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The G7 states must continue to focus their attention on continuation and tightening of sanctions against Russia, and impossibility of circumventing them. This was the message of Natalka Cmoc, Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine, at the KSF special event organized by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk “Open Ukraine” Foundation.“We all must remember the reasons why Russia was kicked out of G7. This happened in 2014 after the annexation of Crimea. The conditions have not changed, and Canada is not prepared to change the (Russia’s) membership, and we will stand firm on that,” – she argued.Ambassador also mentioned that with Canada presiding now in the G7, Melanie Jolie, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, had a number of meetings with Andrii Sybiha, her Ukrainian counterpart, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.“And that speaks volumes that Ukraine’s remaining central in the priorities. And it is important in two ways. One it is extremely important to work together within the G7 to increasingly support Ukraine in all kinds of ways. And two: it is important to continue to put pressure on Russia: whether it’s diplomatic, financial, economical, and to impose caps on oil prices”, - the diplomat stressed.According to Natalka Cmoc, “sanctions are working”.“Sanctions ought to continue to be priorities, they must be stronger in new areas and nimble. And we need to address the circumvention of these sanctions. And it is important that the G7 continues to support Ukraine. And bilateral relations (Canada-Ukraine) have not changed”, - the Ambassador summed up.Kyiv Security Forum, organized by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk “Open Ukraine” Foundation, is the major platform in this country to discuss problems of war and peace, issues of national and global security.

The G7 states must continue to focus their attention on continuation and tightening of sanctions against Russia, and impossibility of circumventing them. 

Sanctions against Russia and impossibility of their circumvention must remain
our priority – Natalka Cmoc

Ukraine is part and parcel of European community, and Ukrainians feel deeply their agency and are grateful for the support.These were the words of Katarina Mathernova, Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine, at the special event of the Kyiv Security Forum, established by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk “Open Ukraine” Foundation.“We look for sustainable decisions, as future of Ukraine is in Europe. Just four days after the Russian invasion, the Ukrainian authorities applied for the EU membership... Ukraine’s future is in the EU, and this is the hope that this country needs to keep its brave retaliation of the brutal aggression”, - she stressed.The EU Ambassador also stressed that she believes “in sustainability of the future European family”.“Ukrainians feel their agency; they feel it and display it daily. And it is demonstrated not only by the authorities of the country, but it is also clearly displayed across all social media, the Ukrainians write “we have no intention to give up and surrender!” At the same time, they clearly understand that they need help, and they are grateful for all assistance … And Europe needs Ukraine for its own defence as well. And the overall developmental direction of the whole continent lies in this very direction”, - Ambassador Mathernova summed up.She also specifically mentioned heroism, resilience, and determination of Ukrainians, who "have stood up to evil”.Kyiv Security Forum, established by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk “Open Ukraine” Foundation, is the major platform in this country to discuss problems of war and peace, issues of national and global security. &nbsp;

Ukraine is part and parcel of European community, and Ukrainians feel deeply their agency and are grateful for the support.

The future of Ukraine is in Europe, - Katarina Mathernova

NATO Allies collectively facilitate establishment of just and sustainable peace in Ukraine, and security guarantees are needed for that.This was the message of Patrick Turner, Senior NATO Representative – Head of the NATO Representation to Ukraine, at the special event of the Kyiv Security Forum, established by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk “Open Ukraine” Foundation.Mr. Turner also reminded the audience that Mark Rutte, the NATO General Secretary, called on to maximize assistance now to put Ukraine in the best possible position on the battlefield and, therefore, at the negotiating table.“NATO Allies collectively want to see the establishment of a just and lasting peace, and that was abundantly clear at all sets of meetings taking place in Brussels and elsewhere over recent days. The partners want to assure that there will be no renewed attack of Russia on Ukraine or on NATO territory”, - Mr. Turner argued.“There must be no Minsk 3, there must be an enduring and lasting peace”, he quoted the words of the NATO Secretary General.“That’s the message from the US, from the European Allise, this is the common message of recent days”, - Senior NATO Representative emphasized.He also mentioned that las year the NATO military assistance to Ukraine was a little over 50 billion Euros. 40% arrived from the USA, and 60% - from Canada and Europe, Mr. Turner added.He also added that the US has asked its European Allies to step up much more, on security in Europe, on defence spending, on support to Ukraine, on security guarantees for Ukraine, and “to ensure fair burden-sharing”.“Security cannot be guaranteed by just one or two countries, and European Allies need and must step up their share of burden and their share of responsibility. We all wish for a safe and prosperous future for this great country and for the entire world”, Mr. Turner emphasized.Kyiv Security Forum, established by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk “Open Ukraine” Foundation, is the major platform in this country to discuss problems of war and peace, issues of national and global security.

