Rebuild Ukraine Forum 2026 / Panel VIII / 23 October 2026

The discussions centered on effective strategies to halt Russia’s aggression, secure a just and lasting peace, enforce robust sanctions and establish credible security guarantees. Opening the session, Ambassador Marius Lazurca emphasized that Moscow is seeking to keep the region hostage, calling for tougher sanctions against the shadow fleet and oligarchs, credible security guarantees and stronger resilience for the Republic of Moldova. He reaffirmed Romania’s multidimensional support and the importance of Euro-Atlantic unity, noting that Black Sea security is vital for all of Europe. Igor Zhovkva thanked partners for their support and stated that Ukraine’s armed forces are the most effective security guarantee for the entire continent, urging European partners to open their stocks for urgent deliveries, maintain financial support and ensure that Romania and Europe have a seat at future negotiations.

Wilfried Jilge highlighted gaps in air defense and Russia’s high production of ballistic missiles, calling for secondary sanctions and decisive measures against the shadow fleet. Alina Frolova argued that Europe must stop seeing itself as the junior partner of the United States and act as if it were already at war, since readiness to defend itself is the ultimate security guarantee. Former Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov shared how Bulgaria fully ended its dependence on Russian gas and called for a firm policy of imposing costs on Russia, including sanctions on Lukoil and the use of frozen Russian assets.

Maia Otarashvili argued that Russia can be defeated and warned that an immediate ceasefire would give it time to regroup. Shogo Akagawa reaffirmed Japan’s solidarity with Ukraine and the Western democracies, stressing that a failure of negotiations would send a dangerous signal to authoritarian regimes worldwide. In the final round, panelists underscored the importance of the transatlantic link, the need for innovative maritime security solutions in the Black Sea, including unmanned surface vessels and close cooperation with Türkiye, and the urgency for democracies to act together to ensure Ukraine’s survival and reconstruction.