Overview

• The fourth Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit convened in Odesa on June 11 under President Zelensky’s chairmanship to address intensifying Russian threats to the region.
• Zelensky warned that Russia treats Ukraine as a resource springboard and pressed for expanded air defense and drone support to protect civilian areas and impose higher costs on Kremlin forces.
• Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov spotlighted Moscow’s hybrid warfare tactics, citing past meddling in Balkan ethnic tensions and ongoing disinformation campaigns.
• Delegates highlighted the conflict’s economic toll on Southeast Europe, including disrupted energy markets, rising inflation and declining trade, as evidence of Moscow’s wider pressure.
• Zelensky urged partners to sustain military pressure and compel Russia into political negotiations aimed at securing peace through non-military means.