BUKOVEL, September 18 — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hosted the inaugural “Carpathian Eight” regional summit on Friday in the western Ukrainian ski resort of Bukovel, bringing together the leaders and representatives of Romania, Serbia, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary, according to DW reporting by Jenipher Camino Gonzalez with AFP, Reuters and AP. The European Union was also involved in the talks.
The summit was convened amid increasing concern over Russia ramping up hybrid threats — sabotage, cyberattacks, disinformation and potential drone incursions into NATO territory — and as overnight Russian strikes in multiple regions of Ukraine sparked fires and caused several deaths and injuries.
A bloc of uneven commitments
The grouping is notable for what it holds together. It brought nations such as Poland and Romania, described as staunch supporters of Ukraine, alongside others such as Hungary, Serbia and Slovakia, which have refused to provide Kyiv with direct military assistance.
In a post on Telegram, Zelenskyy called the summit a “significant beginning” of a movement intended to “further strengthen ties between our countries and create another strong element of cooperation at the EU level.” He said the participating nations pledged to work together on security, energy, logistics, cross-border economic ties and support for local communities. “The Carpathian macro-region has become one of the most reliable foundations of our defense,” Zelenskyy wrote.
“This is about strength that exists and will continue to exist.”
Money and missiles
Zelenskyy said nearly 550 business representatives were expected to attend the forum and that investment and trade agreements worth €1 billion (about US$1.15 billion) would be signed. “It’s a good start: energy, logistics, infrastructure and cross-sector agreements,” he told Ukrainian TV. As the summit kicked off, Zelenskyy announced in a Telegram post that Ukraine had secured €3.3 billion (about US$3.8 billion) from an EU financial support package to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities, including funds for the purchase of missiles and drones.
During the summit, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that Poland had joined an anti-ballistic missile coalition with Ukraine and other allies. “From today, Poland is part of this major project … we agreed on the forms and frameworks of this cooperation,” Tusk said in a video posted on X.
The air-defense coalition was created in July between Ukraine and nine other European countries and would include the joint development of a new anti-ballistic missile system intended as an alternative and cheaper solution to the US Patriot system. Tusk also announced that Poland had prepared a new “significant” aid package for Ukraine without giving further detail. “I will be very consistent here.
No one will change my opinion that Poland has to support Ukraine in its war against Russian aggression,” he said. “History cannot divide us vis-a-vis Russia today.” Zelenskyy thanked Poland for the new aid package, writing on Telegram: “Ukraine and Poland are strong neighbors, friends, and partners, and we have one common enemy.” The record shows a region hedging in two directions at once — deeper security integration with Kyiv on one side, and continued reluctance from several Carpathian states to arm it on the other.
Whether the format can convert declarations into deliveries is the question that follows it.