“Security cannot be guaranteed by just one or two countries, and European Allies need and must step up their share of burden and their share of responsibility. We all wish for a safe and prosperous future for this great country and for the entire world.”

There can be effective security guarantees with Europe and the US working
together, - Patrick Turner

“First of all, we urgently need an European Parliament Resolution stating the EU support of Ukraine, expanded military procurement budget, and extension of a long-term security package to Ukraine”, - Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Chairman of the Kyiv Security Forum, Prime Minister of Ukraine in 2014-2016 at the special KSF event on February 21, 2025.Correspondingly, the EU should ask the US to extend the same support and provide a lend-lease package for Ukraine. Moreover, it is necessary to ask the US not to curtail their defence expenditures, even though such plans have already been voiced: “We need to say – we stand ready to purchase American weapons provided you give a lend-lease package to Ukraine. We stand ready to upscale our defence spending if you do the same. This is a two-way street”.One more issue on the agenda is Russian assets, Arseniy Yatsenyuk stressed: “There are some 300 billion of Russian assets, not in the US, but in the EU. Do not fear the Russians. If we want to prevail in this war – we must act. Europe must confiscate these assets and tell the American President: we’ve done our part, now it’s your turn to do the same with 5 billion of Russian assets that are held in the US”.This money, Mr. Yatsenyuk stressed, could be used for defence procurement for Ukraine.One more issue of importance - sanctions: “The EU must take the lead in this process and apply secondary sanctions to all circumventing sanction policies of the EU and the US. This way, the EU can say to the US administration: we’ve done our part, it’s your turn now”.The KSF Chairman also reminded the audience that certain rumors circulate about tensions among the G7 countries vis-à-vis a Resolution condemning the Russian aggression, “allegedly, the US remain reluctant to sign such a wording”: “Do be proactive. State clearly: “we stand ready to adopt the decision by the G7 including statements of all member-states on their readiness to raise their military spending. On their readiness to support Ukraine, on their readiness to purchase weapons from the US. We stand ready to enforce our alliances. Whereas you, Mr. President, should incorporate this very wording into the statement”.“If you go public – you attain your objective. I believe that the artistry of political deals, in the prime of their popularity across the modern world, works just this way”, - Arseniy Yatsenyuk argued.“Either we want President Trump to win, or we want putin to win. I’m certain we want President Trump to win. It is because we want Ukraine to win. So, let’s profit from this wise approach – to give the Americans all they ask to get all we need. This is the world we live in”, - the KSF Chairman summed up.

“First of all, we urgently need an European Parliament Resolution stating the EU support of Ukraine, expanded military procurement budget, and extension of a long-term security package to Ukraine”, - Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Chairman of the Kyiv Security Forum.

