(Tirana) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky insisted on Wednesday on the urgent delivery of arms and ammunition to his country in the face of Russia which is gaining ground on the front, during a summit in Albania of leaders of South-Eastern European states.
“We are experiencing problems with the supply of ammunition, which is affecting the situation on the battlefield,” Mr. Zelensky said, addressing these officials at the opening of the meeting.
The Ukrainian head of state stressed that his government wants to organize a “Ukrainian-Balkan defense industry forum”, as some of the region’s states have significant munitions manufacturing capabilities.
“We are proud to have around 500 defense companies operating in Ukraine in different fields. Each of them brings additional strength, but it is not enough to defeat (Russian President Vladimir) Putin,” he said.
At a press conference following the summit, Mr. Zelensky once again insisted on the urgency of supplying the Ukrainian troops, warning of further delays.
“Every pause in supplies, every doubt that the world is ready to defend itself, all of this inspires a person. All this inspires Putin,” he said. “We don’t have time and we have no other choice.”
Leaders from several Southeast European states, including the Western Balkans, attended this meeting in Albania, including Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, as well as Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani and Bosnian Prime Minister Borjana Kristo.
Serbia is one of the few European states that has not aligned itself with Western sanctions against Russia, but Mr. Vucic has met Mr. Zelensky several times on the sidelines of international conferences.
The key question of ammunition
The Ukrainian president arrived in the Albanian capital, Tirana, on Tuesday evening after visiting Saudi Arabia.
He has been traveling the planet in recent weeks to rally support for Ukraine, whose armed forces are facing a lack of ammunition and weapons in their fight against the advance of Russian soldiers.
After withdrawing around ten days ago from its fortress town of Avdiïvka (east), the Ukrainian army confirmed on Monday and Tuesday its withdrawal from three neighboring villages, Lastochkyné, Sieverné and Stepové, further west. .
Before attending the summit, Mr. Zelensky spoke with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, “an unwavering friend of Ukraine.” And he announced at the end of this meeting that the two parties planned to strengthen their defense cooperation.
“Since the first days of the massive invasion, Albania has supported Ukraine in its struggle for freedom and territorial integrity,” the Ukrainian head of state wrote on X.
“We discussed today Ukraine’s defense needs and the possible joint manufacturing of weapons,” he added.
This is Volodymyr Zelensky’s first trip to this Balkan country since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine in February 2022.
A member of NATO since 2009, Albania is a fervent supporter of Ukraine in the face of the Russian assault. During his trip to Albania in mid-February, American Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed Tirana’s support for Ukraine in this regard.
This trip by Mr. Zelensky to the Balkans comes at a time when President Joe Biden is trying to get the American Congress to release aid to Ukraine of 60 billion dollars (55 billion euros).
On the European continent, some EU countries are ready to join a Czech initiative to buy ammunition produced outside Europe and reship them to Kyiv.
The Czech authorities’ proposal was detailed at the recent security conference in Munich.
Along with other NATO partners, including Denmark and Canada, the Czech Republic has identified “half a million rounds of 155 caliber ammunition and 300,000 rounds of 122 caliber ammunition” that could be delivered to Ukraine “in a few weeks” if the necessary funding was gathered, Czech President Petr Pavel then explained.
reference: www.lapresse.ca