After a novel virtual meeting between the President of Ukraine and representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora on Dec. 18, here is what both sides reported.
First the report from the President’s Office:
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky held an online meeting with members of leading organizations of Ukrainians living abroad. The event was attended by representatives of Ukrainian organizations from Australia, Argentina, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Estonia, Italy, Spain, Canada, Germany, Lithuania, South Africa, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the United States, Turkey and the Czech Republic.
Zelensky briefed the participants of the meeting on the current security situation in the east of our country and along the border of Ukraine. He noted the importance of solidarity in supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity by the international community. The head of state thanked Ukrainians abroad for their important role in building broad international support for Ukraine, especially in countering Russian aggression.
The President also thanked for supporting Ukraine’s strategic movement to EU membership. He asked Ukrainians abroad to actively participate in supporting the process of recognizing Ukraine’s European perspective by all EU member states.
Speaking about the priorities of our country’s Euro-Atlantic path, Zelensky stressed the importance of the forthcoming NATO Summit 2022 in Madrid. He noted the need to work not only to ensure Ukraine’s invitation to participate in this event but also to make decisions by the Alliance on further algorithms for deepening relations with our country.
The President emphasized the importance of increasing the attention of Ukrainians abroad to the Crimea Platform initiative. He asked for greater involvement of Ukrainians abroad in the activities of the Crimea Platform and the expansion of its member states.
The President praised the outstanding efforts of Ukrainians abroad to recognize the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932-1933 as genocide of the Ukrainian people. The head of state pointed out the importance of the participation of foreign leaders in the commemorative events to be held in 2022, which will be dedicated to the 90th anniversary of those tragic events.
Zelensky briefed Ukrainians abroad on the key achievements in the course of comprehensive reforms in the country, which are being implemented despite the continuation of external aggression.
During the online meeting, its participants exchanged views on the process of legislative registration of the institution of multiple citizenships in Ukraine, which is especially interesting for Ukrainians living abroad.
And here’s how the Ukrainian World Congress reported it:
On December 18, 2021, a delegation of representatives of the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) and Ukrainian diaspora communities led by UWC President Paul Grod took part in a virtual meeting with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. The delegation consisted of UWC Vice Presidents, leaders of the European Congress of Ukrainians, and Ukrainian community leaders from Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Great Britain, Estonia, Spain, Italy, Canada, Lithuania, Germany, South Africa, Portugal, Romania, the United States, Turkey, and the Czech Republic.
President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the UWC and the united Ukrainian diaspora for their work and said:
“I see you and all the communities in one big family called Ukraine.“
The main topic of discussion was the issue of supporting Ukraine in the face of the growing threat of another Russian invasion.
President Zelensky stressed the role of the UWC and the organized Ukrainian diaspora in advocating to the governments of their respective countries for stronger sanctions against Russia, military assistance for Ukraine, support of Ukraine’s accession to the EU and NATO, countering Nord Stream 2, the issue of Ukraine’s and Europe’s energy security, and countering Russian disinformation.
The issues of support for the de-occupation of Crimea through the Crimean Platform and honouring historical memory were also discussed. The President emphasized the role of international communities in honoring true historical memory at the highest global level – in particular in commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor and the memory of the victims of Babyn Yar. The leaders of the Ukrainian communities assured the President of further support for Ukraine and discussed coordinated cooperation with the governments of their countries.
UWC President Paul Grod thanked President Zelensky for supporting the introduction of multiple citizenship legislation that will allow Ukrainians with a foreign passport to maintain or attain Ukrainian citizenship. Grod outlined the UWC’s principled position on the need to liberalize the current legislative and regulatory framework while ensuring effective security measures and ensuring one class of citizen thereby providing equal rights for all Ukrainian citizens to participate in state-building. The UWC President also noted the importance of involving UWC in shaping related Ukrainian legislation and all other issues relating to Ukrainians living outside Ukraine.
Additionally, the UWC President emphasized the proposal to introduce an International Ukrainian Day and proposed that this date be set for August 25 annually. Paul Grod invited President Zelensky to join the UWC’s 55th-anniversary celebrations in 2022, as well as the UWC Congress and World Forum of Ukrainians organized by UWC to be held in Kyiv from August 25-27, 2022.
“Our top priority today is the protection and sovereignty of Ukraine“
said UWC President Paul Grod. “To this end, we are strengthening the international coalition in support of Ukraine”.