The EU should ask the USA to provide a lend-lease package to Ukraine –
Arseniy Yatsenyuk

There is bi-partisan consensus in the US on the need to continue supporting Ukraine. Kyiv and Washington share same values and principles.These were the words of Gen. David Petraeus, the KSF Security Council Member, Commander of the US Central Command (2008 -2010), Director of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (2011-2012) at the special event of the KSF, organized by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk “Open Ukraine” Foundation.“I was at the Munich Security Conference and I met with a large Congressional delegation. And this is a metric that Europeans watch. This is very important. I sat down with Senator Lindsey Graham, who is very close to President Trump, and with the other Democratic and Republican House representatives. They came to Munich to show their support. And I think there is a bi-partisan consensus on the imperative to continue supporting Ukraine”, - he said.Gen. Petraeus also mentioned that the US have provided the vast amount of security support, more than all other countries put together.“Although we should credit the other NATO and EU countries that provided more overall, if we add all financial, economic, and humanitarian assistance to security assistance”, - General added.At the same time, he commended outstanding progress of Ukraine in its military- industrial complex, stating that Ukraine itself made more howitzers last year, 155- millimiter howitzers, than it received.“So, we need to continue to enable Ukraine to do what it has done so impressively – incredible innovations … I firmly believe in the imperative to continue assisting Ukraine”, - Gen. Petraeus emphasized.He specially commended Ukrainian innovations, especially in the unmanned systems. He expressed certainty that such unmanned systems become the future of war”.General also noted that it was his fifth trip to Ukraine since the start of the large-scale war.“Let’s make sure that we are all devoted to ensuring sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, the country that has suffered from a brutal, barbaric invasion … Let us keep in perspective that we share principles and values, that we hold them dear in fact, so that we have provided so much assistance from the United States and from other NATO and European, and Western countries”, - he emphasized.Gen. Petraeus also called to start pulling all horses in one direction to achieve sustainable peace.Kyiv Security Forum, organized by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk “Open Ukraine” Foundation, is the major platform in this country to discuss problems of war and peace, issues of national and global security.

There is bi-partisan consensus in the US on the need to continue supporting Ukraine. Kyiv and Washington share same values and principles.

It is necessary to continue to support Ukraine, and by-partisan consensus on the
need to support Ukrainians is there, - Gen. David Petraeus

Ukraine continues to develop cutting-edge technologies that literally are not employed anywhere in the world, and this is the future of warfare.This was the message of Gen. David Petraeus, the KSF Security Council Member, Commander of the US Central Command (2008 -2010), Director of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (2011-2012) at the special event of the KSF, established by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk “Open Ukraine” Foundation.“What Ukraine has done to overcome the realities of being heavily outnumbered, heavily outgunned is hugely impressive. This transformation of how war is being fought is led by Ukraine.By the way, the Russians are iterating as well. They’re very good in radio-electronic warfare, in jamming, air defences, and the rest of it. But Ukraine continues to develop very cutting-edge technologies, that literally are not employed anywhere in the world, and this is the future of warfare, - the General added.The General also stressed that all these initiatives enable Ukraine to limit Russia on the daily basis at enormous cost.“How does a country that has no Navy really sink one third of the russian Black Sea fleet and force the final ship with the russian colour to withdraw from the centuries occupied port of Sevastopol?”, - he underlined.General Petraeus is confident that Ukraine continues its advances in this regard (unmanned aerial and maritime vehicles). He also mentioned huge losses that Russia has. Moreover, the economic sanctions “are beginning to bite”, and they should be tightened.He also stressed that Russia had to bring in 10 thousand North Korean soldiers, who are essentially used as human cannon fodder. And in fact on the frontlines, the Russians have really begun to run out of tanks and some of the other systems.“They’re not even using them near the frontline because they get knocked out so quickly by Ukrainian drones and anti-armour systems. And so they are literally fighting infantry soldiers advancing a block or two in a day. I wish they were not achieving even that kind of progress on a daily basis. But, at the end of the day, what Ukraine has done in these circumstances is nothing short of miraculous”, - General Petraeus argued.According to him, it’s been a very long time since Russians have achieved anything of real note on the frontline, but Pokrovsk is real worrisome”.Kyiv Security Forum, established by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk “Open Ukraine” Foundation, is the major platform in this country to discuss problems of war and peace, issues of national and global security.

