Zelenskyy hosts leaders from seven countries for regional summit

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy convened heads of state from seven neighboring nations for the inaugural Carpathian Eight summit. The gathering, held in Kyiv, brought together Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary. The European Union also participated, signalling its interest in the region’s collective agenda. The meeting marked the first formal assembly of the Carpathian Eight, a new grouping aimed at fostering closer political, economic and security ties among Central and Eastern European states. By inviting EU representatives, the summit underscored a broader effort to align regional priorities with European policy frameworks, potentially shaping future cooperation on trade, infrastructure and defence matters.