UWC thanks the United Arab Emirates for supporting the people of Ukraine

The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) leadership addressed the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan with an official letter to thank him for the UAE’s ongoing support of Ukraine and its people, particularly for mediating few rounds of successful exchange of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine during January-February 2024. 

On behalf of the global Ukrainian community, UWC President Paul Grod and UWC Vice President for Middle East and Central Asia Yevheniy Semenov informed Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan about the terrible war crimes being committed in Ukraine. They’ve also emphasized that in the global arena, there is a spread of disinformation aiming to mislead the world into believing that the ongoing conflict stems from Ukraine’s pursuit of sovereignty and independence, rather than an unprovoked military aggression against a neighboring sovereign state.

Mr. Grod and Mr. Semenov have also expressed deep gratitude to His Highness for successfully implementing the initiative to mediate negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, which resulted in three POW swaps on January 3, January 31, and February 8, respectively. These efforts helped bring back home 537 Ukrainian military members, many of whom are legendary Mariupol and Zmiinyi (Snake) Island defenders and have spent two years in Russian captivity. 

The two UWC leaders also thanked the UAE President for the substantial humanitarian support that his country provides to the people of Ukraine and for the UAE’s efforts to support Ukrainian children through the Olena Zelenska Foundation. 

As Ukrainians, we cherish the cooperation and strong, friendly relations between the UAE and Ukraine. We also hope that UAE will join efforts with many other nations in preparation for the Global Peace Summit, which will help end the war in Ukraine, maintain long-term peace in the region, safeguard regional and global progress and prosperity, and eventually contribute to establishing a more just global governance that will respect the sovereignty of each country.

Achieving these outcomes is impossible without just peace in Ukraine. The Gulf countries’ voice matters, and we value their support for Ukraine, which is not in word, but in deed.