Ukraine continues to develop cutting-edge technologies that literally are not employed anywhere in the world, and this is the future of warfare.

General David Petraeus: what Ukraine has done in these circumstances is
nothing short of miraculous

Russia has not achieved its global goals that it had set out in time of the full-fledged aggression against Ukraine, and Kyiv was not taken in three days because Ukrainians organized themselves.&nbsp;This was the key message of Natalka Cmoc, Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine, at the KSF special event established by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk “Open Ukraine” Foundation.&nbsp;“Russia already lost. If you look at the global goals that it had set out – it hasn’t achieved them. I doubt it’s going to achieve them. And Ukraine needs a lot more support in order to win, and this is a different question. And why it (Russia) has lost is because Ukraine’s democracy, civil society is strong,”, - she stressed.&nbsp;According to her, the reason why Kyiv was not taken by the russian army in three days was that communities did not wait for the national army to come in, they organized themselves.”&nbsp;“That’s what you know about Ukrainian people, they organize themselves, they support each other. It’s is amazing. They have a democracy, they have a healthy parliamentary system, they have the civil society that is one of the most active that I’ve ever seen”, - Ambassador Cmoc underlined.&nbsp;She also stressed that: “Ukraine will be very difficult to occupy, it is not going to let it happen, and Russia knows that. That’s why we are supporting Ukraine, and not just militarily, but we want to make sure that we’re supporting that spirit that Ukraine’s has shown, including entrepreneurship, for example”.&nbsp;Kyiv Security Forum, organized by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk “Open Ukraine” Foundation, is the major platform in this country to discuss problems of war and peace, issues of national and global security.

Russia has not achieved its global goals that it had set out in time of the full-fledged aggression against Ukraine, and Kyiv was not taken in three days because Ukrainians organized themselves. 

Natalka Cmoc, Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine: Russia has already lost

NATO Allies can learn extremely many lessons from the war in Ukraine, in particular, in technologies sector.&nbsp;These were the words of Patrick Turner, Senior NATO Representative – Head of the NATO Representation to Ukraine, at the special event of the Kyiv Security Forum, established by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk “Open Ukraine” Foundation.&nbsp;Speaking about major lessons for NATO in the war of Russia against Ukraine, Mr. Turner reminded the audience that a joint NATO-Ukraine centre was opened in Poland in the beginning of this week precisely with the purpose of learning lessons, both military and non-military.&nbsp;“There is an extraordinary number of lessons to learn from this extraordinary country. Some of them are lessons that you’ve learned the very hard way during these three years of all-out war. But some of them are lessons that stem from Ukraine’s innovation and creativity”, - he mentioned.&nbsp;Mr. Turner also stressed that development and use of all kinds of drones, short-and long-range ones, and electronic warfare progress have moved at enormous speed.&nbsp;According to Mr. Turner, the massive challenge today is the speed of innovation.&nbsp;“We are not moving away from large-scale, highly capable platforms which take many years to develop and produce. But it is clear that we’ll have to think very differently in future. The gap between what has been done and learnt here and where we are is large. And we need to close that gap. So, we’re very grateful to Ukrainian colleagues for what we are learning from them, and there’s a lot more that we need to learn from them, - Senior NATO Representative emphatically stressed.&nbsp;Kyiv Security Forum, established by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk “Open Ukraine” Foundation, is the major platform in this country to discuss problems of war and peace, issues of national and global security.

NATO Allies can learn extremely many lessons from the war in Ukraine, in particular, in technologies sector. 

