,000 more than a week earlier.
“To date, the dynamics of the development of the disease completely coincides with the previous peak of morbidity. Despite the fact that the growth of sick and hospitalized patients has slowed down somewhat, as of now, 22,500 beds are already occupied by people with confirmed COVID-19 and with suspicion,” the head of the government said.
He said that slightly less than 50% of the available places for COVID-19 patients are already occupied in Ukraine, but there are areas where the situation is of concern. According to the analysis of the Health Ministry, there are more infected in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv and Odesa regions. In total, there are 138,500 active patients in Ukraine today.
“The head of state has set the government the task of ensuring in the near future an increase in the number of beds in regions where there is a rapid increase in the incidence of coronavirus,” the office said.
COVID-19, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE, PRESIDENT ZELENSKY, VACCINATION
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has announced the success of infrastructure development in Ukraine, as well as digitalization, the press service of the president of Ukraine has reported.
“In these two and a half years, we have started the digitization of the state. We are number one in Europe today. And the Servant of the People party was involved in that as well,” the presidential press service quoted Zelensky as saying when speaking in Truskavets on Saturday, where a visiting session of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction was taking place.
Zelensky added that Ukraine is also the first in Europe in terms of road construction now. “Statistically, we build the most per month. Number one in Europe!” the President noted.
The Head of State also noted the liquidation of the State Architectural and Construction Inspectorate.
“So be a little proud of yourself and the difficult path. When we talk about land reform, there are many questions about how slow it is. But I believe that this is a challenge and a victory, on which I want to congratulate you,” the President said.
He noted that there are many challenges in the field of medicine in the country, which was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. “But today I see a medical team. We have elected a minister, a committee is working, and we are ready for challenges,” Zelensky stressed.
The President also stressed that the Office of the President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have done a lot for Ukraine’s international agency, and this is the most important victory this year.
“A lot yet not enough. Why not enough? I will explain. We do not have time to expect that we will be taken to the European Union: ‘let’s wait another five years.’ You know we have a war. I do not want to complain. I think we are powerful. And today our policy is ‘brazen’. And I am convinced that without a strong international policy, without such ‘boldness’ no one will see Ukraine’s steps forward,” he said.
In addition, the presidential press service noted that working groups with the participation of deputies and ministers (eight clusters) on the details of the Plan of Transformation of the country initiated by him in the following areas: military security and international relations; energy independence and “green” transformation, human capital, technological development and market transformations, infrastructure and local development, food hub, digital hub and rule of law.
“These clusters contain goals and KPIs for relevant areas until 2023, projects and reforms to be implemented, and laws to be enacted,” the message reads.
DIGITALIZATION, INFRASTRUCTURE, POLITICS, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE, PRESIDENT ZELENSKY
The European Commission (EC) welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s determination to fight the deeply rooted influence of vested oligarchic interests on the country’s life and expects the next steps in this direction.
The European Commission said this to the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Friday commenting the adoption of the law on de-oligarchisation by the Verkhovna Rada.
“We welcome President Zelensky’s determination to address the deeply rooted influence of vested oligarchic interests in the political and economic life of Ukraine,” the European Commission said.
The diplomats in Brussels underscored the adoption of the bill “On the prevention of threats to national security associated with the excessive influence of persons with significant economic or political heft in public life (oligarchs)” at the second reading in the Verkhovna Rada on 23 September. “This is a step forward. We expect the law to be implemented fully and with determination, in a legally sound manner. We believe that in addition to the implementation of the adopted law, more steps are needed, in particular to close Ukraine’s institutional gaps, to achieve the desired de-oligarchizing effect,” they noted.
At the same time the European Commission stressed that Ukraine “invested a lot of efforts into closing the space for corrupt practicing, by i.a. cleaning the banking sector and ensuring transparency of the public procurement.” “We encourage to continue these efforts in others sectors prone to corrupt practices,” the diplomats said.
They are convinced that “strengthening of planned and existing institutions (such as the rule of law authorities, including the court system; the Anti-Monopoly Committee; the public broadcaster; an independent press regulator among others) should stand at the heart of this fight to consolidate the rule of law, shore up the trust of Ukrainian citizens in public institutions and, not least, to unleash Ukraine’s economic potential for the benefit of all people of Ukraine.”
