Joint Declaration of Ukraine – South-East Europe Summit

 KYIV DECLARATION

We, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of the Republic of Albania, Bajram Begaj, the President of the Hellenic Republic, Constantine Tassoulas, the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, the President of Romania, Nicușor Dan, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Andrej Plenković, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Janez Janša, the First Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia and Minister for European Affairs, Bekim Sali, the Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Montenegro, Filip Ivanović, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria, Velislava Petrova-Chamova, gathered in Kyiv on 15 July 2026, on the occasion of the fifth Ukraine – South-East Europe Summit, in the presence of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

Building on the results of our previous meetings in Athens, Tirana, Dubrovnik and Odesa, we reaffirm that the Ukraine – South-East Europe Summit is an important framework for political dialogue, regional cooperation and common security.

The meeting in Kyiv, held on Ukraine’s Statehood Day, has a special symbolic significance, reaffirming more than a thousand years of continuity of Ukrainian statehood.

Recognizing the interdependence between the security of Ukraine, the Black Sea region and South-East Europe, we adopt this Declaration.

1. We remain united in the conviction that there can be no lasting peace, security, stability and prosperity in Europe without a sovereign and independent Ukraine. We value the resilience, strength and courage of the Ukrainian people in their struggle for their national identity, their future and their freedom in the face of Russian aggression since 2014, and we reaffirm our firm commitment to continue providing Ukraine with comprehensive support. These joint efforts are essential for shaping Europe’s future.

2. We reiterate our strong condemnation of Russia’s illegal, unprovoked and unjustified armed aggression against Ukraine and call on Russia to immediately end the war. This grave violation of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations, represents a serious threat to peace and stability in Europe. We strongly condemn any political, military, technical, financial or other support provided by third states to Russia’s war effort and call for its immediate cessation.

3. We firmly condemn the intensification of massive and repeated Russian attacks on Kyiv and other localities in Ukraine, in flagrant violation of international law. We extend our deepest condolences to the families of all victims. Deliberate attacks against the civilian population and critical infrastructure constitute war crimes. We call on Russia to cease missile and drone strikes against Ukraine’s peaceful cities, which have caused numerous civilian casualties and widespread destruction of critical infrastructure, including in the energy, water supply and sewerage sectors. These deliberate actions, aimed at provoking a humanitarian catastrophe, escalate the conflict and undermine ongoing peace efforts.

4. We reiterate that strengthening Ukraine’s air defense capabilities remains a priority, in particular through systems and interceptors capable of countering ballistic missiles. We support the mobilization of financial resources and international mechanisms necessary for this purpose, recognizing that stronger air defense saves lives and protects critical infrastructure.

5. We reaffirm our unwavering support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, including its territorial sea. These universal principles are the foundation of peace, security, stability and prosperity in Europe. We underline our policy of non-recognition of any illegal attempt to alter these borders and reaffirm Ukraine’s inherent right to self-defense, in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. We stress that the full, unconditional and verifiable withdrawal of all Russian military forces and equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine remains an indispensable condition for achieving a lasting peace. No decisions regarding Ukraine can be taken without Ukraine.

6. We remain united in our solidarity with Ukraine and determined, together with our partners, to contribute to the restoration of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace, based on international law. We welcome Ukraine’s firm commitment to peace and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s call for negotiations to end the war. We appreciate the efforts of our partners and allies to facilitate the settlement of the conflict and call on Russia to respond by accepting a full and comprehensive ceasefire.

7. We recognize the important work of the Coalition of Willing as an effective mechanism for supporting Ukraine, including by providing strong and legally binding security guarantees, and express our readiness to strengthen our participation in its activities.

8. We welcome the recent opening of two clusters of negotiation chapters with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova and support the opening, as soon as possible, of the remaining clusters of chapters, on the basis of the principle of own merits. We welcome the progress made by our partners in South-East Europe in the accession process and recognize that these developments mutually reinforce one another and give new momentum to the European Union’s enlargement process. The future membership of the Western Balkans partners, as well as of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, in the European Union represents a strategic investment in Europe’s long-term stability, security and prosperity. Building on mutual support within a merit-based accession process, we reaffirm our determination to intensify our joint efforts to ensure continuous and sustainable progress for all candidate states on their individual paths towards EU membership. To capitalize on the new momentum of the enlargement process, the partners reaffirm their commitment to continue the necessary reforms and to decisively fulfil the accession criteria, including through full alignment with the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy.