Patrick Turner, Senior NATO Representative: there is a great number of
lessons that Alliance can learn from the war of Russia against Ukraine

The best way to pull the rug from under (the feet of) those who want to destabilize Ukraine is to pass a Resolution by the Ukrainian Parliament on holding presidential elections six months after a comprehensive peace agreement is reached and signed, - the Chairman of the Kyiv Security Forum emphasized at the KSF special event in Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine, on February 21, 2025.Mr. Yatsenyuk reminded the audience that according to the Constitution of Ukraine the Parliament of Ukraine is the sole power authorized to establish the election date. So, the Parliament (the Verkhovna Rada) must do this job and express the will of Ukrainian people”.“A Resolution passed by the Parliament must clearly outline the respective conditions to conduct democratic and free elections. It is all crystal clear: Ukraine conducts free and democratic elections six months after the comprehensive peace agreement is signed. Full stop”, - Arseniy Yatsenyuk underlined.“This way, you deal a trump card to (President) Trump and pull the rug from under the feet of those who dream to destabilize Ukraine”, - he added.Kyiv Security Forum, organized by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk “Open Ukraine” Foundation, is the major platform in this country to discuss problems of war and peace, issues of national and global security.

The best way to pull the rug from under (the feet of) those who want to destabilize Ukraine is to pass a Resolution by the Ukrainian Parliament on holding presidential elections six months after a comprehensive peace agreement is reached and signed, - the Chairman of the Kyiv Security Forum emphasized at the KSF special event in Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine, on February 21, 2025.

Ukrainian Parliament must adopt the resolution on elections 6 months after the
comprehensive peace agreement is signed, - Arseniy Yatsenyuk

