Zelensky seeks more war support from south-east Europe

Ukraine’s President is again seeking political and other support from a dozen countries in south-east Europe during a summit in Croatia – whose leader is not attending in a sign of the divided views on the war with Russia.

Volodymyr Zelensky is in Dubrovnik for the meeting with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and other leaders.

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic has criticised Western policies regarding the war as Croatia’s political leadership is split over support for Ukraine.

Mr Milanovic said Tuesday: “As long as I’m the President of Croatia, I will not sign for Croatian soldiers to be present in Ukraine,” asserting that “the Nato mission to train soldiers in Ukraine is nonsense”.

Mr Zelensky said on X that “we will discuss international efforts to bring peace closer … our joint response with partners to security challenges, as well as cooperation on the path to the European Union and Nato”.

Kyiv is still awaiting word from Western partners on its repeated requests to use the long-range weapons they provide to hit targets on Russian soil.

Some Balkan states have been providing Ukraine with short-range ammunition. At a previous summit with south-east European countries in February, Mr Zelensky pleaded for more to repel Russian advances.

In Dubrovnik, Mr Zelensky will sign an agreement with Croatia on further cooperation, particularly regarding humanitarian aid, demining and war crimes prosecution experience that Croatia has from its own 1991-95 war.

Besides Croatia, the summit is being attended by premiers, presidents or foreign ministers from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey.

Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic’s government is the only one in Europe that has not imposed sanctions on Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, although Mr Vucic has repeatedly said that Serbia respects Ukraine’s “territorial integrity”.

Summit participants are expected to pass a declaration condemning Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and supporting Mr Zelensky’s peace effort, Ukraine’s membership in Nato and its reconstruction after the war, Croatia’s state HRT television said.

Interior minister Davor Bozinovic said: “Respect of territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states is common for all states of south-east Europe as a basis for peace in Europe since the end of World War Two.”