Yermak, diplomats from over 70 countries discuss implementation of Peace Formula

The meeting was dedicated to the implementation of the sixth point of the Peace Formula, i.e. the withdrawal of Russian troops and cessation of hostilities, an Ukrinform correspondent reports, referring to the Office of the President of Ukraine.

Diplomatic officials from over 70 countries participated in the discussion, which took place at the Antonov airport in the Kyiv region’s Hostomel.

Ambassadors and diplomatic representatives had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the consequences of Russian attacks on the airport, inspect the destruction of the office premises of the Antonov State Enterprise, hangars, and see with their own eyes the hangar and the remains of the legendary An-225 Mriya aircraft.

Having greeted the participants, Yermak emphasized that the sixth point of the Peace Formula is being discussed in the place where one of the most important battles of this war took place in the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine – the battle for Kyiv.

“On February 24, 2022, the battle for Ukraine’s capital began here. Here, the myth about the invincibility of the Russian army was shattered. Here, the Kremlin’s ambitions to ‘take Kyiv in three days’ were dispelled. And here, during five weeks of occupation, the ‘Russian world’ showed its true essence: robbery, torture, mass murders,” Yermak said.

In his words, thanks to Ukrainian warriors, this place became truly heroic.

“We had a unique ‘Mriya’ It evoked wonder and admiration from the entire world. It brought goodness, delivered goods to the most remote corners of the planet. The aggressor destroyed this symbol of Ukraine. But, even its remnants, which you see here, have become a new symbol of our resistance. And I am confident that, in the future, they will become a symbol of recovery,” Yermak stressed.

The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine noted that, with the loss of the Mriya aircraft, Ukrainians received a goal – a just and lasting peace, which is possible only when Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity are restored and the armed formations of the aggressor are withdrawn from the country’s territory.

Yermak emphasized that the withdrawal of Russian troops is a mandatory condition for peace, and any other options are unacceptable, as they can lead to a prolongation of the war.

“Since 2014, Russia has been using the temporarily occupied territories to expand its aggression against Ukraine, causing severe humanitarian consequences and civilian casualties, massive migration flows and artificially altering the national and ethnic composition of these territories. Therefore, ceasing fire and freezing the conflict without the liberation of all Ukrainian territories is an obviously unacceptable scenario. It will only contribute to the preservation of the criminal regime in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and create conditions for the continuation of the war,” Yermak stated.

The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine also mentioned that the Defense Forces will continue to do everything to knock out the aggressor from Ukraine, and the success of Ukrainian fighters is the key factor in restoring the territorial integrity of the state.

“Restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity without turning the war into a frozen conflict will determine global security for decades to come. This can serve as a universal mechanism for ending international armed conflicts in the future. The relevant instruments implemented in the context of the war in Ukraine can potentially become universal and be reflected in United Nations General Assembly resolutions,” Yermak told.

He urged those present to work on such mechanisms and expressed hope for fruitful results from their meeting.

In addition, a briefing was held for diplomatic officials.

In particular, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate at the Ukrainian Defense Ministry spoke about the defense of Hostomel and the impact of these events on the further success in the defense of Ukraine’s capital.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Roman Mashovets briefed the participants on the current situation at the front, namely about the counteroffensive actions of Ukraine’s defense forces in each of the operational directions.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov focused on the specifics of the military and political aspects of the implementation of the Peace Formula.

Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavliuk familiarized the event participants with the details of the operation of the newly created working group, responsible for the implementation of the sixth point of the Peace Formula.

Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksii Danilov outlined the key aspects of the global context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The Ukrainian side urged the representatives of foreign states not only to work together to end the war in Ukraine, but also to join efforts to create new security mechanisms. The need for further support for the Ukrainian military, strengthening Ukraine’s air defense and creating conditions for Ukrainian dominance in the sky was also emphasized.

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine