“Unity and solidarity of the world behind Ukraine in response to Azov attack of Russia became like a cold shower for Moscow,” President Petro Poroshenko said at the meeting with foreign diplomats.
“I am grateful to all those who supported us in this difficult moment. Especially to those states, which became co-sponsors and supported the two important resolutions of the UN General Assembly – on human rights in the Crimea and on militarization of the Crimea and parts of the Black and Azov Seas. Your position has yet again confirmed that the Kremlin will pay a high price for its aggression. The day will come when this price will go too heavy for the Kremlin,” the Head of State told the diplomats.
“Then we will return both the temporary occupied Crimea and the occupied part of Donbas. It will definitely come true, which is confirmed by Ukraine’s way to the restoration of historic justice – establishment of autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine. And almost all of you congratulated Ukrainian people with this great event. Our road to Tomos was lengthy, uneasy and thorny. But we covered it with dignity,” the President said and thanked the foreign diplomats for their congratulations. “This is the second act of Ukraine’s independence, of our spiritual independence,” he added.
The President especially emphasized the importance of close coordination in the Normandy format, which allowed weakening Russian aggression.
“Last year gave no chance to the Russian aggression to jump off the hook of sanctions, which, despite the Kremlin’s bravado, painfully hit at its ambitions and appetites. Not only did they weaken the machinery of Russian aggression. They did give Ukraine a precious time to grow stronger – politically, economically, and militarily,” the President noted.
“It was assisted by our close coordination with Berlin and Paris – reliable partners of Ukraine in the Normandy format,” the Head of State said and expressed the words of the most special gratitude to Chancellor Angela Merkel. “It would be hard to overestimate what she has done to avoid catastrophic scenarios, both for Ukraine and Europe,” Petro Poroshenko noted.