Distinguished colleagues, fellow Ukrainians!

Today, Ukraine and the entire world mark Children's Day.

Children all over the world know that this is their holiday - they are waiting for balloons, treats and festivities. But not Ukrainian children - our children consider a holiday to be a quiet night when they can sleep in their beds... when both they and their parents are safe...

Because of our terrorist neighbour, our children have been waiting for this for 463 days. Today, on 1 June, russians killed a 9-year-old girl and two adults in Kyiv. It is a terrible grief. Our sincere condolences to the families and friends!

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Today, on Children's Day, we particularly remember the inscription "Children" near the Mariupol Drama Theatre. Back then, about a thousand people were hiding in its premises. Among them were teenagers, children and babies. Mariupol residents hoped that this inscription would protect them from the merciless russian missiles and bombs. But it didn't work out that way. The russians once again demonstrated their barbarism, immorality and inhumanity. The Drama Theatre, along with its children, was cynically and viciously bombed.

More than 4,200 criminal offences have been committed by russia against children since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine. Almost every week, children are either injured or killed as a result of russia's shelling. To date, there are nearly 500 children killed, about a thousand wounded, nearly 400 missing, and thousands deported to russia or the temporarily occupied territories. The exact number of victims is currently unknown.

The war unleashed by russia violates the rights of millions of Ukrainian children. The right to privacy. The right to protection from all forms of violence. The right to rest, leisure, education and family. The right to be protected from torture.

russians abduct, maim and kill Ukrainian children. Children who are the most precious for every family, for every people, for every nation. They are its pride, its future. The future of which we are being deprived. This is a genocide for which everyone involved - from the military to the political leadership of the russian federation - will be held accountable before a tribunal. Punishment for the criminals is inevitable.

I want the members of the Government to honour the memory of the children who died at the hands of the killer country.

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MINUTE OF SILENCE

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We call on the international community and international organisations to condemn the crime of deporting children. To take all possible measures to establish their whereabouts and facilitate their return home to their families and friends.

Our children are the future of the nation, which begins today. Talented, proactive, open-minded and hardworking, they will develop a new post-war Ukraine. A free, strong and European State. We are proud of our children who have gone through the trials of this terrible war and retained the ability to dream, enjoy life and believe in victory.

Thousands of Ukrainian children are now forced to live abroad. It is important that they always feel connected to Ukraine and know that their homeland is waiting for them. Our task is to defeat the enemy and create conditions for them to return home. This means, first of all, safety, jobs for their parents, quality education and opportunities for self-realisation.

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Concerning the agenda. Overnight, russia fired 10 ballistic and cruise missiles at Kyiv. During this attack, there arose an unacceptable situation when people were unable to get to the shelter.

Therefore, first of all, at today's Government meeting, we are adopting a protocol decision to check the operation of all shelters in the country, and in particular in Kyiv. They must be available to all people at any time of the day during the air alert.

We will work out amendments to the legislation to strengthen criminal liability for those who, through their negligence, expose children and adults to mortal danger. The punishment will be severe so that such egregious cases never happen again.

We also have a number of important decisions on our agenda for our children.

We are settling the issue of temporary evacuation and return to the place of permanent residence of children studying in round-the-clock institutions. We are talking about children's homes, special educational institutions, shelters for children, and boarding schools. We also instruct the RMA (regional military administrations) to evacuate children from institutions located in the combat zone less than 50 km from the border with russia and less than 100 km from the temporarily occupied territory.

We are to amend a number of governmental resolutions on the adoption of orphans and children deprived of parental care displaced from the war zone or temporarily occupied territories. We are removing bureaucratic obstacles to their placement in family-type homes and foster families, including abroad, and to their return to Ukraine. At the same time, we are improving the system of registration of such children.

We are also expanding the right to receive the status of a child affected by military operations and armed conflicts. In particular, we are simplifying the procedure for temporarily displaced children. After our victory, this status will allow the child to claim compensation from the aggressor state.

We are modernising technological models of catering in educational institutions. In particular, we are introducing such concepts as a basic kitchen, a hub kitchen and a factory kitchen. We are authorising catering in kindergartens.

We endorse a decision on redirecting UAH 14 million of subventions to Ternopil and Chernivtsi regions to support medical institutions. The funds are intended to finance the care of evacuated children in orphanages. These are orphans or children deprived of parental care who have been moved to relatively safe regions.

We approve the Strategy for the Development of Immunoprophylaxis until 2030 and the action plan for its implementation. First of all, this concerns children. The state will effectively fulfill its obligations to provide Ukrainians with quality free vaccines and timely vaccination.

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It is our children who are the main motivation to fight against the enemy for the freedom of Ukraine. And that is why we will surely win!

Thank you for your attention! Glory to Ukraine!