Ukraine–Southeast Europe Summit: Kyiv Declaration

We, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President of the Republic of Albania Bajram Begaj, President of the Hellenic Republic Constantine Tassoulas, President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu, President of Romania Nicușor Dan, Prime Minister of Republic of Croatia Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia Janez Janša, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia and Minister of European Affairs Bekim Sali, Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of Montenegro Filip Ivanović, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria Velislava Petrova-Chamova, gathered in Kyiv on July 15, 2026 for the fifth Ukraine–Southeast Europe Summit [in the presence of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen].

Building upon the outcomes of our previous meetings in Athens, Tirana, Dubrovnik and Odesa, we reaffirm the Ukraine–Southeast Europe Summit as an important framework for political dialogue, regional cooperation and shared security.

Meeting in Kyiv on the Day of Ukrainian Statehood carries symbolic significance, as it affirms the continuity of more than a thousand years of Ukrainian statehood.

Recognizing that the security of Ukraine, the Black Sea region and Southeast Europe is interlinked, we adopt the following Declaration.

1. We remain united in the conviction that there can be no lasting peace, security, stability and prosperity in Europe without a sovereign and independent Ukraine. We commend the resilience, strength and courage of the Ukrainian people in the struggle for their national identity, future and freedom against Russia’s aggression since 2014 and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to provide Ukraine with comprehensive support. These joint efforts are crucial for shaping Europe’s future.
2. We reiterate our condemnation of Russia’s illegal, unprovoked, and unjustified armed aggression against Ukraine and urge Russia to end the war immediately. This gross violation of international law, including the UN Charter, poses a serious threat to peace and stability in Europe. We strongly condemn any political, military, technical, financial, or other support to the Russian Federation’s war efforts provided by third states, and call for its immediate cessation.
3. We strongly condemn Russia’s intensified regular massive attacks on Kyiv and other locations across Ukraine in blatant violation of international law. We express our deepest condolences to all of the victims. Targeting civilians and vital infrastructure constitutes a war crime. We urge Russia to stop its missile and drone attacks on peaceful cities of Ukraine, which have already claimed numerous civilian lives and caused extensive damage to critical infrastructure, including energy, water supply, sewage facilities. These deliberate attempts to cause a humanitarian catastrophe escalate the war and undermine ongoing peace efforts.
4. We reiterate that strengthening Ukraine’s air defense capabilities remains a priority, in particular by relevant systems and interceptors capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. We support mobilizing the necessary financial resources and international mechanisms to that end, recognizing that stronger air defense saves civilian lives and protects critical infrastructure.
5. We reaffirm our unwavering support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, including its territorial sea. These universal principles laid the foundation for peace, security, stability and prosperity in Europe. We underline our policy of non-recognition of any attempted illegal alteration of these borders and reaffirm Ukraine's inherent right to self-defense in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter. We stress that the complete, unconditional and verifiable withdrawal of Russian forces and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine remains an indispensable condition for achieving a lasting peace. No decisions concerning Ukraine can be taken without Ukraine.
6. We remain united in our solidarity with Ukraine and committed, alongside our partners, to restoring a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine, based on international law. We commend Ukraine’s unwavering commitment to peace and President Zelenskyy’s call for negotiations to bring an end to the war. We appreciate the efforts of our partners and allies to facilitate the end of the war. We urge Russia to reciprocate by agreeing to a full and comprehensive ceasefire.
7. We acknowledge the important work of the Coalition of the Willing as an effective mechanism for supporting Ukraine, including in terms of providing Ukraine with robust and legally binding security guarantees, and express the readiness to enhance our participation in its work.
8. We welcome the recent opening of the two negotiation clusters with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, and support the opening of the other clusters as soon as possible in line with the merit-based approach. We commend the accession progress of Southeast European partners. We recognize that these achievements reinforce each other’s progress and create new momentum for EU enlargement. The future EU membership of the Western Balkans partners, as well as of Ukraine, and of the Republic of Moldova is a strategic investment into the long-term stability, security, and prosperity of Europe. Building on the mutual support of each other’s merit-based accession process, we reaffirm our determination to intensify joint efforts to ensure continued and sustainable progress of all candidates on their individual path towards EU membership. To capture the new momentum for EU enlargement, the partners remain committed to sustaining targeted reforms and decisively meeting membership criteria, including full alignment with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy.
