Visit of the President of Ukraine and the First Lady to the United States of America
Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Olaf Scholz
In New York, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz.
The Head of State thanked Germany for a significant long-term support for Ukraine in countering Russian aggression, particularly noting the recent defense packages provided by Germany and the contribution to reinforcing the air defense of our country.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy briefed Olaf Scholz on the situation on the frontline and the priority needs of the Ukrainian defense forces. The President emphasized the importance of further bolstering Ukraine's air defense to protect civilian infrastructure on the eve of winter and the functioning of the grain corridor. The Head of State emphasized that additional air defense capacities would allow enhancing the protection of the Black Sea ports and the historical heritage of Odesa.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed the German Chancellor about the preparation of the next meeting at the level of advisors to discuss the points of the Ukrainian Peace Formula and the Global Peace Summit.
The leaders paid attention to preparations for the International Conference on Ukraine's Recovery to be held in Germany in the summer of 2024.
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Volodymyr Zelenskyy received the Atlantic Council Global Citizen Award on behalf of the Ukrainian people
In New York, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy took part in the Atlantic Council Global Citizen Awards, which honors outstanding people who make a contribution to making the world a better place.
The highest award of the Atlantic Council was presented to the Head of State in May this year in Kyiv. The official award ceremony took place in New York.
"To be honest, this is not my award. I dedicate this award to all Ukrainians in uniform. I dedicate this award to all our children who were killed by Russian terrorists. We will never forget this. I dedicate this award to all the fathers and mothers who raised such brave Ukrainian soldiers, as well as to all the teachers and doctors who did not leave Ukraine when the full-scale war began," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at the award ceremony.
"And, of course, I dedicate this award to all of Ukraine's partners: the United States, the EU, and all the brave countries that have stood by us and supported us. Thank you very much! I dedicate this award to all the people around the world who are fighting for freedom and democracy, just like us, Ukrainians. Glory to Ukraine!" the President added.
This year's Global Citizen Awards 2023 was also attended by: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who was honored for his significant contribution to peace in Europe and confronting the threat to global democracy posed by Russia, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who was recognized for his leadership in the G7 in strengthening the Global South and promoting international cooperation, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, who was honored for her 40-year career as an economist and political leadership to ensure a sustainable and inclusive economy in the United States and the world.
The event was attended by about 700 people, including current and former heads of state and government, UN ambassadors, representatives of the US administration, global business leaders, media and opinion leaders. The ceremony was covered by leading US media.
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Olena Zelenska at the opening of the UNESCO exhibition: Our cultural heritage is our soul, which no war can kill
On the third day of the visit to New York (USA) to participate in the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, the wife of the President of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, together with the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) Max Hollein and Vice President Kenneth Weine, presented the MET Speaks Ukrainian campaign to create Ukrainian-language audio commentaries for the museum's exhibits.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a famous US art museum founded in New York in 1870 to increase the interest of the American people in history and art. It is the fourth largest museum in the world by attendance and area.
The museum's collections include more than 2 million exhibits that represent the history of human culture over 5 thousand years.
Due to Russia's military aggression against Ukraine in 2022, the Metropolitan Museum of Art recognized the Ukrainian-born artists Ilya Repin, Ivan Aivazovsky, and Arkhip Kuindzhi as Ukrainian, not Russian, and signed their works accordingly in its exhibitions.
"We are continuing an important project for Ukraine - Ukrainian-speaking guides at world attractions. Almost 70 attractions in 43 countries have already joined us. So I sincerely thank you for the MET Speaks Ukrainian initiative. The appearance of audio description in Ukrainian from one of the world's best museums is an act of solidarity, a position that is very valuable to us. This is not about a tourist option, although it is also important. When the Metropolitan speaks Ukrainian, it automatically confirms once again that it is the language of culture and humanism. It is the language of people who are on the side of the truth," Olena Zelenska emphasized.
In addition, on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, the First Lady, together with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay and with the participation of Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Malta Robert Abela and President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, opened the UNESCO exhibition "Building Peace and Resilience through Culture: The Intersection of Culture, Crisis and Sustainable Development."
The purpose of the exhibition is to strengthen international solidarity for the protection of culture in military conflicts and to demonstrate the role that culture plays in peace, sustainability and development. The exhibition will demonstrate how UNESCO is protecting cultural heritage in the contexts of Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan and Ukraine.
