Zelenskyy, Iohannis sign joint declaration of support for Ukraine's accession to NATO 

On June 1, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy is taking part in the summit of the European Political Community (EaPc) hosted by the Republic of Moldova. Presidents of Moldova and Ukraine have already given their first press conference.  Zelenskyy also met with Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic and Romania’s Klaus Iohannis

On Telegram, Zelenskyy announced a meeting with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.

“Together with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, we signed a Declaration on Romania's support for Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration. This is an important step on the eve of the July NATO summit in Vilnius,” Zelenskyy said.

He also added that the parties discussed further steps to be taken to provide assistance from Romania to counter Russian aggression and bilateral cooperation. Special attention was paid to the implementation of the peace formula.

The Serbian president himself posted about the conversation on the sidelines of the summit in Moldova on his Facebook page. He said the conversation was “short and good.” It was also attended by the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel. 

Newsmaker wrote about the press conference between Zelenskyy and Sandu.

When asked by journalists when, in his opinion, the war would end, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that it would happen when Ukraine defeats Russia.

"The sooner Russia leaves the occupied territories, the sooner we can stop the war," Zelenskyy said.

He also emphasized that Ukraine is ready to join NATO, but it is waiting for NATO to be ready to accept Ukraine as a member.

"Security guarantees are important not only for Ukraine, but also for our neighbors - for Moldova because of Russia's aggression," Zelenskyy said.

The president said he was happy to be in Moldova. He also emphasized that coming to Moldova was not an easy task.

According to the president, this visit is a message from all Ukrainians that the country supports the Moldovan people and is always ready to go side by side with them.

Zelenskyy also thanked the Moldovans for accepting Ukrainian refugees.

According to the press service of the President's Office, Zelenskyy plans to discuss the Aviation Coalition and the Patriot Coalition with partners today. 

"These are our new initiatives. We really need this," the leader said.

In addition, according to Zelenskyy, they plan to discuss the Ukrainian formula for peace. The President added that Ukraine is initiating a summit on the subject.

For her part, Moldovan President Maia Sandu said that Moldova supports Ukraine in the war and also supports the initiative to establish an international tribunal for war criminals. She said that they would discuss important issues during the meeting, including support for Ukraine as it confronts Russian aggression.

According to the President, the main topics will include the bilateral agenda, joint infrastructure projects, the “Solidarity Lanes”, and the European future of the two countries.

"Today, Ukraine ensures the security of Moldova, and we are very grateful for this. Moldova respects the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. Moldova also supports the Peace Formula proposed by President Zelenskyy. And, of course, we support the establishment of a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine," said Maia Sandu.

Earlier, President Zelenskyy announced his visit on  Telegram.

"Today we are working in Moldova. Participation in the summit of the European Political Community. Many bilateral meetings. We are developing a coalition of fighter jets and proposing a Patriot coalition. EU, NATO, peace formula. Everything to protect our future," the president said.

Zelenskyy's personal participation in the summit was not officially confirmed until the last minute for security reasons. The Moldovan Interior Ministry stated that information about Zelenskyy's participation should be classified due to the immediate security of the Ukrainian president.

Reference: The European Political Community is a pan-European governmental forum established last year after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and is a platform that brings together European leaders to discuss and find solutions to Europe's most pressing challenges, such as security, stability and energy sustainability.

Summit of the European Political Community

It takes place on June 1 at the Mimi Castle in the village of Bulboaca, about 35 kilometers from Chisinau, Moldova. The summit will bring together 50 presidents, prime ministers, and senior European officials.

In particular, the President of the European Council Charles Michel, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will participate.