During his visit to Finland, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson, Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen and Prime Minister of Iceland Katrín Jakobsdóttir.
During a meeting with the Prime Minister of Sweden, the parties discussed in detail the parameters of further defense assistance to Ukraine, as well as the launch of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Ulf Kristersson for Sweden's effective support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country.
"We thank Sweden for its strong defense and humanitarian support. Special thanks for preparing the transfer of Swedish Archer artillery systems to Ukraine. They are among the best in the world. We highly appreciate this step," the Head of State emphasized.
In view of Sweden's Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2023, special attention was paid to Ukraine's progress on the path to EU membership. In particular, they discussed Ukraine's progress in implementing the relevant recommendations of the European Commission.
"It is important for us that Sweden supports the EU's decision to start negotiations on Ukraine's accession this year," Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.
The parties paid special attention to the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula. Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Ulf Kristersson for supporting this initiative and expressed hope for Sweden's active participation in its practical implementation.
The key emphasis during the talks with Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen was on comprehensive support for Ukraine in its fight against the Russian aggressor.
The Head of State personally thanked the Prime Minister of Denmark for the fund recently established in that country to support Ukraine.
The President emphasized the importance of defense assistance from Denmark and, in particular, the announcement of the largest aid package from this country in the amount of DKK 1.7 billion yesterday.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the prompt transfer of Caesar self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine and Denmark's active participation in the international tank coalition, as well as joint decisions with the Netherlands to purchase Leopard-2 and Leopard-1 tanks for our country.
Particular attention was paid to the involvement of Copenhagen in the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula.
While discussing current issues of Ukraine's European and Euro-Atlantic integration, Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of starting negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU by the end of this year and outlined the ambitious expectations of the Ukrainian side from the upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius.
During the meeting with Prime Minister of Iceland Katrín Jakobsdóttir, the President thanked for the defense assistance to Ukraine both bilaterally and within NATO, as well as for the significant support for the Ukrainian energy sector.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted the effectiveness of the recent visit of the Prime Minister of Iceland to Ukraine and conveyed personal gratitude to the Icelandic Parliament for recognizing the Holodomor of 1932-33 as genocide of the Ukrainian people.
The parties discussed in detail the preparations for the 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe to be held in Reykjavik on May 16-17 under the Icelandic chairmanship.
"The Council of Europe should respond strongly to the unprecedented crime of Russian aggression since World War II. We expect concrete and significant decisions from the Summit," Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.
The President of Ukraine noted the active position of the Icelandic Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on the work to bring Russia to justice for war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression committed in Ukraine, as well as on the issue of creating a register of damages caused by Russian aggression under the auspices of the Council of Europe.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also met with Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who is leaving her office following the recent parliamentary elections.
The Head of State thanked her for the powerful and steadfast support for Ukraine and Ukrainians since the first days of Russia's full-scale aggression.
The interlocutors discussed the current situation in Ukraine and the challenges posed by the war.
According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, an extremely important signal from the Nordic-Ukrainian Summit is that the Nordic countries will continue to support Ukraine in its struggle for its territorial integrity and the values shared by our nations.
"I am extremely pleased to visit Finland. I saw many people on the streets today demonstrating support for our country," the President noted.
