President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky discussed with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen issues of energy security and the development of the security situation around Ukraine, according to the presidential website.
“The head of state informed the interlocutor about the development of the security situation along the borders of Ukraine and in Donbas. The president thanked the head of the European Commission for the consistent support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state, as well as her clear position on the need to tighten EU sanctions in the event of an escalation of Russian aggression against Ukraine. The leaders agreed with the need to continue joint coordinated efforts to prevent the escalation of the conflict,” the President’s Office said on its website.
Zelensky and von der Leyen reportedly discussed challenges for European energy security.
The sides also discussed preparations for holding an international energy business forum in Ukraine, which was agreed upon in November.
The head of state drew attention to the threats to Ukraine and all of Europe that the possible launch of Nord Stream 2 would create. The interlocutors coordinated steps aimed at integrating the unified energy system of Ukraine into the European ENTSO-E network.
Zelensky thanked von der Leyen for the financial support to Ukraine from the European Union and discussed areas for further cooperation.
In addition, the sides paid special attention to the prospects for the liberalization of road freight transport. Zelensky said the conclusion of an agreement on the liberalization of transportation services will help ensure further growth in trade between Ukraine and the EU.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky by decree put into effect the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) to impose personal economic sanctions against Russian enterprises and organizations, the presidential press service said. The decision to impose sanctions against Russian enterprises, companies, organizations was made by the NSDC on December 30, 2021. Zelensky on January 21, by decree No.19, put into effect the NSDC decision.
As noted, some 24 enterprises fell under the sanctions. They have the same restrictions. In particular, this is the freezing of assets, the restriction of trade operations, the prevention of the withdrawal of capital from Ukraine, suspension of the fulfillment of economic and financial obligations, cancellation or suspension of licenses and permits, the receipt (availability) of which is a condition for the implementation of a certain type of activity.
The list included such enterprises as JSC Lenpromtransproekt, JSC Insurance Business Group, Gas JSC Industry Insurance Company, JSC Grand Service Express Transport Company, JSC Giproshakht, JSC Russian Institute of Urban Planning and Investment Development “Giprogor,” COOP HIMMELB(L)AU Wolf D. Prix & Partner ZT GmbH, ALARM911 Neva LLC, Geozemstroy LLC, Krymsetenergoproekt LLC, Research Institute of Diagnostics LLC, Research Institute of Perspective Urban Planning LLC, Nivad LLC, SIRIUS Project LLC, Transproekt LLC, Tyus Management Group LLC, Transstroy Holding Company LLC, Federal Target Program”Modernization of the Russian Transport System of Russia,” the Federal State Enterprise “Departmental storage of railway transport of the Russian Federation,” Federal State Enterprise “Departmental Security Department of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation,” Fund for Social and Cultural Projects “National Cultural Heritage,” Autonomous NGO for the Promotion of Activities “Russian Seasons,” State Autonomous Institution of the City of Sevastopol “Development Center tourism.”
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Anatoliy Petrenko Ambassador of Ukraine to Saudi Arabia.
“Appoint Anatoliy Hryhorovych Petrenko Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said the text of Decree No.15/2022 of January 21, published on the President’s website.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has invited Ukrainian football player and coach Andriy Shevchenko, fired from the Italian football club Genoa, to work in Ukraine.
“Andriy Mykolayovych, Sheva. Not only our whole country, but the whole of Europe knows what kind of game a team under your leadership is capable of. We believe that you will not come apart, we know that you will become even better! And most importantly. You are most loved in Ukraine. Therefore, go back to work at home,” Zelensky wrote on his Facebook page.
The President noted that “let it be only the first defeat at the beginning of a great career of a great coach.”
Earlier it was reported that the Italian football club Genoa reported on the dismissal of ex-coach of Ukraine’s national football team Andriy Shevchenko.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky watched online the launch of the Ukrainian Sich-2-30 satellite into orbit, which took place from the launch site at Cape Canaveral in Florida (U.S.), the press service of the head of state reported.
“I believe that this is the beginning of a new phase of the space program of our state. Thanks to the Ukrainian satellite Sich-2-30, we will receive information not only from our partners, but also our own. This is very important,” the President said.
Together with Volodymyr Zelensky, the launch was observed by Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov, First Vice President of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Volodymyr Horbulin, Head of the National Space Control and Testing Center Volodymyr Prysiazhny.
This spacecraft is a modified version of the Sich-2 satellite. It was delivered into Earth orbit by a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle. The last launch of a Ukrainian satellite took place more than ten years ago.
Chief designer and head of the design bureau of spacecraft, measurement systems and telecommunications at Yuzhne Design Bureau Kostiantyn Bilousov said that Sich-2-30 will provide Ukraine with access to information that it has not had for the past ten years.
According to him, the satellite is designed to receive digital images of the surface of our planet, which can be used in land use, agriculture and forestry, cartography, to control water resources and monitor emergencies and natural disasters in the field of security and defense when illegal activities are detected.
The Ukrainian satellite is also designed to monitor the main parameters of neutral and charged particles of the Earth’s ionosphere and measure the dose of accumulative radiation from cosmic radiation.
After launch, the satellite will be involved in the European Union’s Copernicus Earth Observation Program.
Head of the State Space Agency of Ukraine Volodymyr Taftai said that a lot of work had been done to fulfill Zelensky’s assignment regarding the launch of this satellite.
“We have not launched our satellites for more than eleven years. And this is actually a new era in the launch of Ukrainian-made satellites. I really hope that this is the first of eight satellites that will be manufactured as part of a strategic program that is awaiting approval by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine,” he said.
The spacecraft was developed and manufactured by SE Yangel Yuzhnoye (Pivdenne) Design Bureau together with the Ukrainian enterprises “Khartron-Arkos LTD” (Kharkiv), “NPP “Khartron-Yukom” (Zaporizhia), “Protection and automation of objects NIIRV” (Kharkiv), CB “Arsenal” (Kyiv), State Research Enterprise “Konex” (Lviv), Lviv Center of the Space Research Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, SE “Kyivprylad”.
The trade union of certified employees of the internal affairs agencies of Ukraine appeals to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky with a request to initiate amendments to the law on the National Police to form the financial support of the policeman at the relevant level.
“The extremely low level of salaries, unsatisfactory material security… this has led to the emergence of a protest movement in the police team, which is spreading in the country. These issues are discussed on social networks, receive significant social resonance,” the union said in a statement to the president, the text of which is available at the disposal of the agency.
According to the document, police officers serve in extremely difficult conditions of hybrid war, pandemic, and public administration reform.
The police are currently the only category who receive a pension in line with the law of Ukraine on the provision of pensions to persons dismissed from military service, whose official salaries are not related to the subsistence level for able-bodied persons established by law as of January 1, 2022.
It is also noted that the imbalance between the financial support of a police officer and another law enforcement officer “leads to the consistent destruction of the National Police” and ignoring these problems can lead to negative results both for the system and for the state as a whole.
“We ask you, as a guarantor of state sovereignty… to urgently consider the petition ‘Raising the salaries of police officers,’ which has now gained over 25,000 votes. Use the right of legislative initiative and initiate amendments to the law of Ukraine on the National Police regarding the formation of components and the establishment of financial support for police officers at a decent level,” the union said in the appeal signed by head of the trade union Ihor Poplavsky to the head of state.
The trade union of certified employees of the internal affairs agencies asks the president to submit the relevant bill to the Verkhovna Rada for consideration as an urgent one, as well as initiate amendments to the 2022 national budget by the Verkhovna Rada, which will provide for an increase in the financial support of police officers.
