WRIT LARGE
SEE THIS RELATED POSTS FROM LAST YEAR >
08 September 2023
The World's Sanctions Offensive MUST Resume...A meeting with participants from our sanctions group led by Andriy Yermak and Michael McFaul.
Shared emotions are always a great source of greater support.
The Yalta European Strategy Summit – various meetings, interviews... A meeting with participants from our sanctions group led by Andriy Yermak and Michael McFaul... A report on what has already been achieved in our work with partners for sanctions against Russia. Milestones for the near future. Currently, we see a prolonged sanctions pause from our partners... and Russia's overly active attempts to circumvent the sanctions.
- Today, I also held an important preparatory meeting regarding an upcoming international event planned for this September.
- Details will follow shortly. We are preparing an important defense package for our soldiers. Glory to Ukraine!
12 September 2023
Yalta European Strategy Forum ---- “YES WAR ROOM. The Future is Being Decided in Ukraine”
Olena Zelenska and Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, along with a cast of other high-profile Ukrainian and international political and military leaders, make impassioned speeches during the second day of the Yalta European Strategy Forum (YES) - News
11 September 2023
The Annual Meeting of the Yalta European Strategy (YES) – “YES WAR ROOM. The Future is Being Decided in Ukraine” – was held from September 8-9, 2023 in Kyiv. Over 500 leading politicians, diplomats, businessmen, civil activists and experts from more than 29 countries took part in the conference organized by YES, in partnership with the Victor Pinchuk Foundation
The Annual Meeting of the Yalta European Strategy (YES) – “YES WAR ROOM. The Future is Being Decided in Ukraine” – was held from September 8-9, 2023 in Kyiv. Over 500 leading politicians, diplomats, businessmen, civil activists and experts from more than 29 countries took part in the conference organized by YES, in partnership with the Victor Pinchuk Foundation.
- ‘Institutions, Mechanisms and Plans for Ukraine’s Reconstruction’,
- ‘The Economy of Survival and the Economy of Recovery’,
- ‘Reforms, Democracy and Ukraine’s Accession to NATO and the EU’,
- Healing Ukraine: Rehabilitation and Mental Health’,
- ‘The Military Front’,
- ‘Has the West Learned from its Mistakes After Many Years of Neglecting Ukraine to Work with Russia?’,
- ‘Path to Victory: A View from the US Government’,
- ‘Of 8 Billion People, How Many are on Ukraine’s side?’, and
- ‘What is the Definition of Victory as of September 9, 2023?’.
✓ Olena Zelenska, First Lady of Ukraine, spoke openly about how she is dealing with her feelings about the Russian war on Ukraine, and said, “The mental health problem is relevant for the whole world, and everyone should understand that taking care of oneself is not selfishness but responsibility.”
She went on, "After the discussions about mental health in general that took place within the framework of the 'How are you?’ programme,
I think the most important theme we have discovered for ourselves, and the world, is one of Ukrainian resilience. This keeps us together and helps us survive all these terrible months.
Olena Zelenska at YES 2023: Mental health is the foundation of resilience — Official website of the President of Ukraine
But what does it consist of? We believe that it is in our common values: love, both for each other and our homeland, and in many ways, it is rooted in our history, culture and art. All this resilience can only be nurtured by exploring ourselves, our history in depth, and remembering and developing our culture."
The First Lady made the point that the first issue we must confront when considering how to deal with mental health, is social stigma, saying, "Unfortunately, it is the feeling that a strong person does not ask for help; a strong person copes with their difficulties on their own; if you are sad, you are just tired, or if you are scared, you are just a coward. Many of these patterns still exist in our society, which do not allow people to think freely, even sometimes, about their mental health.”
This topic is important for the whole world. Mental health has no borders.” the First Lady concluded
✓ Denys Shmyhal, Prime Minister of Ukraine, spoke about the ‘Economy of Survival and the Economy of Recovery’ and said that in considering the economy of the future, “the phrase ‘Winning the War, but Losing the Peace’ is most relevant.” He said that all the money Ukraine earns, is spent on defence, pointing out that before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia the annual budget was between 1.2 and 1.3tn UAH, whereas now, the budget for military spending alone is 1.8tn UAH.
“We suggest a compensation mechanism, an international instrument that will allow us to obtain the funds that are necessary for Ukrainian recovery. The compensation mechanism will consist of a compensation fund, where the funds confiscated from Russian oligarchs and Russia as an aggressor state will actually be channelled; a compensation commission, that is, an international institution that will determine how to effectively use the funds, where to allocate them; and a verified register of losses.”
