Presidents Of Ukraine

"I didn't flee anywhere. I moved from Kyiv to Kharkiv. During my relocation I was shot at with weapons. The car which hid me from all sides was all in bullets. I appeared in Russia thanks to patriot officers, who have performed their duty and helped preserve my life. The representatives of the West and the USA are responsible for the Maidan. They have abetted Maidan. It is them who bear responsibility."

"Looking at Putin, I wonder why he is so restrainingly silent."

"I think Russia should, and is obliged, to act, and knowing the character of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, I am surprised he is so restrained and keeping silent. As the current president of Ukraine, I want to say that Crimea should stay within the boundaries of Ukraine."

"28 February 2014 Viktor Yanukovych urges Russia to act over Ukrainian bandit coup in The Guardian"

"(Speaking of an upcoming soccer match between Shakhtar Donetsk and Chelsea) This will be a match between Ukraine and Russia. I hope that Shakhtar wins and that the mood will help to fight."

"I will say that no one envies me. Do you believe this or not? No one envies me. [...] I live with my family and, as they say, I don't count your money, please don't count mine."

"A journalist from Ukraine: Just out of curiosity, are you being held captive?"

"I understand that you have many "advisors", but you (Volodymyr Zelenskyy) are the person who must stop the bloodshed at all cost and get to a peaceful agreement."

"I was in the opposition twice. I was in power twice before this, and this is my third time. Before this I was Prime Minister twice, and now I am President. The political process is constant, and our goal is for it to move forward under civilized rules, under the laws and for there to be no chance for politicians to abuse their power. .. But in our situation, we do not have the goal of locking up our political opponents. I can prove this, with facts. Let the opposition say the opposite. But watch the television, and you will see that the ruling government does not appear there at all. The opposition takes up 99% [of airtime]. They behave in a radical way, and nobody locks them up. .. I’m sure that the number of friends we have is only growing. We are open. We are not fooling anyone. We are pursuing a stable policy … We passed the tax code, the pension reform, the budget code, the customs code, now the criminal code. No one could do that in 20 years. People close their eyes and pretend not to see these things. Well, so be it. We’ll do it just for ourselves … If Europe has decided to take a pause, then so be it. It’ll probably work out for the best both for us and for Europe. If Europe does not see us as part of Europe, we will build Europe here in Ukraine."

"The country has plunged into chaos and anarchy. The country is in the grip of outright terror and violence driven by the West. People are persecuted on political and language grounds. In this context, I appeal to the President of Russia Vladimir V. Putin to use the armed forces of the Russian Federation to re-establish the rule of law, peace, order, stability and to protect the people of Ukraine."

"You need to understand who benefited from the Euromaidan events, I had no advantage of that. It was a planned provocation in order to radicalize peaceful demonstrations. I had no evidence that it was organized by then chief of staff Serhiy Lyovochkin. But these suspicions have good grounds. Do you remember those two young men who were supposedly killed on Hrushevskoho Street? According to preliminary investigations, we had evidence that they had been killed in a different place. Their lives have been sacrificed to the coup technologies. As of February 20, some 20 police officers were killed and at least 130 were hospitalized with gunshot wounds – but there were almost no mentions in media about it. And they were standing there under fire and Molotov cocktails not for Yanukovych, but rather for Ukraine and the rule of law. During the tragic events of EuroMaidan Revolution, as a legitimate president I had all the grounds to use the force, I didn’t do that. It is important that each side could influence the process. And the dialogue should lead to the elimination of economic problems and the resumption of economic relations in Ukraine,” Yanukovych was quoted as saying. It is especially important for Donbas people, who suffer from hunger, as well as for the entire country, which is on a brink of economic collapse."

"I have no illusions, or as they say, some big ambitions. I just have to take a principled position today, because as a person I can't act otherwise. I am obliged today to take an active position by political means, in order to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, to begin the restoration of the destroyed Donbas, my small homeland, where I was born and lived for more than 50 years."

"(During the opening of the Ukrainian Olympic house for Ukrainian athletes in London)It is wonderful that this event, it happens just before the thirteenth Olympic Games in London. The 2012 Olympic Games were 30th; the 13th Summer Olympics, also scheduled in London, never happened due to World War II."

"Healthcare is the field which should go ahead, like smoke from a steam train."

"Well, after that, [there will] be the visit of the president of Ukraine, we have to deepen our cooperation, we have very, very many common topics."

"I am forced to speak about it (the Customs Union) every day, all the day long, at least once a week..."

"And now, I wanted to tell everyone: "Welcome in Ukraine, welcome in Kyiv!""

"All the achievements of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast in the last two years - this is only the beginning on the road of the renaissance and the development of Transnistria and the whole of Ukraine. Yanukovych confused Придністров'я (Transnistria, an unrecognized state occupying part of Moldova) and Придніпров'я (Dnieper Region), where the oblast is located."

"One theory of researchers says that in ancient Smyrna, today's İzmir, Homer was creating his Illad [sic] and Odyssey. Troy, eternified by the blind poet, is located in Turkey. Legendary Heracles has set foot on the territory of today's Ukraine."

"Speaking of Alcântara Space Center...that's why all of the space programs that we have, which is, among others, the construction of the space centre in Brazil... eh, in the space centre in Balkantaura"

"The main resource we have at our disposal is trust and the understanding of the need to get over the temporary difficulties of the contagiousness of reform implementation. (Yanukovych said "зарази" instead of "заради", meaning "in order to")"

"I am against the idea when we, so to say, throw someone behind the bars, which is the place where they would hide and flee from responsibility. We will surely find them, but they first have to return public money."

