The launch comes as the Russia-Ukraine war continues to shape security and economic cooperation across Central and Eastern Europe. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced the creation of a new regional diplomatic format, the Carpathian Eight (C8), bringing together Ukraine and seven European neighbours with the aim of strengthening regional cooperation. Zelenskyy made the announcement during a summit of leaders and representatives from the Carpathian region hosted by Ukraine in the southwestern Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. The meeting also brought the European Union into the new regional framework. The C8 brings together Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary, with the EU participating in the summit. Zelenskyy said the initiative was being launched to bring Ukraine and its European neighbours closer together, with cooperation extending across security, energy, logistics and economic issues. Announcing the new format, Zelenskyy said the countries would work together on security, energy, a significant expansion of logistics and cross-border economic cooperation. He also highlighted support for local communities as another area of cooperation under the initiative. “Today, for the first time, here in Ukraine, in our part of the Carpathians, we hold a Summit that brings together all the Carpathian states, the regions and communities of our countries,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X. He added that the countries were launching the new “C8” format to bring together Ukraine and its neighbours in Europe, alongside the European Union as a whole. The geographical connection is central to the initiative's identity. The Carpathian mountain range stretches around 1,500 kilometres, forming an arc from the Czech Republic in the west towards Romania in the east and linking several of the countries participating in the new format. For Ukraine, the launch comes as the Russia-Ukraine war continues to shape security calculations across Europe. The focus on security and energy also places issues directly affected by the war alongside longer-term regional priorities such as transport links and cross-border economic cooperation. The new format is therefore intended to operate across several areas rather than being limited to diplomatic coordination. Zelenskyy's announcement places regional security alongside energy, logistics, economic cooperation and support for communities as the principal areas for closer engagement. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk attended the summit in Ukraine, with Warsaw among the countries participating in the newly launched format. Tusk said he had travelled to Ukraine as a demonstration of solidarity and to discuss bilateral relations with Kyiv. The Polish prime minister also discussed Poland's role in a proposed anti-ballistic missile coalition, according to the supplied account. The issue adds a security dimension to Warsaw's participation in a meeting otherwise framed around a wider regional cooperation agenda. The participation of countries from across the Carpathian region gives the C8 a broad geographical footprint. Alongside Ukraine, the format includes EU member states as well as Serbia, while the European Union itself is also represented in the summit. Zelenskyy's announcement comes at a time when Ukraine is seeking deeper cooperation with its European neighbours on security as well as economic and energy matters. The Carpathian Eight provides a new regional setting for those discussions while bringing together countries that share geographical links through the Carpathian region. The C8 will focus on practical areas ranging from security and energy to logistics and cross-border economic cooperation. Zelenskyy said the broader objective was to bring the participating countries, their regions and communities closer together as the new regional format takes shape. Yuvraj Tyagi is a Senior Copy Editor, specializing in security, national, international and defense affairs. With extensive experience covering the Ka... View More