9. Ukraine’s security is also our security. Ukraine contributes to transatlantic security, and we remain united in our strong support for the defense of its freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as also envisaged in the NATO Ankara Summit Declaration. We reaffirm our support for Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations on its irreversible path towards future NATO membership, when Allies so agree and conditions are met, as well as for its sovereign right to choose its own security arrangements and to decide its own future. We recognize that the development of Ukraine’s defense capabilities strengthens Euro-Atlantic security and underline the importance of expanding defense cooperation to support Ukraine’s long-term security and resilience.

10. We strongly condemn all violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law committed in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. We call for the immediate return of all Ukrainian citizens who have been illegally deported or forcibly transferred, in particular Ukrainian children, as well as for the release of all civilians and prisoners of war who are being unlawfully detained.

11. We reaffirm that the crime of aggression cannot go unpunished. We support international efforts aimed at ensuring accountability for crimes committed against Ukraine, including through the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. We welcome those states that have already joined the Enlarged Partial Agreement establishing the Management Committee of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. We, the other participants, express our intention to consider joining this Agreement, at an appropriate time, and to contribute to this important endeavor.

12. We call for increased pressure through sanctions on Russia and its war economy, effective implementation of these sanctions, the fight against the shadow fleet used by Russia, as well as strengthened international cooperation to prevent sanctions evasion, counter cyber threats and other hybrid activities that undermine European security.

13. We strongly condemn Russia’s ongoing attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and reaffirm our commitment to strengthening regional energy security by enhancing cooperation, diversifying supply routes, developing interconnectivity and supporting the restoration and modernization of Ukraine’s energy system, including through the Ukraine Energy Support Fund. We encourage partners to draw on Ukraine’s unique experience in strengthening energy resilience under wartime conditions.

14. We underline the strategic importance of the Black Sea region for European and global security. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, attacks on freedom of navigation, including against commercial vessels and civilian ports, cyberattacks, information manipulation and foreign interference, attacks against critical infrastructure, drone incursions, violations of sovereign airspace and attempts to undermine democratic institutions have become common challenges for our region. We commit to strengthening air and maritime security, counter-drone capabilities, regional connectivity, protection of critical infrastructure, freedom and safety of navigation, energy resilience and coordinated responses to hybrid threats, in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

15. We strongly condemn Russia’s illegal occupation and militarization of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which continues to undermine nuclear security and to violate the Seven Indispensable Pillars of Nuclear Safety and Security and the Five Principles to Ensure Nuclear Safety and Security at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, as set out at the level of the International Atomic Energy Agency. We reiterate our call on Russia to immediately withdraw all military personnel and any other unauthorized personnel from the plant’s premises and to return control of the plant to Ukraine.

16. We strongly condemn Russia’s systematic use of hazardous chemicals against Ukraine, in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. We reaffirm that ensuring full accountability for these actions remains a priority. We support the efforts undertaken within the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to investigate incidents involving the use of hazardous chemicals and to attribute responsibility for their use.

17. We reaffirm our readiness to actively contribute to Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction, to humanitarian demining, environmental remediation and the rebuilding of affected communities, in close cooperation with international financial institutions, international organizations and the private sector. We recognize the important contribution that Ukrainian veterans will make to Ukraine’s recovery and long-term development.

18. We recognize that the Russian Federation’s war of aggression is accompanied by systematic hybrid activities directed against Ukraine and the states of South-East Europe. We commit to strengthening cooperation in countering cyber threats, foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), disinformation campaigns and other hostile activities aimed at undermining democratic institutions, public trust, regional stability and the process of European integration.

19. We recognize that the path towards European Union membership creates new opportunities to deepen our practical cooperation. We reaffirm our commitment to strengthening the rule of law, respect for human rights and democratic governance, regional cooperation, resilience, connectivity and diversification of energy sources, in order to address current challenges and to contribute to lasting peace, stability and prosperity in our region and throughout Europe.

20. We agree to continue political dialogue and regular coordination at all levels, with a view to strengthening regional cooperation, and reaffirm that a secure, free, peaceful and prosperous Europe is not possible without a secure, free, peaceful and prosperous Ukraine. We remain fully committed to supporting this objective.