Zelenskyy: Russia wants to landlock Ukraine by seizing Odesa and reach neighboring countries

ODESA – Russia aims to take the Black Sea portside city of Odesa and push toward neighboring Moldova and Romania, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at the Fourth Ukraine–Southeast Europe Summit held in Odesa that is attended by 12 world leaders. 

“Russian military plans are focused on this region — Odesa — and then advancing to the borders with Moldova and Romania. Right now, we urgently need protection,” Zelenskyy said, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine.

He added that Ukraine also needs long-term security guarantees to ensure that “this [Russia-instigated war] never happens again,” he added

“This beautiful city is a target for Russia. It wants to destroy it, just as it has destroyed countless towns and villages in the occupied territories,” Zelenskyy said.

The president called on summit attendees to treat post-war security guarantees as a practical necessity.

“From air defense to cyber threats, we need real tools for deterrence and rapid response. Let’s review our agreements, our militaries, and infrastructure — and strengthen everything that protects the security of our countries,” he said.

Earlier, Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean warned that Russia is planning to deploy an additional 10,000 troops to the pro-Kremlin breakaway region of Transnistria in Moldova.

He said the Kremlin is also working to install a pro-Russian government in Chișinău by interfering in Moldova’s parliamentary elections scheduled for September.

According to Dmitrii Lecartev, who chairs the National Congress of Ukrainians in Moldova, these efforts are part of a broader Kremlin strategy to spark new tensions in the region and undermine Moldova’s pro-European course.

“Ukraine and its partners must act proactively to prevent yet another staging ground for Russian aggression in Eastern Europe,” Lecartev said.