✓ Lieutenant General Budanov, Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, joined the meeting for a discussion with Stephen Sackur, BBC, and Zanny Minton Beddoes, Editor in Chief, The Economist. Asked by Stephen Sackur if he had seen any of the much-vaunted Russian ‘super tanks’ in Ukraine, he said, “No we have not seen one of these. T14s, T90s, are burning. Everything is burning, there are no unbeatable weapons here.” He said that the Russian professional army does not have equipment anywhere as near as advanced as that which it ‘shows off’ to the world, commenting, “They show ideas, but the reality is nil.”
The Lieutenant General went on to say, "The war has not benefited the Putin regime:The economy is failing, and that's a fact. Finances rest on reserves, and military power has been severely decimated during the war. Generally speaking, the professional army ran out last autumn. Now mobilised soldiers are fighting in their army. The production of new weapons and equipment is utterly insufficient.”
Asked by Zanny Minton Beddoes if he believes the Russians are adapting to the new types of warfare Ukraine has successfully innovated, he said, “In terms of flexibility, we still have the edge on them. They are rather crusty and dusty and still very vertical – which means they take longer to adapt to changes. The regime is not as strong as it used to be, but they must be overcome, and in doing this we must not underestimate them, we should not think they are stupid. They have made some changes, for example the massive use of drones; they are adapting, that is a fact.”
Victoria Nuland, Acting Deputy Secretary of State, US Department of State, told the conference, “We Are Impressed by Ukraine’s Progress in the Counter-Offensive. “This counter-offensive has been kilometre by kilometre, but we are impressed by the progress made, especially in the south,"
The acting US Deputy Secretary of State told the YES Annual Meeting participants that Russia has built, over many months, strong defences in the occupied south of Ukraine, which she nevertheless believes can be overcome given continued close cooperation between the governments of the United States and Ukraine.
She also said the US had been explaining to all partners in Europe, Asia, and Africa what negative consequences there would be for global security, if Ukraine does not win this war, saying, “If Ukraine does not win, if Putin succeeds, this type of evil will be normalised across the world. Ukraine stands on the right side of democracy and needs our support.”
===
Some of the other important points coming out of the 2nd day’s discussions were:
On: ‘Institutions, Mechanisms and Plans for Ukraine’s Reconstruction’
“The GDP will grow by 4%. Sceptics say that growth will be approximately 3%. We see improvement in the key industries. The grain harvest will be about 50 million tons. We have certain problems with exports, but I believe the situation will improve due to alternative routes,”
Yulia Svyrydenko, First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine – Minister of Economy
“We greatly appreciate the financial support of our partners from all over the world. More than 100 billion dollars in military aid, refugee support, and humanitarian aid have been provided. It is natural that such long-term support leads to fatigue. This may turn into a very big mistake for the world if it allows this fatigue to destroy our plans.”
Danylo Getmantsev, MP, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
“In fact, it is very important to be able to show to European citizens that their money is being used effectively. It is also essential to ensure the visibility and clarity of aid to Ukraine – as this will send clear signals to the private sector and the international community.”
Pierre Heilbronn, France’s Special Envoy for Aid and Reconstruction at the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France
“Judicial reform is required to reassure investors and the international community that the courts and other public institutions can operate effectively. This is key to attracting private investment.”
Michael Gahler, Member of the European Parliament (MEP), CDP, Germany
“Italy will make a major contribution to the preservation of UNESCO cultural heritage sites that are under Russian threat. We will become patrons of Odesa in order to rebuild it, to turn it into a modern city. We are very attached to the city of Odesa: it was founded by an Italian; there is a strong Italian community there; and it is a part of our shared Italian-Ukrainian history.”
Davide La Cecilia, Special Commissioner for the Reconstruction of Ukraine of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy
For many in the world, Ukraine is now a personal moral choice - President's speech at the Yalta European Strategy Forum — Official website of the President of Ukraine
On: ‘Reforms, Democracy and Ukraine’s Accession to NATO and the EU’
“Ukraine is determined and quick to comply with all of its commitments in order to integrate with the EU and NATO. I can assure you that, during this full-scale war, we have managed to accomplish almost everything required of us. Of course, there is criticism that we are currently facing new challenges – but our commitment remains firm.”
------------------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment