The main topics in the contacts of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with the leaders of other countries remain defense and financial support of the state, blocking of Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea, the threat of a food crisis, Presidential Press Secretary Sergei Nikiforov said.
“The list of issues is the same. There is an urgent issue – blocking our ports in the Black Sea. There is a threat of a general food crisis and a food crisis in certain regions of different countries, because Ukraine is a supplier of agricultural products for many markets. And now because of violations of supply chains and supply chains, such a threat exists,” Nikiforov said on the air of the national telethon on Sunday.
Also, according to him, topical issues are financial support for the Ukrainian economy in the conditions of war, sanctions against the Russian Federation and defense support.
“With some of the leaders, certain issues come to the fore, with others – in the background. It depends on the country and each specific situation,” he said.
French President Emmanuel Macron, during a telephone conversation on Saturday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, promised to intensify the provision of military and humanitarian assistance to Kyiv, BFMTV channel said, citing sources.
According to the channel, Macron “promised to increase support for Ukraine by transferring weapons and humanitarian aid.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, repeated his proposal to upgrade the talks in Istanbul to the level of leaders, the Turkish presidential administration said.
“President Erdogan reiterated his proposal to elevate the Istanbul process, an important stage for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, to the level of leaders,” the Turkish presidential administration said on Twitter on Tuesday.
Emphasizing the importance of ensuring the ceasefire, the effective operation of humanitarian corridors and the safe conduct of the evacuation, Erdogan said that Turkey will continue to make every effort to end the current state of affairs, which is detrimental to everyone, and establish a lasting peace.
“President Erdogan noted that the continuation of the positive momentum achieved in the Istanbul talks to pave the way for peace will benefit everyone,” the message says.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said he wants the end of the war with Russia and spoke in favor of a diplomatic way to end it.
“I want to stop the war and end it. There is a diplomatic path, there is a military one. Any healthy person always chooses the diplomatic path, because he knows: even if it is difficult, it can stop the loss of thousands, tens of thousands, and with such neighbors hundreds of thousands, and maybe even millions of victims. I don’t want this. And any leader, whether he personally wants it or not, has no right to subjectively cancel the diplomatic path,” Zelensky said at a press conference in Kyiv on Saturday.
The World Bank will provide Ukraine with $4.8 billion for recovery following a roundtable talk held in Washington on April 21 along with the Ukrainian government, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
“Yesterday, during a ministerial roundtable talk, I turned to the World Bank. The result is $4.8 billion for the restoration of Ukraine,” the head of state said on Instagram.
He thanked that Ukraine “is heard and supported.”
“With such help, we will be able to quickly restore the country,” Zelensky said.
As reported, the president of Ukraine, in his speech at this roundtable talk via video link, said the country needs support in the amount of up to $7 billion monthly, while Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that $4 billion to $5 billion is needed to cover the budget deficit.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky announced a state program for the construction of housing for those who lost it as a result of the occupation, as well as for the military, law enforcement officers, teachers and other public sector employees.
“At the first stage, temporary housing should be provided to displaced persons, those whose houses were destroyed by the war. Temporary – until we restore their housing. Or until people are compensated in square meters or money,” he said in a traditional video message on Saturday evening.
According to the president, at the second stage, “we are restoring what the occupiers tried to destroy – all the cities, communities that suffered.” “And at the third stage, we will provide housing for everyone who defended our state, who worked or is working in the interests of society, but did not have their own housing. It cannot be that a person gives everything, his life to military service, and retires without having his own apartment,” Zelensky said.
“I believe that we will be able not only to restore what was destroyed, but also to restore justice for those whose right to housing has been violated,” he said.
