DUBROVNIK: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday called on the European Union to “unite the whole continent” as he pushes for more military aid to repel Russian forces. But a key meeting with international allies planned for Saturday was postponed after US President Joe Biden called off a planned European visit to focus on the threat from Hurricane Milton to Florida.

The EU must “unite the whole continent, all of Europe’s democratic nations including your countries”, Zelensky told the start of the summit in Dubrovnik.

“If Europe is not united today it won’t be peaceful, so that integration processes that have begun must reach their result,” he said pleading the case for his country and several Balkan states to be allowed into the bloc.

Heads of state, premiers and foreign ministers from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkiye joined Zelensky and Croatia’s Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic at the talks. Only Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Romania and Slovenia are EU members.

Zelensky said earlier the summit “will discuss international efforts to bring peace closer... as well as cooperation on the path to the European Union and Nato.” The Ukrainian leader has stepped up efforts to rally international backing amid doubts about future US support after the November presidential election.

Zelensky said talks with Plenkovic focused on defence cooperation, demining, rehabilitation of wounded children and soldiers as well as Ukraine’s recovery and European integration.

“Together, we will develop cooperation between our defence industries,” he said on X. The two leaders signed a cooperation agreement.

At the opening of the summit Plenkovic stressed that “supporting Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression is not only a matter of solidarity ... it also represents a crucial geopolitical and security interest for us all”.

Zelensky says his country needs more aid to counter Russia’s advantage in manpower and ammunition. Russia has made several battlefield advances in recent months. He also wants clearance to use long-range weapons supplied by allies, including the United States, to strike military targets deep inside Russia.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2024