Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has referred to the latest decisions handed down by the National Security and Defense Council as a response to all those "who have been hitting Ukraine for many years."
Addressing the nation in a video message posted on the Telegram channel of the President's Office, Zelensky noted that the latest NSDC decisions reverberated significantly with the public, seeing people's approval, as well as indignation on the part of those "who found their name and their business in the NSDC decisions."
"In short ... Ukraine hits back at everyone who has been hitting it for many years, taking advantage of its weakness, lack of rule of law, order and, most importantly, justice. Justice, which for many years for ordinary people was more than some rare delicacy, something mythical, as from the legends of the blossoming fern," Zelensky said.
Read alsoSBI investigating alleged complicity of Medvedchuk and Kozak in Russian aggressionWhile Ukrainians believed that there was justice in place, some appropriated the country's resources, its subsoil, strategic enterprises, pipelines, and even the Constitutional Court, the president stressed.
"Restoration of justice in Ukraine was one of my key promises. They say it takes three years of waiting to see promises fulfilled. We started a little earlier. First of all, we stopped attempts to split Ukraine with propaganda and disinformation. On February 2, 2021, we blocked the activities of individuals who found it normal to do business on Ukraine's temporarily occupied territories and finance disinformation battalions, attacked Ukrainians with volleys of lies and manipulations," the president recalled.
The head of state went on to ask, why this hadn't been done by his predecessor, while calling the question rhetorical.
He also recalled that on February 19, sanctions were imposed against Vladimir Putin's ally Viktor Medvedchuk along with several other persons, and instructions were issued to renationalize the fuel pipeline operated by PrykarpatZapadtrans.
"And, no less important is to find out, under what circumstances in 2015 ... the state-owned, almost 1,500km-long fuel pipeline turned out in private hands. Also, Ukraine must deliver a fair and lawful response to those who believed it wasn't the state but private hands who must own a controlling stake Ukraine's strategic defense enterprises, in particular Motor Sich, while land and mineral resources that belong to the people of Ukraine may be appropriated by anyone," Zelensky said.
Read alsoUkraine approves strategy to end Russian occupation of CrimeaThe president said that the answers to these questions will be found by law enforcement together with the State Service of Geology and Subsoil, because citizens should be aware of the conditions under which a number of individuals have obtained certain resources.
The president added that those who did it legally have nothing to fear, adding that a thorough audit will be carried out, whose results will be made available to the general public.
“In addition, yesterday we finally did what should have been done back in 2014 – the state Strategy for the De-occupation and Reintegration of Crimea and Sevastopol was approved. For those who were counting on something, I can say this: forget that Ukraine will forget about Crimea. At the same time, when we talk about de-occupation, it is also logical to understand: who created the conditions for the occupation, and how? And this is not only about 2014, but also about the adoption of the so-called Kharkiv Accords," the head of state said.
Zelenskiy promised that this is not a complete list of steps recently taken by the government, and neither is it a final list of measures that Ukraine will take in the future.
Read also"We are fighting": Zelensky speaks of war on Russian propaganda"I emphasize – it's measures undertaken by our government, according to our decision, in line with our duty – not because someone called us ... I don't need additional motivation, in particular from our partners. As for support, I do need it. And for such support, we will always be grateful. But first of all, we must defend ourselves, no one will do it but us. And Ukraine can independently make decisions in order to protect itself and restore justice," Zelensky concluded.
