Business confidence strengthens Ukraine's negotiating position – Zelenskyy at meeting with 27 entrepreneurs
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with 27 Ukrainian business representatives from various fields and regions. The head of state stressed the importance of maintaining support for business and enterprises during the war as the basis of social life and defense.
"It is very desirable for us to be in a strong position in one or another format of negotiations with one 'comrade' or another. We will still be in a normal position, but I would like us to be more confident. This confidence will influence the outcome of the end of the war," he said in a video posted on his Telegram channel Friday evening.
The head of state thanked the business representatives for preserving jobs for Ukrainians and working for Ukraine and for the sake of Ukraine.
"Of course, for us, preserving jobs is not just an abstract matter. It provides the opportunity to endure in this war. So, it is important for us that you are in the country, if there are unconditional difficulties that you have, if there are some things that you know that the state can solve quickly, and it depends on the political will of the authorities and the speed of certain institutions, I am ready to help as much as possible right now," he said.
According to the video, the meeting was attended, in particular, by Viktor Ivanchyk (Astarta), Andriy Zdesenko (Biosphere), Kostiantyn Yefymenko (Biopharma), Halyna Hereha (Epicenter), Dmytro Oliynyk (Federation of Employers of Ukraine), Artem Borodatiuk (Netpeak Group), Maksym Timchenko (DTEK), Kateryna Zahoriy (Darnitsa), Iryna Chechotkina (Rozetka), Viacheslav Klymov (Nova Posta), Serhiy Tigipko (TAS Group), and Yuriy Kosiuk (MHP).
Its participants also included Oleksandr Komarov (Kyivstar), Yulia Vysotska (League of Defense Companies, NGO Praktika), Emre Karaahmetoglu (ONUR Group), Iryna Terekh (Terekh.Group), Viacheslav Steshenko (KLO), Vasyl Rakhmailov (Jaguar), Vitaliy Nemilostivy (UkrInMash), Serhiy Polituchy (Factor), Oleksandr Kardakov (Octava Capital), Serhiy Sypko (Agrofusion), Hennadiy Butkevych (ATB, BGV Group), and Yuriy Atanasov (Centravis).
The meeting was attended by Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak, Deputy Head of the Office Viktor Mykyta, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yuliya Svyrydenko, and Presidential Advisor for Strategic Issues Oleksandr Kamyshin.
According to a press release on the president's website, the event was attended by owners and managers of the largest Ukrainian companies operating in the sectors of pharmaceuticals, logistics, agriculture, energy, telecommunications, services, financial and banking sectors, as well as enterprises of the defense industry.
Zelenskyy noted that the state is doing everything possible to strengthen air defense and bring a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.
During the meeting, the participants discussed a number of specific issues related, in particular, to the continuation of the work of the Made in Ukraine economic platform. According to the head of state, the raised issues and the voiced proposals will be worked out by the relevant government agencies.
In November, presidential communications adviser Volodymyr Lytvyn said that a permanent format of communication between the head of state and business could be created, similar to the one that exists with journalists and that is being developed with representatives of civil society.
The previous meeting between Zelenskyy and business representatives was on February 15, 2024, and then business was represented by members of the Council for the Support of Entrepreneurship under Martial Law (Council of Seven), while a broader meeting with businesses, attended by about 30 business owners and managers, as well as representatives of business associations, was held at the end of June 2023.
This Friday's meeting was attended by four of the Council of Seven – Klymov, Yefymenko, Oliynyk, and Borodatiuk.