9. Ukraine’s security is our security. Ukraine contributes to transatlantic security, and we stand united in our unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, as stated in the NATO Summit Declaration in Ankara. We reaffirm our support for Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations on its irreversible path towards future NATO membership, once the Allies agree and conditions are met, as well as its sovereign right to choose its own security arrangements and determine its own future. We recognize that Ukraine's defense capabilities strengthen Euro-Atlantic security and underscore the importance of expanding defense cooperation to support Ukraine's long-term security and resilience.
10. We strongly condemn all violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law committed as part of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. We call for the immediate return of all unlawfully deported and forcibly transferred Ukrainian citizens, in particular Ukrainian children, the release of all illegally detained civilians and prisoners of war.
11. We reaffirm that there can be no impunity for the crime of aggression. We support international efforts to ensure accountability for crimes committed against Ukraine, including through the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. We commend the States that have already joined the Enlarged Partial Agreement on the establishment of the Management Committee for the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. We, the remaining participants, express our intention to consider joining the Agreement in due course and contributing to this important effort.
12. We call for further strengthening of sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation and its war economy, ensuring their effective implementation, countering Russia’s shadow fleet and strengthening international cooperation against sanctions evasion, cyber threats and other hybrid activities that undermine European security.
13. We strongly condemn Russia’s continued attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and reaffirm our commitment to strengthening regional energy security through closer cooperation, diversification of supply routes, enhanced interconnectivity and support for the restoration and modernization of Ukraine’s energy system, including through the Ukraine Energy Support Fund. We encourage partners to build upon Ukraine’s unique experience in strengthening energy resilience under wartime conditions.
14. We underline the strategic importance of the Black Sea region for European and global security. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, attacks on freedom of navigation, including attacks against merchant vessels and civilian ports, cyberattacks, foreign information manipulation and interference, targeting critical infrastructure, drone incursions and violations of sovereign airspace, and attempts to undermine democratic institutions have become common challenges for our region. We commit to strengthening air and maritime security, counter-drone capabilities, regional connectivity, protection of critical infrastructure, freedom and safety of navigation, energy resilience and coordinated responses to hybrid threats in accordance with international law, including UNCLOS.
15. We strongly condemn Russia’s illegal occupation and militarization of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), which continue to undermine nuclear safety and violate the IAEA’s Seven Indispensable Pillars of Nuclear Safety and Security and Five principles for ensuring nuclear safety and security at the ZNPP. We reiterate our demand that Russia immediately withdraw all military and other unauthorized personnel from the plant and return it under Ukraine’s control.
16. We strongly condemn the Russian Federation’s systematic use of hazardous chemicals against Ukraine in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. We reaffirm that ensuring full accountability in this regard remains a priority. We support the efforts within the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to investigate incidents involving hazardous chemicals and attributing responsibility for their use.
17. We reaffirm our readiness to contribute actively to Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction, humanitarian demining, environmental recovery and the restoration of affected communities, in close cooperation with international financial institutions, international organizations and the private sector. We recognize the important contribution that Ukrainian veterans will make to Ukraine’s long-term recovery and development.
18. We recognize that Russia’s war of aggression is accompanied by systematic hybrid activities targeting Ukraine and the countries of Southeast Europe. We commit to strengthening cooperation in countering cyber threats, foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), disinformation campaigns and other malicious activities aimed at undermining democratic institutions, public trust and regional stability, and European integration.
19. We acknowledge that the EU accession path creates new opportunities for our practical cooperation. We reaffirm our commitment to strengthening rule of law, human rights and democratic governance, regional cooperation, resilience, connectivity, and energy diversification to mitigate challenges as well as to contribute to lasting peace, stability, and prosperity in our region and across Europe.
20. We agree to continue regular political dialogue and coordination at all levels to further strengthen regional cooperation, and reaffirm that a secure, free, peaceful, and prosperous Europe is not possible without a secure, free, peaceful, and prosperous Ukraine, and remain committed to supporting it.
21. We have agreed to hold the next Summit in the Republic of Slovenia in 2027.