Albania, Montenegro & North Macedonia support Ukraine's EU bid; vow to rebuild Kyiv

Amid the relentless war in Ukraine and its desperate bid to join the European Union, leaders of Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia support, who were in Kyiv to take a closer look at Russia's brutal aggression, vowed their support for its EU membership application. After taking the "glimpse" of the war in Ukraine's national capital, Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama and Prime Minister of Montenegro Dritan Abazovic met with embattled President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday. According to the joint statement released by the three countries, they expressed displeasure over the Russian head's judgment to invade Ukraine with such a massive loss of civilians and soldiers battling since the onset of the war.

The meeting was also attended by North Macedonia PM Dimitar Kovacevski via video conference. As per the statement, he too expressed his support for Ukraine for EU membership. "This meeting of ours testifies to the support of the esteemed Prime Ministers and, consequently, the people of these states for Ukraine, our territorial integrity, sovereignty, our course for full membership in the European Union," Zelenskyy said during a conversation with media representatives following the negotiations in Kyiv. Zelenskyy noted that the meeting took place on the eve of historically important international events, the decisions of which, in particular on granting EU candidate status to Ukraine, determine the fate of the European project and Europe as a whole.

Albania, Montenegro & North Macedonia vow to rebuild Ukraine

"Our states - Ukraine, the Republic of Albania, Montenegro, and the Republic of North Macedonia - must become full members of the EU. And we agree that our countries are not competitors on this European path, they complement and strengthen each other's capabilities," he noted. Moreover, the Ukrainian President affirmed that the leaders of the three countries also voted their support to penalise the war crimes committed by the Russian troops. Meanwhile, Albania's PM, who visited Irpin and Borodyanka, expressed his support and solidarity with the Ukrainian people and offered his country's assistance in rebuilding houses in Irpin. Rama also assured support for Ukraine's aspirations to become a candidate for accession to the European Union. Besides, Montenegro's PM also noted that the three countries are ready to contribute to the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, in particular, by providing equipment and funding.

Image: President of Ukraine