<img src="https://ksf-openukraine.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/0x0_b7495c3c9a.jpg" alt="0x0.jpg" srcset="https://ksf-openukraine.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_0x0_b7495c3c9a.jpg 235w,https://ksf-openukraine.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_0x0_b7495c3c9a.jpg 500w,https://ksf-openukraine.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_0x0_b7495c3c9a.jpg 750w,https://ksf-openukraine.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_0x0_b7495c3c9a.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px">Putin is a dictator and a war criminal. Russia started the war and must pay for its aggression.Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the legitimate President of Ukraine.Ukraine will hold elections after the war, which should end in just and lasting peace with security guarantees. This can only be achieved through the unity of the United States, the EU, and Ukraine.We are grateful to our allies. We need a plan on how to move forward &nbsp;Eleven years of war. In February 2014, Russia attacked Ukraine, occupied and annexed Crimea, and started a war in the East, hoping it would lead to a chain reaction of destruction and the liquidation of our country.We have survives agains these diabolical calculations. I am writing about this as someone who, after the Maidan, was honored to lead the government of an exhausted but unbroken country.These days mark another milestone - three years of full-scale hell. Since February 24, 2022. And Kyiv has been standing strong not for three, but for 1100 days.We honor and pay tribute to our soldiers, Ukrainian men and women, for their bravery, courage and self-sacrifice.We honor the memory of our fallen defenders on the third anniversary, and every day, and forever. &nbsp;We, Ukrainians, are a grateful nation towards our allies. I say "thank you" to the people of the United States, "thank you" to Europe, NATO, and the G7. You deserve applause for supporting Ukraine. We know the value of your efforts.But the truth is that Putin has not been stopped. His occupation army continues to ravage Ukrainian land, kill, destroy and threaten other peoples of the continent and the world.To win, we need a cold mind, a clear vision of the goal and how to achieve it.Let me share my plan.Not “tit for tat",&nbsp; but a cold calculationI can clearly see what is happening, and the degree of my emotions is such that this text could be reduced to a few phrases of foul language. If only it would help...Amidst the moods that are currently rocking our Western allies, it is important to avoid making fatal mistakes.An insult for an insult, &nbsp;"an eye for an eye” principle &nbsp;- such an exchange leads to an abyss. I strongly disagree with this kind of approach.We need to face the dilemma in an adult manner. Whose "victory" do we need - Trump's or Putin's?We want Ukraine to win, so we need the American president to win.This means acting prudently. We have to negotiate wisely with the Americans to get what we need to survive. Remembering that we need not only to preserve Ukraine, but also to prevent future aggression.Europe has to be on a forefrontThe European Union should take a leadership position.An important example of this would be European Parliament’s resolution on the defense budget and a long-term security package for Ukraine.And also an appeal to the United States to do the same. To offer: "Give Ukraine a Land-Lease, and we will buy your weapons." Rumors of a 30% cut in the Pentagon's budget are a wake-up call. Europe has to say: "Don't cut the defense spending. We are ready to increase our military spendings, but only if you do the same."Russian assets: it’s time to stop being afraid of Russia300 billion of Russia's assets are allocated in Europe, not in the United States.It's time to stop being afraid of the Kremlin. Confiscate them and say to Donald Trump: "We've done our job - now it's your turn, do the same with $5 billion of Russian assets in the United States. With the funds confiscated in Europe, we are ready to buy your ammunition and support the Ukrainian economy, but let's move towards each other."If we want to win the war, we should finally aim at Putin's wallet, from which he seeks to return the money, avoiding responsibility.Do not retreat from sanctionsThe EU must maintain a firm stance on anti-Russian sanctions. This means extending the sanctions package every six months. And also the decision to introduce secondary sanctions against those who circumvent the sanctions policy of the European Union and the United States.This will give the EU an upper hand and allow it to say to Donald Trump: "Mr. President, we have done our job here, so we expect you to do the same." Sanctions should be effective and accelerate the negative processes in the Russian economy.G7 and Canada: a voice of unity &nbsp;I would like to address our Canadian friends. We are proud to have an independent, sovereign, and strong Canada, and it will always be that way.There are tensions in the G7, with the US seemingly hesitant to clearly condemn Russia. Canada, our proud ally with a strong Ukrainian diaspora, can take the lead. Declare your readiness to accept the G7 decision with a clear message from all G7 members to increase military spending, buy weapons, help Ukraine, and strengthen the joint multinational alliances: &nbsp;"But you, Mr. Trump, will have to support the G7 statement." &nbsp;Insist: &nbsp;"Mr. President, it's up to you. You have to include this language."And if you, our Canadian friends, do this publicly, believe me, you will achieve this goal. This is, in fact, a way of making political deals that became so popular in this new modern world.NATO: building up strengthThe same goes for the world's most powerful alliance.If its European members initiate a gradual increase in spending, increasing NATO's strength and demonstrating their belief in victory, America will not be able to stand aside.And then address the US: ”We're relying on you. But you have to do your part.” It will work.Ukraine: stability and elections &nbsp;Rumors about elections in Ukraine are a dangerous attempt to destabilize the country in a time of war.My proposal: The parliament adopts a resolution that elections will be held six months after a comprehensive peace agreement is reached. Let me remind you that I publicly stated this a year ago.The only body that has the powers to set the date of the presidential election is the Ukrainian parliament. This is strictly in accordance with the Constitution.This will knock the trump cards out of the hands of Ukraine's enemies. It will also give Donald Trump an argument: "Ukraine adheres to the principles of democracy."The economy of victory &nbsp;On the rare earth minerals. The presidents of Ukraine and the United States should sign MOU on our mutually beneficial cooperation.Do you want to invest in Ukraine? We do want to make sure that both you and we make a profit. So that Ukraine does not pay for the war, but the aggressor, Russia, does. And then, I am sure, the Ukrainian parliament will support the president and pass a resolution stating that we are ready to develop all the necessary conditions.The Parliament will support it, the government will hire the lawyers from the United States - and it will become not be just a facade, but a real deal concluded with the American administration.The watershed momentWe are living in the times of new challenges. Putin, a creature of the Soviet KGB, is waiting and maneuvering. But he should not be given any chance to defeat us. We must be proactive, not only regarding him but also his allies: China, Iran, North Korea, and various pariahs in the world.This challenge is our chance. We have to be prudent, creative, and active.&nbsp; &nbsp;Abstracts of the special event of&nbsp;the Kyiv Security Forum&nbsp;on the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine

Ukraine will hold elections after the war, which should end in just and lasting peace with security guarantees. This can only be achieved through the unity of the United States, the EU, and Ukraine. 