Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak emphasizes that Ukraine will not stop until it liberates all the temporarily occupied territories, and for this purpose it is important to continue and strengthen support from partner countries. He said this during a conversation with journalists of the Dutch national TV channel NOS and the NRC newspaper.
Andriy Yermak said that the troops of the aggressor state - the Russian Federation - continue to launch missile attacks on civilian infrastructure and civilians in Ukrainian cities, and this has been going on for more than 14 months. In particular, he recalled the recent attack on Uman, which is a world-famous Hasidic pilgrimage site.
"This is a terrible war against the values of the entire free world, our common values, against freedom. They want to destroy Ukrainians, the Ukrainian nation. But our people, our military are heroic and brave, and we continue not only to defend our land, but also to liberate the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories. We will not stop until we liberate all our territories within internationally recognized borders," he emphasized.
The Head of the President's Office noted that Ukraine is currently preparing for important counteroffensive operations.
"Of course, we need more and more weapons. And we are extremely grateful for the assistance we receive from our partners, in particular from the Netherlands, and we look forward to further support. The relevant work on the part of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and members of our team does not stop," said Andriy Yermak.
He noted that Ukraine needs long-range missiles and modern aircraft to liberate the temporarily occupied territories and to protect the free and de-occupied regions of our country, as well as our airspace.
"Everything changes, and Ukraine has changed many things. I am confident that our partners will make the necessary decisions and we will receive the F16," the Head of the Presidential Office said.
Answering the question about expectations from this summer's NATO Summit in Vilnius, Andriy Yermak emphasized that our country hopes for a powerful signal about Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic future, not another repetition of the statement about "open doors" to the Alliance.
"The people of Ukraine have made a decision - we want to be in NATO. Now about 80% of our population supports this move," he added.
According to Andriy Yermak, the decision on Ukraine's accession to NATO is the best way to speed up the end of the war and guarantee peace in Europe.
"Ukraine has proven its ability to stand up to Russia and is defending not only itself, but also the whole of Europe. And in the future, as a member of NATO, Ukraine together with its partners will be able to protect all European countries and other regions of the world even more effectively," he said.
In addition, as the Head of the Presidential Office noted, on its way to NATO membership, Ukraine needs specific, effective security guarantees that will protect it from the repeat of such aggression. And the international working group chaired by Andriy Yermak and former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has developed the Kyiv Security Compact, which offers such security guarantees for Ukraine before it becomes a member of the Alliance.
"When we talk about NATO, I can say that Ukraine is interested in being in NATO, and the Alliance is also interested in our country being a member. During the full-scale Russian invasion, Ukraine proved that it is able to defend itself, and therefore, it is able to help protect other NATO members," Andriy Yermak is convinced.
He also emphasized that the Netherlands is a true friend of Ukraine. The Head of the President's Office thanked the Dutch government and people for supporting our country and people, particularly forcibly displaced persons, from the first days of the full-scale war.
"Thank you for this historic help and support. Ukrainians will never forget it," added Andriy Yermak.