Plenković and Zelenski: ‘Ukraine wants a just peace, it doesn’t matter if Putin agrees’

“I think that Croatia’s experience also shows that weakness enables aggression, and strength weakens aggression and stops it,” Plenkovi said. at the press conference held together with Zelenski after the summit that brought together high officials of 14 countries of the region.

“That’s the whole point of this great effort, which is unprecedented. I can’t even come close to recalling such a large, powerful military support for a country, as it was given to Ukraine precisely so that it would be strong and able to establish , maybe not completely, but at least in some parts of the balance of power,” said the Croatian Prime Minister, adding that “if you enter negotiations weak, then the results will be weak, and if you enter negotiations strong , then ćand the results will be good”.

He also warned that it is crucial that the final peace agreement does not include territorial concessions to the detriment of Ukraine. “We have to be principled here. Concessions in the sense of territorial losses is the worst possible message to international law and international relations today. Giving up territory to someone means giving a huge green light to any stronger actor with expansionist ambitions, to make a similar aggression anywhere in the world,” Plenkovi emphasized.

At the summit, the Dubrovnik Declaration was accepted, in which the strong support of the countries of Southeast Europe for Ukraine was expressed. Zelenski expressed his satisfaction because all the countries mentioned showed their support, pointing out that this is “a message from all the countries that stand for a just peace and not for freezing the situation”.

Speaking about his peace plan, which was supposed to be presented to NATO partners at the US military base Ramstein in Germany, at a meeting postponed due to the non-arrival of US President Joe Biden, who gave up the trip due to the threat of Hurricane Milton, Zelenski emphasized that this plan has nothing to do with Russia and Vladimir Putin.

“It is a plan to strengthen Ukraine politically and on the front line, together with our allies. This plan does not depend on Putin, but only on our partners.” He emphasized that his peace plan would be a kind of “bridge” to the future peace summit. “Ukraine wants a just peace and it doesn’t matter if Putin agrees with that. It is important to strengthen Ukraine so that it has a better position at the future peace summit.”

Answering a journalist’s question, Zelensky said that the weaknesses of some NATO allies could encourage Russian President Putin to continue the war. “He is not interested in his people, he is only interested in power.” Regarding Ukraine’s membership in NATO, he pointed out that there is no reason for Ukrainian partners to be skeptical. “They may be skeptical now, but they won’t be skeptical when Ukraine strengthens. Now we don’t have membership in NATO, and if we did we wouldn’t be at war.”

“Southeast Europe gives strong support to Ukraine”

Nappiesć emphasized that the Dubrovnik declaration summarizes the strong political will of the countries of this part of Europe, “each of which in its own way supports Ukraine”. “I am sure that this summit will contribute to strengthening the region’s support for Ukraine,” Plenkovi added.

Although it was previously announced that Serbia would be represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić nevertheless came to the meeting in Dubrovnik.

Before the joint press conference of Plenkovic and Zelenski, he gave a statement to the media in which he emphasized that Serbia managed to change several important points of the Dubrovnik declaration, among other things, that it does not say that the signatory countries commit to more ; are encouraged to harmonize with EU measures. “We support the territorial integrity of Ukraine in accordance with the UN Charter, which is not the case with the numerous countries that were present here, but at the same time we will remain without the introduction of sanctions against the Russian Federation because this is the policy pursued by the Republic of Serbia.” said Vučić alluding to the case of Kosovo’s independence.

On the eve of the Plenkov summit and Zelenski held a bilateral meeting, and signed the Agreement on long-term cooperation and support between Croatia and Ukraine, which formalizes more there is cooperation between the two countries.

The summit in Dubrovnik is the third summit meeting in this format, after the first was held in August 2022 in Athens, and the second in February 2024 in Tirana.

Numerous bilateral meetings of delegations were held on the sidelines of the meeting in Dubrovnik.

In addition to Plenkovic and Zelenski, the President of Slovenia Nataša Pirc Musar, President of Serbia Vučić, President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani, President of Montenegro Jakov Milatović, Greek Prime Minister Kiriakos Micotakis, Bulgarian Prime Minister Dimitar Glavčev, Albanian Prime Minister took part in the summit. Edi Rama, the chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of BiH Borjana Krišto, the Prime Minister of North Macedonia Hristijan Mickoski, and the foreign ministers of Moldova, Turkey and Romania, Mihai Popsoi, Hakan Fidan and Luminita Odobescu.