H.E. Ms Larysa Gerasko:

Of course the ongoing situation has a strong impact on our economy. Russia tries to destabilise our economic and financial situation. Some investment has fled the country. Our Government does everything to keep the national currency stable, for instance. Yesterday the Government adopted a decree to finance insurance risks for international flights because a couple of days ago some airlines stopped their flights to Ukraine.

For many decades Ukraine was a part of a large Soviet economy which interconnected with the economy of other republics. Until the 2013 invasion, Russia was Ukraine's largest trade partner. We work hard to cut the remaining trade ties with Russia. They still account for 5% of the overall trade balance of Ukraine. Today the EU is Ukraine's biggest trade partner. Our bilateral trade accounts for almost $50 billion which is more than 30% of Ukraine's overall trade balance. Ukraine did not buy natural gas or nuclear fuel from Russia in 2021. We are looking for other trade partners and we are interested in deeper trade and economic relations with the EU.

Yesterday the Chancellor of Germany paid a visit to Ukraine. He discussed the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project with the president. I understand that Germany promised that it would act as - how can I best say this - a guarantor state in the energy dimension. We believe in a peaceful settlement but in case of invasion we hope that further development of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline would be in the package of tough sanctions.

The course towards EU membership is supported by an overwhelming majority. The U-turn by then Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych in 2013, when he refused to sign agreement of association with the EU, was the reason for the revolution of dignity. We do a lot to fulfil our obligation under the agreement of association. We do a lot to implement reform. The Government of Ukraine and President Zelenskyy fully support the implementation of anti-corruption judicial reform as a crucial instrument to strengthen the rule of law in Ukraine. The process of renewing Ukraine's judicial governance, the high council of justice, is underway. We launched the supreme anti-corruption court, relaunched the national agency on corruption prevention and established the system of anti-corruption institutions. There was an important step towards ensuring transparency system of the state management with the adoption last year of the deoligarchisation law designed to combat oligarch influence on the country's economy and politics. Ukraine's aspirations toward the EU is very high. We do our homework to meet all the EU requirements.

On language, part of our population speak Russian. We had a common past for many years.

Half of our TV is in Russian. Half of the mass media in Ukraine is in Russian. We have Russian schools and cinema. By this I do not mean they belong to the Russian Federation but that they are Russian speaking. It is a matter of choice to speak in Russian or in Ukrainian. We do not have any problem with the Russian language. The younger generation prefers to speak Ukrainian especially after the beginning of the invasion in 2014. It is not a matter of concern in our country. Many of my friends speak Russian and I am Ukrainian speaking. There is no problem understanding each other and there is no conflict.