President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tried to drum up Balkan support for his vision of peace in Ukraine and promoted the idea of joint arms production at a two-day summit of southeastern European countries on Wednesday.
“We are interested in co-production with you and all our partners,” Zelenskyy told top delegations from Albania, Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Bosnia, Montenegro, Croatia, and Moldova in his opening remarks at the summit.
“There are about 500 defense companies operating in Ukraine, each of them adds strength but it is not enough to win [against Russian despot Vladimir] Putin. We see the problems with the supply of ammunition, which affects the situation on the battlefield,” he said.
Zelenskyy proposed organizing a Ukrainian-Balkans defense forum in Kyiv or a Balkan capital to nurture arms cooperation, repeating similar initiatives conducted last year with British and U.S. weapons companies.
Albania, North Macedonia, and Montenegro are NATO members, have joined Western sanctions against Russia, and sent arms and equipment to Ukraine. There are significant arms industries in parts of the Balkans, especially Serbia and Croatia, a legacy of former federal Yugoslavia.Ukraine appreciates every kind of assistance we have received in this terrible time of full-scale war.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 28, 2024
I am grateful to Albania for signing the Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation and thank all the leaders for agreeing to participate in the Global Peace Summit.
The… pic.twitter.com/F2sVDU5u1M
Longtime Moscow ally Serbia has not imposed sanctions, and neither Belgrade nor Kyiv recognizes the independence of Kosovo, Serbia’s former predominantly Albanian southern province which backs Ukraine and is seeking European Union and NATO membership.
Zelenskyy said he had invited all Balkan region leaders to take part in a summit of partners and allies in Switzerland this spring that would discuss his vision of peace, which entails a Russian military withdrawal from all of Ukrainian territory.
Agreement on Friendship and Cooperation
Zelenskyy said he met Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama for talks and that the two leaders had signed an Agreement on Friendship and Cooperation between Ukraine and Albania.
“This document will contribute to the development of cooperation and strengthening of Ukraine’s position in the Balkan region,” Zelenskyy wrote on the Telegram messenger.
His chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said: “They also spoke about Ukraine’s defense needs and the possibility of joint weapons production.”Since the first days of the full-scale invasion, Albania has supported Ukraine in our struggle for freedom and territorial integrity.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 28, 2024
During the meeting with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama @ediramaal we signed the Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation between Ukraine and… pic.twitter.com/fFkSqhpSPu
Zelenskyy told a news conference later that every time weapons supplies to Ukraine were delayed it was a “gift” to Russia’s Putin, an apparent allusion to the months-long impasse in the U.S. Congress over providing more assistance for Kyiv.
Zelenskyy, who was in Saudi Arabia for talks on Tuesday, is due to meet the leaders of Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Bosnia, and Montenegro at the summit.
“A pivotal moment for fostering bilateral ties, and standing in solidarity with Ukraine in its heroic fight against Russia’s aggression,” Albanian Foreign Minister Igli Hasani wrote on the social media platform X shortly after Zelenskyy’s arrival.
