Zelensky arrives in Croatia for Ukraine-Southeast Europe summit

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Croatia to meet with Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, representatives of other countries in the region, and to participate in the third Ukraine-Southeast Europe summit.

He announced this on social media.

It is noted that the president plans to discuss with Prime Minister Plenković:

• Continuation of defense cooperation;
• Rehabilitation of Ukrainian soldiers wounded on the front line;
• Rebuilding of Ukraine.

The summit, in the format «Ukraine plus 12 countries,» will focus on international efforts to achieve peace and implement the Peace Formula, joint responses to security challenges with partners, and cooperation on the path to the European Union and NATO.

As a reminder, on 28 February, President Zelensky participated in the Western Balkans Summit in Tirana, Albania’s capital. In addition to the President of Ukraine and the Prime Minister of Albania, the meeting was attended by the leaders of Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. The discussions centered on cooperation and assistance to Ukraine.

Natalia Ishchenko, an international expert and editor of the Balkan Observer portal, spoke about this on Hromadske Radio.

«It should be noted that President Zelensky, together with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, co-organised this Ukraine-Southeast Europe summit. This format is particularly effective for the Balkans, as they are accustomed to regular summits where they gather to address pressing issues. There is a summit exclusively for the Western Balkans, as well as summits with neighboring countries and European integration summits—different formats for different needs.

It’s important to understand that this is not just a «talk,» but a genuine working meeting where the leaders personally negotiate and resolve specific issues quickly. That’s why this working format was adopted for the Ukraine-Southeast Europe summit. It involved a brief plenary session followed by numerous bilateral meetings,» said Ishchenko.

In addition to the general discussions, Zelensky held private conversations with the leaders. He addressed specific issues related to cooperation with Ukraine.