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Zelenskyy Launches “Carpathian Eight” Alliance to Boost Regional Security
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the launch of a new regional geopolitical and economic bloc, the “Carpathian Eight” (C8), during an inaugural summit held in the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains on September 18.
The new format aims to deepen integration between Ukraine and its European neighbors, creating a unified front to address shared challenges in security, energy, and infrastructure while bolstering cross-border ties. The alliance brings together Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Poland, Slovakia, Czechia, Austria, and Hungary, with active involvement from the European Union.
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“Today, for the first time here in Ukraine, in our part of the Carpathians, there is a summit that unites all Carpathian states, regions, and communities of our countries,” Zelenskyy announced.
“We are launching a new C8 format—the Carpathian Eight—uniting us and our neighbors in Europe: Romania, Serbia, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, and, of course, the European Union as a whole,” he stated.
Highlighting the strategic ambitions of the newly formed alliance, the Ukrainian president emphasized that the C8 will serve as a powerful new mechanism for cooperation within the broader European framework.
“This is a serious start to a movement that should bring our countries even closer together and create another strong element of interaction at the EU level,” Zelenskyy stated, pointing specifically to “security, energy, a significant expansion of logistics and cross-border economic cooperation, and substantial support for our communities.”
Ukraine’s regional security initiatives align with similar measures across the European Union. Following an increase in Russian sabotage, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had recently proposed a NATO-inspired “counter-hybrid playbook” for the EU.
Similar to NATO's Article 4, the mechanism allows any member state targeted by non-military aggression—such as drone incursions or arson—to trigger emergency bloc-wide consultations.
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