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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Sunday that Ukraine would be represented at the NATO Ankara Summit on July 7-8, 2026, at a joint press conference with Moldovan President Maia Sandu in Kyiv on the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster.
He also met with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi to discuss the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) and outlined how Kyiv planned to use the newly approved €90 billion ($105.4B) EU loan package.
Zelenskyy confirmed the attendance briefly but clearly at the press conference.
"Ukraine will be represented at the NATO summit in Türkiye," he said.
The summit is scheduled for July 7-8 in Ankara.
Zelenskyy noted that President Sandu's visit on the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster was meaningful.
He recalled that the new safety confinement structure over Reactor 4, built with the cooperation of 40 countries, had been struck by a Russian drone on February 14, 2025.
"The Russians occupied the Chornobyl plant in 2022 and turned it into a springboard for war. This shows they drew no lessons from Soviet-era mistakes and understood nothing," Zelenskyy said, calling on the world to prevent further Russian attacks on the plant.
In a separate meeting with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, who visited Ukraine on the Chornobyl anniversary, Zelenskyy said he emphasized "the unacceptability of formalizing and legitimizing Russia's presence at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant."
He said they discussed temporary shutdowns of plant units, reductions in output and the potential consequences of "these criminal actions."
Zelenskyy said the plant "must be returned to the management of Ukraine's licensed operator and nuclear regulator" and that IAEA missions would continue for monitoring.
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Zelenskyy outlined how the €90 billion European support loan, approved after Hungary's veto was lifted, would be deployed.
The first tranche would go to domestic production for defense, including drones and the broader military technology sector.
A significant portion would be directed to energy infrastructure protection before winter.
He said several billion would be specifically allocated to protect the energy sector, adding: "By next winter, we must protect everything we can to the maximum extent possible."
He also said Ukraine had secured diesel supply agreements with Middle Eastern countries and had opened a new supply route through the Caucasus. "We have several countries that are helping us and guaranteeing stable supply for our people. This is exactly how we build our cooperation, so that it delivers mutual results."
He noted that Russia responded to the EU loan announcement by escalating attacks on Ukrainian civilian and critical infrastructure.
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