The exhibition features photographs of Ukrainian architectural landmarks destroyed by Russian aggression, including Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral in Odesa.
"It is over 220 years old. It has been part of the city for many generations. Russian missiles hit it at night. They pierced the roof and damaged the altar piece. And in the morning, besides the rescuers, there were many other people there. They didn't come to see the consequences. They came to clean up. Just imagine: after a sleepless night when they and their families could not sleep because of the shelling. This is our Ukrainian attitude. We perceive history as a part of our life, our memory, ourselves," Olena Zelenska noted.
She thanked UNESCO, donors of the Heritage Emergency Fund and all partner countries that help restore, preserve and save Ukrainian landmarks.
The First Lady reminded that UNESCO had recently included the city center of Lviv and St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv on the list of World Heritage in Danger.
"I urge the viewers to see in these photos not just a pile of stones, not just the debris into which the aggressor has turned our landmarks. I urge you to see people. And then you will see the soul - ours and that of our cities. Which no war can kill," the President's wife said.
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In Washington, the President of Ukraine met with the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives with the participation of leaders of both parties
As part of his working visit to the United States, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy, House Republican Leader Steve Scalise and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
The Head of State noted that Ukraine is sincerely grateful to the House of Representatives, Congress, both parties, the President of the United States, his administration and the entire American people for their unwavering support.
"Together, we have made significant progress in defending democracy, freedom and dignity - the values on which both our countries are based. The suffering of the Ukrainian people from Russian war crimes is enormous, but more than half of the occupied Ukrainian territories have been liberated from Russian invaders, and we clearly see that complete victory is getting closer," he said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed the participants of the meeting about the situation on the battlefield. The parties discussed Ukraine's priority defense needs and enhancing the capabilities of Ukrainian air defense, especially in the run-up to the winter.
The President emphasized that Ukraine's victory will guarantee that neither Russia nor any other dictatorship will be able to destabilize the free world.
"And to win, we must stand together. And win together. We count on you, on your constant support," the Head of State emphasized.
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Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the leaders of the Democratic and Republican parties in the U.S. Senate and senators
In Washington, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and senators.
The Head of State noted that the meeting was another confirmation of the strategic partnership between the two states.
"Thanks to the Senate, thanks to the President of the United States, thanks to every citizen of the United States, Ukrainian soldiers are clearing our land of Russian invaders. Supporting Ukraine means strengthening NATO's eastern flank. And our victory will be a joint victory of the peoples of Ukraine, the United States and the entire free world," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, addressing the participants of the meeting.
He briefed the senators on the current situation at the front, Ukraine's priority defense needs and the necessity to boost the capabilities of Ukrainian air defense, especially as winter approaches.
The President thanked the attendees for each of their votes in support of Ukraine, for each bill aimed at bringing Russia to justice, imposing sanctions on Russian criminals and achieving a just peace.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope that the Congress would continue to adopt important decisions to financially support our country. The absolute importance of responsibility for the use of the assistance provided and the implementation of appropriate reporting was emphasized separately.
The Head of State discussed the implementation of the Peace Formula with the senators, in particular the need to involve the states of the Global South in this process, as well as global geopolitical challenges.
The parties emphasized the importance of the post-war recovery of our country and welcomed the appointment of U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery Penny Pritzker.
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President of Ukraine had a meeting with the U.S. Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon
During a working visit to the United States, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
The main topic of negotiations was further provision of Ukraine with the necessary military support to counter Russian aggression. The aid has already reached $46 billion.
"This support is crucial. The United States is our key ally and partner that helps us win the war," the Head of State noted.
The parties discussed the supply of artillery systems and long-range weapons. The President also emphasized the importance of bolstering Ukraine's air defense.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the need for timely supply of necessary weapons and ammunition from partners to continue the de-occupation of Ukrainian territories.
He expressed gratitude to the American side for its leadership within the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the Ramstein format, which has brought together more than 50 states.
The parties also discussed further intensification of military-technical and defense-industrial cooperation between Ukraine and the United States, as well as the establishment of hubs for the repair of Western-type weaponry and artillery systems.
The Head of State noted that Ukraine is interested in cooperation with international partners in building up its own capacities for the production of weapons and related products.
The President also invited the American side to participate in the International Defense Industries Forum to be held in Kyiv this fall.