Ukraine will launch a new initiative in the Carpathian Mountain region this fall focused on post-war recovery with eight neighboring countries, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Aug. 3.
The “Carpathian Initiative” will bring together countries with shared economic and security interests and who share cultural and tourism goals for the future, Zelenskyy said.
“This is a new initiative,” Zelenskyy posted on X. “Why did this idea emerge? Because not all countries are ready to strengthen us with weapons, but they want to cooperate in humanitarian efforts, security, and the economy. They are also thinking about Ukraine’s reconstruction.
“I presented this idea to the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission,” Zelenskyy added. “They liked it very much.”
Countries included in the initiative besides Ukraine are Romania, Austria, Serbia, Hungary, Poland, Czechia, and Slovakia.
“When neighboring countries think about recovery, it also reflects their faith in Ukraine—their belief that peace will come,” he said. “And we will have peace.”
Zelenskyy said the Carpathian region will need future programs to cover funding, tourism, the economy, and security.
“This initiative is something around which all of us can unite,” Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian president said he expects to formally launch the program in the fall.
The Ukrainian Carpathians are one of the few regions in Europe where old-growth forests and primeval forests can still be found, according to the International Climate Initiative.
The escalation of Russia’s war with Ukraine has impacted conservation work in the mountains, cutting down on funding for national parks. People displaced by the conflict have also sought shelter in the mountains because of the natural protection the region offers, the group reported.
Chernivtsi, one of Ukraine’s cultural capitals located in the foothills of the mountains, is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site where 600-year-old buildings have been preserved.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a meeting on the sidelines of the NATO leaders’ summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 7, 2026. Michael Kappeler/Pool via Reuters
The four-year war between Ukraine and Russia has impacted surrounding countries, which have had to build up security forces against potential attacks to their homelands.
The war in Ukraine has shattered the dream of a lasting peace in Europe, neutral Austria’s Chancellor Christian Stocker told media at a press conference earlier this month in Salzburg.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on July 23 on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila, the Philippines.
They spoke about a range of issues, including the need to end the war in Ukraine. Peace talks could restart in the next few weeks, according to Rubio.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivers his opening statement during the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference with U.S. on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Pasay, Metro Manila, the Philippines, on July 22, 2026. Eloisa Lopez/AFP via Getty Images
“You’re going to see some efforts over the next few weeks to see if we can’t restart talks between the two sides in bringing this war to an end,” Rubio told Fox News on Jan. 31. “We also understand that both sides have some pretty strong red lines, and until we can bring those red lines a little closer together, we’re not going to be there yet.
“But we’re ready to go,” Rubio said.
President Donald Trump has told his team of negotiators if they see an opportunity for peace talks, they should take action, Rubio said.
