New president of Romania assures Zelenskyy of support for Ukraine
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the newly elected president of Romania, Nicusor Dan, at a meeting in Vilnius discussed areas of cooperation in the international diplomatic arena for the sake of peace in Europe, in particular the need to strengthen sanctions against Russia.
"We discussed diplomatic work to achieve peace in Ukraine and throughout Europe, the meeting in Istanbul, the need to strengthen sanctions against Russia in order to prevent Moscow from increasing its military production and continuing the war. Special attention was paid to the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague," Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram on Monday.
Zelenskyy noted that he had congratulated Dan on his victory in the presidential election.
The President of Ukraine thanked Dan "for the assurance that Ukraine can count on continued assistance from Romania, support for membership in the EU and NATO, and confirmation of the President's personal participation in the Ukraine-Southeast Europe summit, which will be held in Odesa."
"We are very grateful to your country, your people, and your government – since the very beginning of the war – for supporting our people, for offering shelter to our citizens, and for your military assistance. Thank you sincerely. And of course, we are deeply grateful for your support of our future EU membership," said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
It is noted that Zelenskyy informed Dan about the meeting in Istanbul. He emphasized that, unfortunately, its result did not lead to steps that would bring peace closer, but there is an agreement on the exchange of prisoners of war and the return of the bodies of the dead, which is very important for Ukraine.
"He also spoke about the technological experience that Ukraine gained during the fight against Russian aggression, and proposed to deepen cooperation in the defense sector. The President added that Ukraine is open to new projects in the fields of economy, infrastructure and reconstruction," the press service of the head of the Ukrainian state said.
It is also reported that the parties paid special attention to the NATO summit. The head of the Ukrainian state emphasized that Ukraine should be adequately represented in The Hague, which is why every vote and support of every country in this matter is important.
In turn, Dan wrote on the social network X following this meeting: "The Ukrainian people continue to show great courage in defending our shared values of freedom and democracy. A just and lasting peace can only be achieved through strength. Romania will continue to stand with Ukraine and further deepen our bilateral ties for the benefit of our peoples."