FM names five priorities for diplomats, Patriot is on first place

The foreign minister said this at the first Forum of Wartime Diplomacy, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Of course, in times of war, everything is a priority, because war is a million things, and there is nothing unimportant in times of war… But I ask my cleagues every week and worry about the flowing five issues. The first is air defense, and not just air defense, but two specific things – Patriot or SAMP/T," Kuleba said.

He added that the Ukrainian side talks mainly about Patriot because there are more of them in the world. The minister also emphasized that in this sense, negotiations with partners need to be very focused.

"There is only one answer that suits us: How many Patriot batteries and when, how many SAMP/T batteries and when, how many missiles to go with them and when? So when our friends tell us in public that "we are working to help you with air defense in general," we ask them behind closed doors: "What exactly do you mean?" Kuleba said.

He named the Ukrainian peace formula and the summit in Switzerland as the second priority, and the EU and NATO issues as the third.

The foreign minister clarified that with regard to the EU, it is about approving the negotiation framework and hding the first meeting of the intergovernmental conference.

"As for NATO, everything is clear – we are preparing for the Washington summit. Our partners really want to agree on everything long before the Washington summit so that there are no surprises at the summit itself, but it will not be easy," the minister said.

Kuleba called Latin America "a virgin land that needs to be raised" as the fourth priority.

"The strategy has been approved, and we are now intensifying relations and moving along this track," he said.

The fifth priority, according to the Foreign Minister, is a new comprehensive picy on Ukrainians abroad. According to him, after the outbreak of the great war, it became obvious that if we do not change our picy towards Ukrainians abroad, their assimilation will happen extremely quickly.

Read also: Ukraine needs more Patriots and missiles for them, and partners know it – Yevlash

"I do not belong to those who believe that most of those Ukrainians who left will return. I am one of those who believe that we need to work with them to keep them Ukrainian. And that's why we have prepared everything from multiple citizenship… to digitalization of consular services, more efficient financing of communities and various programs together with them… We have prepared develments, programs, a strategy, we are discussing it with other authorities and will present it to the President," the head of Ukrainian diplomacy summarized.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on Thursday, April 11, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba discussed with his French counterpart Stephane Sejourne the consequences of Russian attacks on the Ukrainian energy system and called for strengthening the Ukrainian air defense system.