President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Albania on Feb. 27 to attend the second Ukraine-Balkans summit this week.

Albanian Foreign Minister Igli Hasani said on X that Zelensky’s arrival is “a pivotal moment for fostering bilateral ties, and standing in solidarity with Ukraine in its heroic fight against Russia’s aggression.”

The Ukrainian President will meet with several Balkan leaders in Tirana on Feb. 28 for the “Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit.”

The first summit was held in Athens in August 2023, where Zelensky met with Balkan leaders to coordinate European and Euro-Atlantic integration, defense cooperation, and security, as well as separate talks on bilateral issues.

This is Zelensky’s first visit to Albania since the start of the full-scale invasion.

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