Zelenskyy Attends NB8 Summit in Estonia; Europe Reaffirms Support for Ukraine Against Russia

(Central News Agency, Special Dispatch from Vilnius, Reporter Yao-Ju You, 9th) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, on the 9th to attend the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) cooperation summit. The participating countries reaffirmed their continued support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia and emphasized Ukraine's increasingly vital role in the European defense system.

The NB8 is a regional cooperation framework consisting of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, aimed at promoting coordination and cooperation in political, security, and economic fields.

This NB8 summit was hosted by the rotating presidency holder, Estonia, with all eight prime ministers in attendance. They discussed regional security, military cooperation, and support for Ukraine together with President Zelenskyy.

According to a report by the Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR), at the joint press conference following the summit, the countries agreed that Ukraine's role in the European security architecture is becoming increasingly important.

According to the report, President Zelenskyy stated that Europe would find it difficult to defend itself without Ukraine and emphasized that Ukraine should become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). He also proposed three priorities: improving diplomatic efficiency, ensuring Ukraine's air defense capabilities and deepening cooperation, and advancing Ukraine's EU accession negotiations.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said that the nature of cooperation between Europe and Ukraine is changing, becoming more bidirectional because Ukraine has much to share and offer. He noted that Ukraine likely has the strongest army in Europe and is very capable in terms of innovation, ready to continue developing.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated that just as Ukraine needs Europe, Europe also needs Ukraine. She pointed out that without Ukraine, Europe cannot effectively rearm, adding, "Our support for Ukraine is not charity; it is self-defense."

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo noted that Ukraine's survival is crucial for European security and stated that the Ukrainian military's capabilities have significantly improved, enabling it to strike important targets deep within Russian territory.

According to the report, the meeting also discussed the issue of Ukrainian drones that recently had their navigation jammed by Russia and strayed into the airspace of Baltic countries and Finland. President Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine could send experts to partner countries under an agreement to help address the drone threat. (Editor: Sheng-Yang Tang) 1150610