Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will attend the upcoming Ukraine–Southeast Europe Summit in Odessa, following a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday, according to the Prime Minister’s office.

President Zelensky announced the summit and Mitsotakis’ participation on social media, “I invited Prime Minister Mitsotakis to take part in the Ukraine–Southeast Europe Summit. He confirmed his participation,” Zelenskyy stated on social media platfrom X, adding that Greece shares Ukraine’s position on intensifying sanctions against Russia.

The two leaders reportedly also discussed continued military and economic support for Ukraine, “Of course, it is important to continue supporting Ukraine, our army, our domestic defense production, and to strengthen air defense. We are grateful for Greece’s continued readiness to help protect lives.” Zelensky stated.

The Prime Minister’s office confirmed that Mitsotakis accepted the invitation during the call, which also addressed the broader diplomatic effort underway in Europe. Zelenskyy informed Mitsotakis of his recent talks with European partners and U.S. President Donald Trump. “There is a lot of diplomatic work happening these days,” Zelenskyy stated on X. “Strong pressure and additional sanctions against Russia are needed. The war continues solely because of Russia’s unwillingness to end it.”

According to the Prime Minister’s office, the summit follows a series of regional meetings initiated to strengthen ties between Ukraine and Southeastern European countries. Greece hosted the first such high-level meeting in Athens in August 2023. The third summit in the series was held in Croatia in October last year.

Earlier this month, Mitsotakis reiterated Greece’s support for Ukraine during a high-level video conference on the conflict, convened by French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. As reported by the Prime Minister’s office, Mitsotakis backed an immediate and unconditional 30-day ceasefire as a first step toward lasting peace.

In a prior conversation in March, Mitsotakis and Zelenskyy also coordinated ahead of the special European Council summit in Brussels. According to the Greek government, Mitsotakis reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to peace in Ukraine and emphasized the need to enhance defense cooperation and maintain U.S. engagement in supporting Ukraine’s resistance.

Zelenskyy publicly thanked Greece and the EU for supporting the 17th package of sanctions against Moscow. “Moscow must be deprived of everything that enables it to finance killing,” he said. “Greece will contribute to increasing the pressure.”