Europe must pool all its capabilities and coordinate its efforts to protect itself from threats and counter Russia's attempts to destabilize the situation in partner countries. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized this during the 5th Ukraine–Southeast Europe Summit, which was held in our country for the second time.
The summit brought together President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, President of Albania Bajram Begaj, President of Moldova Maia Sandu, President of Romania Nicușor Dan, President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, President of Greece Constantine Tassoulas (online), Prime Minister of Slovenia Janez Janša, Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenković, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for European Affairs of North Macedonia Bekim Sali, Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of Montenegro Filip Ivanović, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria Velislava Petrova-Chamova.
The Head of State thanked partners for their support of Ukraine and especially highlighted the close cooperation both on a bilateral level and within the Coalition of the Willing, as well as in other multilateral formats.
"You can all see what Ukraine and our people have already achieved. At the NATO Summit, by the way, in Türkiye, in Ankara, it was clearly recognized that Ukraine is a contributor to our shared security – the security of the Euro-Atlantic community, which we all belong in," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The President stressed that many countries are interested in security cooperation with Ukraine, and that our country is ready to help its partners strengthen security at sea, in the air, and on land, based on mutual benefit.
According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, European partners must strengthen their coordination, particularly to counter Russia's attempts to destabilize the situation in their countries.
"We can all see the political consequences that a cost-of-living crisis can have if we do not act effectively enough. Security, stability, and stronger ties with a wider range of partners are the way to protect people in every sense," the Head of State emphasized.
The President noted that Europe must also continue strengthening sanctions against Russia and deny it any opportunity to adapt to the pressure.
"The 21st sanctions package is now on the table. Please support this package. Do not allow Russia to bypass sanctions. We must focus especially on hitting Putin’s sources of money and Russia’s energy exports. Money is what drives Putin’s ambitions. Peace will come closer when pressure cuts Russian revenues off as much as possible," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
President of Albania Bajram Begaj emphasized that his country would continue supporting Ukraine in every possible way, including its path toward membership in the European Union.
"Albania has unequivocally condemned Russia's aggression from day one. We have imposed sanctions against Russia and have played a very active role in every international organization," he said.
President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić also reaffirmed Serbia's support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, its accession to the European Union, and expressed his country's readiness to provide humanitarian, financial, and energy assistance, as well as to participate in Ukraine's reconstruction.
"The current political circumstances have made it possible to open negotiations on the first cluster. We believe the process will now move much faster. We believe that countries that are ready to join the European Union should be able to do so. Ukraine is a large country, and it has worked hard over the past several years," Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković added.
President of Moldova Maia Sandu drew attention to the challenges her country faces as a result of Russia's hybrid warfare and stressed the need to counter those threats.
President of Romania Nicușor Dan noted that over the course of this war, Ukraine has developed advanced military technologies and that Romania is interested in cooperating in this area.
"Thanks to our partner relations with Ukraine and the trust between us, we would like to further develop these relations and strengthen the defense capabilities of our armed forces," he stressed.
Prime Minister of Slovenia Janez Janša also highlighted Ukraine's significant progress in defense and defense technology development. He expressed confidence that, with the continued assistance and support of its partners, Ukraine would be much better prepared for the coming winter.
First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for European Affairs of North Macedonia Bekim Sali said that his country is ready to share its experience with Ukraine on the path toward European Union membership. According to him, North Macedonia will continue to support Ukraine.
Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of Montenegro Filip Ivanović stressed that the European Union must demonstrate unity and keep its doors open to countries seeking membership. He also noted that Montenegro is ready to share its expertise with Ukraine on matters related to European integration.
Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Velislava Petrova-Chamova emphasized the importance of continuing support for Ukraine to help achieve peace and maintaining pressure on the Russian Federation to bring it to the negotiating table. She also noted that Bulgaria is interested in cooperating with Ukraine on drone production.
The Ukraine–Southeast Europe Summit was held for the fifth time this year. Previous summits took place in Athens, Tirana, Dubrovnik, and Odesa. The format was launched in 2023 to support Ukraine and coordinate a joint response to the consequences of Russia's aggression. The next Ukraine–Southeast Europe Summit will be hosted by Slovenia in 2027.
