President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held meetings with Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and Prime Minister of Belgium Alexander De Croo, who arrived in our country on the occasion of the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Head of State said that bilateral security cooperation agreements were signed today with the heads of the governments of Canada and Italy.
"On the day of the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we once again prove that despite all the difficulties and challenges, Ukraine will only grow stronger and will always be, together with its partners, in the free world," said Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a meeting with representatives of the media following negotiations with foreign leaders at the Mariyinsky Palace in Kyiv.
The Head of State thanked everyone who helps Ukraine, all leaders, public and political figures, entrepreneurs, and all the people of the world who are with Ukraine in heart and deed, with our soldiers and our people.
"Thank you to each of you, dear friends! And I am proud that today so many people in the world support our country," said the President.
Separately, Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the Prime Minister of Canada for signing a bilateral security agreement, which opens up new opportunities for cooperation between Ukraine and Canada in the security sphere.
"Defense support is formalized for a year, and the agreement, like all others, will work until our accession to NATO. The principled position of Canada's support for Ukraine's membership in the Alliance is recorded. Concrete opportunities for cooperation in defense production, intelligence, cyber security, demining, and protection of our critical infrastructure are also recorded. And this is far from the entire content of the agreement," said the Head of State.
Additionally, as the President said, the security agreement concluded today between Ukraine and Italy contains key aspects of interaction, particularly at the European and Euro-Atlantic levels.
"We appreciate Italy's decision to continue supporting Ukraine, our people, and our soldiers until the end of 2024 and throughout the duration of our agreement. And I am grateful that security issues will continue to be a priority in the activities of the largest democracies – in the G7," said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"We must do everything possible and within our power to make 2024 a decisive year for restoring real and long-term security for Ukraine, Europe, and the world," the Head of State said.
President of Ukraine also held a trilateral meeting with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Alexander De Croo, the Prime Minister of Belgium, which currently holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union.
"We have reached a political decision to open negotiations on membership. And we are ready to receive a negotiation framework and then start negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU. We can do all this during Belgium's presidency – together with you, Mr. Prime Minister. This will not only be a clear indication that a united Europe does not succumb to any Putin's blackmail, but also evidence that Europe recognizes and respects the full commitment of the Ukrainian people to European values and solidarity. Together, we must address each of the existing disagreements in Europe, and we must together defend our Europe against all forms of Russian aggression against Europe. Our Europe is and will remain among the global leaders," noted Volodymyr Zelensky and expressed gratitude to Ursula von der Leyen and Alexander De Croo.
Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni said that her country provides military and humanitarian support to Ukraine. Additionally, she highlighted the cooperation between the two countries in the economic sector, various industrial sectors, and the energy sector.
"Today's signing of the agreement confirms that Italy will continue to provide necessary support for the freedom and independence of Ukraine – a country against which aggression has been committed – helping it to build its future," said Giorgia Meloni.
The Prime Minister of Italy emphasized support for negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union.
"I want to say to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the entire Ukrainian people: you are not alone. We are deeply grateful to you for continuing the fight to defend Europe and our security. Because the security of Ukraine and the security of Europe truly coincide," she affirmed.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the continuation of support for Ukraine, particularly through providing military, financial assistance, and further sanction pressure on the military-political leadership of Russia.
"We have already provided half a million units of ammunition, and by the end of the year, we will reach the level of one million. Also, 60,000 soldiers are trained with our assistance," she said.
The President of the European Commission said that Ukraine must be capable of successfully defending itself in the future, so the EU wants to strengthen the defense capabilities of our state as part of the European system.
"We are developing a strategy for the defense industry, which we will present in three weeks. This will be the first step in integrating Ukraine into our defense industrial programs. At the same time, we are learning from you, from your experience on the battlefield. We want to intensify this cooperation and open an innovative defense office in Kyiv," Ursula von der Leyen said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emphasized that the security agreement between Ukraine and Canada involves providing our state with financial assistance of CAD 3 billion.
"This support will continue what we have been doing since 2022; we will continue to provide it. It includes serious support for the armored coalition – this is our strong point – and will allow us to demonstrate leadership among partners. As well as support for the fighter jet coalition, continuing our commitments we made in July. We are focused on the long-term perspective so that Ukraine can achieve a complete victory over Putin," said the head of the Canadian government.
Prime Minister of Belgium Alexander De Croo assured of the continuation of support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.
"This year, Belgium's military contribution will be over one billion. We are part of the F-16 coalition and are training your pilots so that they can deploy fighters to protect your skies as quickly as possible," he said.
Alexander De Croo announced that Belgium has decided to open offices of the Belgian Development Agency in Kyiv and Kharkiv. According to him, the issue of rebuilding Ukraine is extremely important, and Russia must pay for it. The Prime Minister of Belgium also said that the issue of using frozen Russian assets is currently being worked out.
