Zelenskyy arrives in Budapest at the European Political Community Summit
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived at the European Political Community Summit in Budapest on 7 November.
First, Zelenskyy met with Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa.
The European Political Community Summit is taking place in Budapest on 7 November. At the summit, European leaders will discuss the US election results and begin shaping their response to Donald Trump’s return to the presidency.
A number of officials have issued statements ahead of the event. Notably, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte expressed his intention to engage in detailed discussions with European leaders and President-elect Donald Trump on addressing Russia’s growing cooperation with North Korea, Iran, and China.
Rutte also agreed with Trump’s long-standing criticism of European allies for underinvesting in defence and expressed confidence that NATO members would soon spend more than 2% of GDP on defence.
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo explained what the proposed Finnish model means for Ukraine and commented on the US election. Orpo explained that the Finnish model, previously described by former President Sauli Niinistö as a "guarantee of peace," is the very principle for which "the Ukrainian people are fighting". He emphasised, "The Finnish model is this: we are a member of NATO, we are a member of the European Union, and we support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. This is the model that the Ukrainian people are striving for."