– We're back here in our beautiful city in Odessa. This beautiful city is Russia's target. He wants to destruct it, just as it destroyed countless cities and villages in occupied territories," said Volodymyr Zelenski.
The president noted that Russian military plans are aimed at the region of South-East Europe. – In Odessa and then into borders with Moldova and Romania. Of course, we request protection now, but we request a longer-term warrant that it will never happen again," he stressed, referring to the Russian invasion that has been going on since 2022.
Zelenski warned that Europe could not afford to lose Ukraine or Moldova, as this would consequence in further expansion of Russia. He pointed out that the region of South-East Europe is 1 of Moscow's main objectives in terms of destabilising and sowing chaos.
Zelenski warns these countries about Russia
He recalled that Russia had previously tried to interfere in the Balkans, manipulate public opinion in Romania, and for decades kept Moldova in poorness and instability to be more easy subordinate.
– If Europe loses, if Europe loses in Moldova this year, it will encourage Russia to intervene even more in your countries, taking distant your resources, your sovereignty and even your history. That is why supporting European Moldova is an highly crucial task for all of us. And the same applies to Ukraine," said the president of Ukraine
Zelenski besides expressed his hope of beginning accession negotiations for Ukraine with the European Union this year. He noted that his state had fulfilled all the conditions. "Blocating advancement now is just wasting the time of Europe," he added. He besides stressed that Ukraine's membership of NATO would be the best warrant of its security.
During the Odessa summit, the president of Serbia, Alexandar Vuscić, declared his readiness to participate in the reconstruction of "one or 2 Ukrainian cities or regions", as a concrete expression of support for Ukraine.