"I would like to raise a toast for you, for the veterans [of World War II]... (looks down to see his cup) Hey, Sasha, pour me [more] so that I don't have to feel ashamed."

"(Announcing Israel's decision to introduce visa-free travel for Ukrainians) This is the first swallow from Europe. The first country to have decided to abolish visas with Ukraine."

"The twentieth anniversary of our independence is only an instant in historical terms, yet the roots of our statehood can be traced back thousands of years. Since ancient times, Ukraine has been developing a European spirit and culture, while cherishing the traditions of tolerance and inter-ethnic and intercultural harmony in our society. We believe that straightforward and frank dialogue based on universal values is the only way to find a common language in each country and in international relations alike. "Speech at the 66th session of the United Nations General Assembly" (21 September 2011)"

"I may say without exaggeration that this is a revolutionary approach; it is very painful, because this system of permission was the underpinning of the great bureaucratic system on all levels. And that democratic system, a corrupt one, it has been built for years and decades."

"Yesterday we had a photography procedure with President Obama, and during that short visit [there was] a short exchange of information, [and] President Obama asked me about the progress of the delivery of equipment to the labs that we are building in Kharkiv [and] which are going to work on low-enriched Iran. I said that the equipment was arriving on schedule."

"My task is to create a strategy for Ukraine until 2010."

"They are mistaken, people need an effective government that doesn't lie, that is always at the cutting edge. When the government is top notch, people feel the drive, they have the motivation, that's when life gets interesting... That's what people ask from the government."

"We've made a deal with Dmitry Anatolievich, we won't be talking about bad things, we'd rather do them instead."

"(In Balaklia, Kharkiv Region) I hope that you, representatives of rural district, who have come here to Balaklava..."

"I have said some time ago that we are against the policy of double standards. I was speaking of Serbia... Or rather, the recognition of the independence of Montenegro, indepen... erm, Kosovo, the recognition of the independence of Kosovo. [...] By then it was already apparent that the conflicts on the territories with frozen conflicts will only become more acute. I can point to another prominent example, that of North Ossetia. (In these cases, Yanukovych meant Kosovo and South Ossetia, respectively)"

"This slogAn - tun on... tun... tun on Ukraine for you - is the slogAn of our country's promo-campaign to Euro 2012. In order to tun Ukraine on, I would like to say that it is enough to see it with your own eyes at the time when in Kyiv, chestnuts will blossom. And when warm weather comes around, and in Ukrainian cities, women will start to undress. It is a wonder to see this beauty. (Yanukovych struggled to read the word "увімкнути", omitting the "м" all the time)"

"...the Unification Act between Ukrainian People's Republic and Ukrainian People's Republic..."

"By 1914, the tax will be lowered to 16%, just like we have already agreed."

"Serious steps to implement reforms have been undertaken, the land reform, the retirement reform, and those of healthcare, education and urban management have been started; the conditions for the development of businesses are being distorted, fight against corruption is underway... Note. "Спотворювати" means "distort", he meant "створювати" (create)."

"It is important for me to feel that the barometer, which the business is, helps me understand whether the winds blow the right way or not."

"Our sacred duty is to overcome the shadows of the past, make new tragedies possible. Any encroachments on the peaceful future of Ukraine will meet with instant and resolute response..."

"Be as happy as the sea of Monaco, as the spoil tips of Donbas!"

"Mustafa Nayyem: I understand from the previous experience that asking direct questions about the Mezhyhirya Residence is no good, therefore I will ask the following. Today you have indeed talked many times about the state of our economy being bad and that the people indeed don't feel the improvement yet, and that we don't have money for Chernobyl liquidators and for the veterans of the Afghan War, yet at the same time, every day we are witnessing the improvement of your personal wellbeing. We see how you rent a helicopter for a million dollars from the company which, according to the investigation in Ukrayinska Pravda, is owned or controlled by your son, we know that in Mezhyhirya, construction works are continued by the companies also controlled by your son. Tell me please - where's the inconsistency, what is your secret ingredient of success, why is the country ailing while you are feeling just fine? Thank you."

"Journalist: The freedom of the press is still OK, I can still ask you a question. Tell please, during the two years have you achieved your targets you've set, or are these not the tasks you've created?"

"(During a visit of the president of Turkmenistan) The strategic economic and trade cooperation between Ukraine and Kazakhstan is of mutual interest."

"(Addressing World War II veterans on Victory Day) You have passed through the hell of war, (pause) with fascism you've fulfilled your duty to your fatherland until the end."

"I'm being advised that this should be done before Euro 2012, but we shouldn't be limiting to that, dear colleagues. We shouldn't. And as a general matter, we believe that our... that the territory of our country has to be made unsafe for the life of our citizens, and when the guests arrive here, this should be even more the case."

"(Referring to those assembled at a rally) Why are these morons not dispersing?"

"We are going to strive to the restriction of political dialogue (pause) erm, to the maintenance!"

"We support the complex approach that has been initiated in connection with sustainable energy for all, sustainable consumption and production, the elimination of hunger, and ensuring urban infrastructure development."

"[Dear] participants of the press conference! Since I have that occasion, I would like to remind [everyone] that this year, Ukraine will celebrate the 125th anniversary of the [[w:Christianization of Kievan Rus'|baptism of the [Kievan] Rus']] Note. The baptism happened in 988."

"I would call on the president of Russia, Mr Putin, asking him to use the armed forces of the Russian Federation to establish legitimacy, peace, law and order, stability and defending the people of Ukraine."

"If we have worked for many years with Russia, then we had these rushed declarations - by the way, of Team Orange [Yushchenko - note] - that we're gonna change something, [create] some order... I'll say, it's not a balalaika: one stick and two strings do not make a country your personal thing."