Joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mr. Jens Stoltenberg and the President of Ukraine Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy following the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission in Kyiv, October 31, 2019.
Transcript
Thank you very much. (speaking in foreign language)
So with limited time–
Well, I have questions.
[Announcer] We have time for questions.
[Reporter] For two questions.
[Announcer] From one Ukrainian media and one foreign media or international. (speaking foreign language) (speaking foreign language)
Thank you. (speaking foreign language)
[Interviewer] Mr. President, this first question is for you. To the beginning of this implement, (speaking in foreign language) what extent is realistic holding of the summit of the Normandy Format? Because yesterday the President had said that these talks must be very well prepared.
Ask you to give more details about new format preparation that is going to launch in order to bring altogether existing tools and instruments in more coherent way and therefore, don’t you think that Hungary also gonna block this initiative ’cause there is a unity among allies in order to implement this initiative in practice thank you. (speaking foreign language)
[Translator] Thank you for your question, as far as this meeting in the Normad format is concerned, there were three conditionalities, this confirmation of this formula when we see about this goal. (speaking in foreign language) Four of them are controlled by this and we on our part can begin our disengagement in Katerianovka, and if everything is safe in Bitivskri throughout the week, then on the fourth, I think, of November we must start the disengagement in Bitivskri. So I don’t think that there is possibilities that this meeting should not take place if all these participants actually agree with that kind of set up.
All my allies strongly support Ukraine and we provide political support and practical support. We support Ukraine’s territory integrity. We condemn Russia’s illegal annexation over Crimea and we call on Russia to withdraw all its forces, all equipment from Ukrainian territory and stop destabilizing Eastern Ukraine. We also provide a lot of practical support. NATO allies provide training of Ukrainian forces. We have different NATO trust funds financing different activities, cyber command and control, and yesterday we visited naval academy in Odessa and there are actually some of the activities and new equipment, new language courses, and also the fact that now Ukrainian cadets can actually receive training aboard NATO ships. Showing that we are working together on many different levels, addressing many different challenges. Practical cooperation and practical support for Ukraine. What we have agreed on the NATO is now is to bring this together in a more coordinated way so we can provide our support in an even more coherent and coordinated way and we also with this spring, at the foreign meeting of NATO in April in Washington that we are going to step up our efforts, especially when it comes to the Black Sea region with more presents, and more training, more exercises, more exchanging of information. So we will continue and we are actually stepping up our political support and our practical support. And we commend the leadership of President Solensky, showing courage and leadership in trying to find a peaceful negotiated solution to the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. And of course we also support a full length investigation of the agreement. So for me it has been a great honor to be here today. To meet with the president once again. I think this is our third meeting and it is always encouraging to listen to his very clear message about the way forward for this country and how we can strengthen further the cooperation partnership between Ukraine and NATO. (speaking foreign language)
[Translator] Second question. (speaking in foreign language) This is the question to the Ukrainian leader. Well there was this– (speaking in foreign language) Thank you for this question, and well this is not just a question of Notrim too but this is the question of security, this is a political issues, so (speaking in foreign language) my point of view as the last hours, we understand that it could happen, it might happen, and depending exclusive on me, then that wouldn’t be confirmed. I would personally endow the government to get prepared for that kind of decision. We are prepared. (speaking in foreign language)
[Both] Thank you, the press conference is over.