Maia Sandu’s remarks at the Ukraine–Southeast Europe Summit in Odesa

 

Dear friends,

It is a privilege to be with you today—here in Odesa, a city so dear to all Moldovans. 

You know, in the first days, weeks, and months of Russia’s brutal invasion, we would wake up each morning and check the news: does Odesa still stand? Because if it didn’t, it meant the Russian army was just an hour from our border. That fear was real. And so was our hope. 

Odesa held—and continues to hold—because of the bravery and resilience of Ukraine. We are eternally grateful for that. We root for you, for your strength, and for peace.

We stand with Ukraine because we are convinced that Ukraine is the cornerstone of European security. This war is not only about Ukraine. It is about the future of Europe. More than that, it is about global rule based order. 

We are doing a lot—but Russia has more – more weapons, more mobilization, more propaganda. If we want to restore peace in Europe—and we must—we need to match and exceed that.  

And while Russia wages a brutal war on Ukrainian soil, it attacks the rest of us with hybrid weapons—lies, manipulation, blackmail, infiltration of our political systems. It is subverting democracies, exploiting freedoms to bring to power those who will no longer stand with Ukraine. And if Ukraine falls, trust me, Russia will not stop in Moldova.

The current approach of supporting Ukraine—slow, fragmented, hesitant—is not enough. It never was. 

Russia mobilizes faster—and at greater scale. It has more resources, more capabilities, and fewer constraints. Ukraine gets less, and too late. We must turn that around.

Ukraine’s struggle is not someone else’s fight. It is our own. An independent, European Ukraine is not a charitable cause—it is in our vital interest. The costs of delay are rising. History has taught us—when aggressors are not stopped early, the cost of peace becomes unbearable.

We have to rise to the challenge like generations before us and emerge stronger. Alternative is to be crushed by a power hungry dictator who emboldens other dictators to follow in his footsteps and thus demolish the edifice of peace world wide. 

And as we increase our support to Ukraine, we must protect ourselves, our democracies. Moldova knows what hybrid war looks like—energy blackmail, paid protests, disinformation spread by priests, criminal groups masquerading as political parties. 

We are ready to share our experience and work with you all. That’s why we fully support the creation of the Center for Prevention of Hybrid Threats here in Odessa.

Economic resilience is part of our defense. We must cut Russia’s levers of coercion—stop illicit flows of money, strengthen energy cooperation, and build cyber defenses together. I recently visited Montenegro’s cyber security centre set up with assistance from France and Slovenia – we are learning from your experience to better protect ourselves. 

In Moldova, we are heading into the most consequential election in our history. It is not just about our future—it is a frontline in the battle for Europe. Russia wants a Moldova that turns away from Ukraine and the EU – worse, it wants to use Moldova against Ukraine and the EU. We can not let that happen.

Moldova contributes because we understand what is at stake. We know that Ukraine’s security is Moldova’s security. That’s why we have trained over 160 Ukrainian deminers. We are hosting over 100,000 refugees. 

We’ve facilitated grain transit to sustain Ukraine’s economy, and donated energy equipment to help restore your infrastructure. We are investing in roads, railways and bridges, so that one day they can support the reconstruction. And where our means may be modest— our voice must be loud.

We, the friends of Ukraine, must be Ukraine’s voice in the world. Where Ukraine does not have an embassy, let us speak for them. In every international forum, every bilateral meeting—remind the world: borders cannot be redrawn by force; atrocities are not normal; child abductions are war crimes. 

To leaders at this table, and those in European capitals and beyond, let us not be the generation that hesitated. Let us be the generation that stood firm, acted boldly, and protected peace. Together, we can defend Ukraine—and in doing so, defend our shared future in a united, democratic, and free Europe.

 

Thank you.