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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed his gratitude to Latin American leaders for their support in Ukraine’s fight for freedom and democracy during his first trip to the region on December 10. Zelenskiy met with the leaders of Ecuador, Paraguay, and Uruguay in Buenos Aires, where he was attending the inauguration of Argentinian President Javier Milei.
Zelenskiy thanked the leaders of Latin American countries for their united voice and support for Ukraine in its struggle for freedom and democracy. He also expressed gratitude to Uruguay for supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and Paraguay for its decisive support within international organizations.
During his meeting with Ecuadoran President Daniel Noboa, Zelenskiy discussed the possibilities of developing bilateral cooperation in the field of security, digitalization, and trade in agricultural products.
Zelenskiy also congratulated President Milei on his election and expressed his hope for the expansion of bilateral cooperation between Ukraine and Argentina.
Prior to his visit to Argentina, Zelenskiy made a stopover visit to Cape Verde, where he met with Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva. Zelenskiy thanked Cape Verde for condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and its support for Ukrainian initiatives.
Zelenskiy’s trip to Latin America and Africa is part of his effort to build support for Ukraine in the Global South. He has been promoting a peace plan rooted in the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine and recognition of its post-Soviet borders of 1991.
The Ukrainian president also discussed efforts to develop new grain routes and plans to create grain centers in Africa during his visit to Cape Verde. This comes after Russia refused to extend a UN-backed deal that had allowed Ukraine to export grain and other food items from three designated Black Sea ports, resulting in the destruction of a significant amount of grain by Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports and infrastructure.
Zelenskiy also addressed the ongoing conflict with Hungary over Ukraine’s bid for European Union membership. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has demanded that Ukraine’s membership be taken off the agenda at an upcoming EU summit, raising tensions between the two countries.
On the battlefield, Ukraine reported that Russian shelling in the Kherson region hit residential buildings and wounded two civilians, despite Moscow’s denial of targeting civilian areas. The conflict between Russian and Ukrainian forces continues to escalate, with heavy losses reported on both sides.
