President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during the Bucharest Nine summit in Romania that Russia could once again return to ultimatums toward NATO if it gets another chance. He also called on Europe to strengthen joint defense capabilities and support for Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy made the remarks during his speech at the Bucharest Nine summit attended by Northern European countries.
According to the president, even before the full-scale invasion Russia demanded that NATO return to its 1997 borders.
“In other words, they demanded abandoning all of you, all of us. It was a foolish and absolutely unacceptable Russian ultimatum. But they will definitely return to it if they get another chance,” Zelenskyy said.
The president stressed that Europe’s common task is to ensure that Russian leadership can never again issue ultimatums to its neighbors or launch wars without consequences.
Zelenskyy also said Ukraine expects the European support package worth €90 billion to begin operating no later than early June. According to him, part of the funding should go directly to drone production.
The president separately called on Europe to develop joint defense capabilities and avoid dependence on “shifting geopolitical moods.”
“Europe cannot depend on changing geopolitical moods. We must unite as much as possible and develop our resources, capabilities, and production in Europe,” he said.
Zelenskyy also proposed expanding bilateral “Drone Deals” between European countries and Ukraine to integrate defense technologies and apply Ukraine’s real wartime expertise.
In addition, the president emphasized the importance of sanctions pressure on Russia and urged partners to join the anti-ballistic coalition aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s defense.
