President Volodymyr Zelensky met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during the Ukraine-Balkans summit in Athens on August 22.
Zelensky said that it awaits a decision from EU member states on the opening of Ukraine’s accession negotiations to the EU at the end of 2023.
He also thanked von der Leyen for “her efforts to normalize Ukraine’s agricultural exports and transit,” following Russia’s unilateral decision to end the Black Sea Grain Initiative on July 17 and repeated strikes on Ukrainian territories port infrastructure.
Von der Leyen said that they “discussed Ukraine’s progress on the EU path”, and added that an additional 1.5 billion in EU financial aid to Ukraine had been disbursed.
Zelensky also met with the Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov in Athens, notably to discuss the security of the Black Sea and alternative grain corridors.
Denkov and his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who hosted the August summit, said earlier that the two countries were considering helping Ukraine ship its grain after Russia unilaterally ended the Grain Initiative. black Sea.
However, Bulgaria is among five EU countries that have pushed for the EU to ban the domestic sale of Ukrainian agricultural products. The ban, requested by Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia, is currently set at expire before September 15.
Face-to-face with Vucic
Another notable meeting The summit took place between Zelensky and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, where they had an “open, honest and fruitful” conversation on topics such as “the inviolability of borders.”
Serbian-Ukrainian relations have been complicated by Belgrade’s friendly attitude towards Russia, with Serbia refusing to join sanctions against Moscow.
At the same time, Vucic called Ukraine a “friendly country” and had previously asserted that Crimea and Donbass are sovereign Ukrainian territories.
Before the meeting, the Serbian president said he would talk with Zelensky “about everything that happened recently in Kosovo.”
Read also: Zelensky meets Serbian president at Ukraine-Balkans summit
In May, dozens of NATO peacekeepers were injured when violence erupted in northern Kosovo following the election of ethnic Albanian mayors in majority-Serb areas. Serbs boycotted the elections, leading to low turnout.
Kosovo has accused Serbia of instigating the boycott and the violence that followed.
Serbia has not recognized the independence of Kosovo, which broke away from Serbia following a war in 1998-99 and officially declared independence in 2008.
While the United States and most EU member states support Kosovo’s independence, Ukraine has not yet officially recognized its independence. On August 8, this Vucic said that “if Ukraine recognizes the independence of Kosovo, it will lose everything in one day.”
Zelensky did not meet Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, who was also at the summit.
Ensuring support
The export of Ukrainian grain was also discussed between Zelensky and Moldovan President Maia Sandu.
On August 18, Sandu said that Moldova works with partners to help Ukraine export its grain while taking into account the interests of Moldovan farmers.
Sandu admitted in an interview with the Romanian-language service of the French public channel RFI that Moldova’s current infrastructure is not sufficiently developed even for the needs of domestic farmers, and Ukrainian exports put it even more under severe strain.
In Athens, discussions also focused on European integration and “common challenges on the path” for both countries, as well as Russia’s hybrid influence and aggression.
On July 26, Moldova asked 45 Russian diplomats and embassy staff to leave the country after media investigations revealed that the Russian embassy in Chisinau had 28 “spy antennas” installed on its premises. rooftops. The antennas were probably used to intercept signals and gather intelligence.
Zelensky also discussed mine clearance in Croatia with the Croatian Prime Minister. Andrej Plenkovic and “thanked Croatia for its practical assistance and leadership in demining Ukrainian territories”, as well as for its defense support.
Croatia announcement on July 31, it announced that it had allocated one million euros ($1.1 million) for mine clearance on Ukrainian agricultural lands.
According to Zelensky, Croatia further “confirmed its willingness to provide ports on the Danube and the Adriatic Sea for the transportation of Ukrainian grain.”
In July, Croatia Free its railway network and ports on the Adriatic Sea as an alternative export route.
Summit declaration
Other summit participants included Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic, North Macedonian Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski, Romanian Prime Minister Ion-Marcel Ciolacu, President of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Borjana Kristo and President of the European Council Charles Michael.
The participants expressed the Athens Summit Declaration on August 21, who expressed “his unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence.”
The statement referred to the Thessaloniki Summit, held twenty years ago, which recognized the Western Balkans’ membership of the European Union.
The war against Ukraine showed “the urgent need for a strong, resilient and inclusive EU as a cornerstone of peace and prosperity between our peoples”, the statement said.
Zelensky arrived in Athens on August 21 after visits to Sweden, the Netherlandsand Denmark.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on August 20 that the Netherlands and Denmark would provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets once the conditions for the transfer were met.
“Today we can announce that the Netherlands and Denmark are committed to transferring F-16 aircraft to Ukraine and the Ukrainian Air Force,” he said during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a military air base in Eindhoven.
Rutte added that he wanted the training of the F-16 jets and their delivery to Ukraine to take place as quickly as possible.
Read also: Dutch PM: Netherlands, Denmark to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets
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