Statement by the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania, H.E. Ms. Elisa Spiropali
Special Reinforced Meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council
24 February 2026, Vienna

Thank you, Chair,

Distinguished colleagues,

Ladies and gentlemen

Four years ago, Russia launched its full- scale invasion, believing Ukraine would fall within days. Four years later, Ukraine stands. Not because the war has been easy. Not because the cost has been small. But because your courage has been greater than the fear imposed upon you.

Russia expected surrender. Instead, it encountered a nation united in dignity.

It sought submission. It found resolve.

When I visited Kyiv in January, I witnessed that resolve firsthand.

In my meetings with President Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Sybiha, we did not speak only of endurance. We spoke of rebuilding. Of reform. Of Ukraine’s European future. A country planning its reconstruction in the midst of war is a country that believes in its tomorrow.

I also met Ukrainian soldiers recovering from their injuries. Their bodies carried the marks of battle. Yet their spirit remained unbroken — calm, determined, forward- looking.

Their sacrifice is not only for territory. It is for the principles that define Europe itself — freedom, sovereignty, human dignity, and the rule of law.

Let us be clear. Russia’s aggression is not only an attack on Ukraine. It is an attempt to erode the foundations of European security. It seeks to normalize the redrawing of borders by force. It seeks to divide us. To exhaust us. To transform fatigue into policy.

We must not allow fatigue to become policy.

Peace is our shared objective. Every responsible nation seeks peace. But peace cannot reward aggression. It cannot legitimize the occupation.

It cannot ask Ukraine to compromise its sovereignty in exchange for temporary quiet.

Justice is not the enemy of peace. Justice is what makes peace sustainable. Those responsible for war crimes and grave violations of international humanitarian law must be held accountable.

Not out of vengeance — but out of respect for law, for victims, and for the future stability of our continent. Albania’s position is clear and unwavering.

We stand firmly with Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We support every credible diplomatic effort toward a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace — including the continued leadership and engagement of our transatlantic partners. Peace must be consistent with international law. It must safeguard Ukraine’s independence. And it must preserve its European path.

Four years is a long time in human terms. Families have suffered. Cities have endured destruction. Lives have been permanently altered.

But history will not measure this moment only by its duration. It will measure it by the clarity of our principles — and by whether we remained faithful to them when they were tested.

Today, Albania stands with Ukraine. With your people. With your freedom. With your right to choose your own future. Your resilience has inspired Europe. Your determination has strengthened it. Ukraine will endure. Ukraine will prevail. You are not alone.

Thank you.