TIRANA: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Balkan leaders in Albania on Wednesday, seeking to keep support and weapons flowing to Kyiv as Russia makes gains on the battlefield two years after attacking its neighbour.
Zelensky has been crisscrossing the globe in recent weeks to rally support for his beleaguered country, as Ukraine's armed forces face a critical shortage of ammunition and struggle to hold back Russia's military advances on the ground.
He arrived in Albania late on Tuesday and on Wednesday met in Tirana with several leaders from across the region during the "Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit" -- his first visit to the Balkan nation since Russia's attack in February 2022.
Following a sitdown with Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama, the Ukrainian president said the two sides were exploring further defence cooperation.
"Since the first days of the full-scale attack, Albania has supported Ukraine in our struggle for freedom and territorial integrity," Zelensky wrote on X.
"Today we also discussed Ukraine's defence needs and potential joint arms production," he added.
Zelensky has repeatedly pleaded with allies for more aid, warning that Ukrainian victory "depends" on the West boosting support.
Already massively outgunned, his country is fending off a renewed Russian offensive with dwindling ammunition that has had to be rationed.
EU allies are rallying to address that shortfall with a Czech-led plan to buy artillery from outside the bloc.
French President Emmanuel Macron meanwhile provoked backlash from fellow allies and a warning from the Kremlin this week when he raised the possibility of sending Western troops into Ukraine.
Meanwhile, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen called on Wednesday for profits from Russian assets frozen in the West to be used to fund military equipment for Ukraine.
Calls have been mounting to find ways to support Kyiv's war effort by tapping the bank accounts, investments and other assets frozen after Russia attacked its neighbour in 2022.
Simply confiscating the funds is not seen as an option but the EU is working on ways to use the profits they generate, which alone could represent billions of euros a year.
"It is time to start a conversation about using the windfall profits of frozen Russian assets to jointly purchase military equipment for Ukraine," von der Leyen said in a speech to the European Parliament. Kyiv says it desperately needs more military and financial assistance, with a fresh $60 billion US package stalled in Congress. — AFP
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