Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stressed the importance of European unity as he took part in a summit in Croatia with Balkan leaders on October 9.
If Europe is not united, it cannot expect peace, Zelenskiy said, speaking in Dubrovnik at the start of the third Ukraine-Southeast Europe summit.
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"Even though there is much political tension we must ensure that our unity in Europe remains as stable as possible," he added.
“No one in Europe needs to be reminded how precious peace is, especially here in the Balkans. What happens in the Balkans and what happens here in Ukraine in a way determines the stability of the whole of Europe.”
He also thanked Balkan leaders for their support “and for standing up against Russia's efforts to destabilize this region as well."
The leaders of 12 countries -- Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, and Turkey -- joined Zelenskiy and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic for the summit.
Five of the countries whose leaders are participating in the event -- Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Romania, and Slovenia -- are EU members; the other nations are on different stages of their paths toward joining the bloc.
Zelenskiy said earlier that there is a chance to “move things toward peace and lasting stability” between now and the end of the year.
“The situation on the battlefield creates an opportunity to make this choice -- choice for decisive action to end the war no later than in 2025," he told the summit.
But a key meeting with international allies planned for October 12 has been postponed. U.S. President Joe Biden called off his scheduled visit to Germany as millions were warned to leave their homes in Florida because of Hurricane Milton.
A high-level meeting of the Ramstein group of Ukraine arms donors was subsequently canceled after Biden scrapped his trip. The Ramstein group, also known as the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, was due to convene during Biden's planned October 10-13 visit.
While a new date for the meeting of the Ramstein group is being sought, the Ukrainian president said he would hold talks later this week with the leaders of Britain, France, Italy, and Germany in each of the countries.
Zelenskiy's press service said he would start negotiations "with key partners on whom the military component of our strengthening depends."
Zelenskiy called on the summit's participants to get involved in the peace process, noting that his peace plan contains conditions which "need to be met for a just end to the war."
Plenkovic said investing in defense and showing solidarity with Ukraine were key geopolitical interests for everyone.
By helping Ukraine "we are investing in the future for our children in all of Europe," he said. "Not condemning Russia in this attack on Ukraine would encourage other regimes to do similar or the same thing. In Southeast Europe, we must not allow this to happen."
Prior to the start of the summit Zelenskiy and Plenkovic signed a 10-year bilateral agreement on cooperation and Croatia's support to Ukraine after their meeting.
The agreement is focused on Croatia's experience in prosecuting war crimes, supporting war veterans, demining, and the process of joining the European Union, Plenkovic said on X.
Zelenskiy said participants in the summit would also discuss the implementation of Ukraine's peace plan and the country's integration into the European Union and the NATO military alliance.
Summit participants passed a declaration condemning Russia's aggression against Ukraine and supporting Zelenskiy's peace efforts, Ukraine's membership in NATO, and its reconstruction after the war.
The declaration emphasized the importance of Ukraine's energy security. It also says that the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant must be returned to Ukrainian control and function in accordance with the principles of the International Atomic Energy Agency.