Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a loud statement in response to the words of Vladimir Putin, which were voiced on June 20 and sparked widespread public resonance
The head of state announced a series of radical decisions taken in response to open aggression from the Russian Federation, including the reformatting of the country's diplomatic corps and institutional structures. Zelensky emphasized that the Ukrainian authorities will not remain on the sidelines and will do everything possible to oppose Russian aggression and defend national interests. According to him, the reaction of Ukrainian leadership was a logical and justified step, considering the loud and frank statements of the Russian president. "We have now announced a number of important measures aimed at strengthening our positions in the world and punishing the aggressor country for its unprecedented attack," he stated. Zelensky stressed that as early as last week, since Putin's public remarks, Ukraine began to actively act. "We took into account all signals coming from the Russian leadership and quickly made appropriate decisions," the president said. Among the first steps are the strengthening of international sanctions against Russia, targeting key sectors of the aggressor country’s economy, particularly the energy sector and the military-industrial complex. He underlined that he tasked a special group to work with global corporations to maximize economic pressure on the occupying country and to ensure absolute control over the number of Russian companies supporting Putin's regime. In his speech, Zelensky reported that Ukraine will also intensify its internal sanctions policy. "The pace and scale of internal work are such that anyone who still aids Russia or conducts business on occupied territories must realize: this activity is criminal and subject to strict punishment," he declared. The president emphasized that justice must be restored not only internationally but also within the country. Another important initiative is the strengthening of the defense capacity of Ukrainian society and the army, including through increased resources for the purchase and production of drones for various purposes. According to the head of state, "we are now working on weapons and equipment capable of effectively resisting Russian troops and their attempts to seize Ukrainian land." At the same time, the president spoke about personnel changes planned in the diplomatic and administrative corps of the country. "We plan to change some positions in diplomacy to enhance our presence and effectiveness in international relations," he stated. Zelensky noted that these decisions will be made at the upcoming meeting of the National Security and Defense Council, and the results will be summarized within a month in the format of intergovernmental meetings. Of course, the president paid special attention to the statements of the Russian leadership. "Putin openly declared his intention to encroach on all of Ukraine and seeks to restore imperial ambitions, redraw the map of Europe," he stated. According to him, Putin's so-called "benefit performance" on June 20 was a kind of distress signal to the international community and especially to the United States. "They heard his words with understanding and concern, because the notes of imperialism and influence expansion for Russia have never been exhausted, and now this is a real threat and challenge for all countries of the world," Zelensky explained. He added that in his rhetoric, Putin does not hide his intentions to target the Baltic states, Moldova, the Caucasus region, and even Kazakhstan. "This is not just politics, but the mobilization of the first cells of Russian imperialism in the modern era," the Ukrainian president summarized. According to him, while Russia attempts to dominate, Ukraine and its allies are working to resist and halt the spread of aggression. In conclusion, Volodymyr Zelensky called on the global community to remain vigilant and unite around the idea of defending the international rule of law and Ukraine’s sovereignty. "We will continue to fight to preserve our independence and the integrity of our land. But to do that, we must be firmer than ever and stand together to resist Russian aggression, which threatens not only Ukraine but global security as a whole," he assured.