ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday said unity is Europe’s only effective response to current challenges, following a series of meetings with European leaders on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in Copenhagen.

Zelenskyy said the discussions focused on the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative, the SAFE instrument, security guarantees for Ukraine, new EU sanctions against Russia, and the use of frozen Russian assets, as well as the European future of Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkans.

“Europe faces many challenges today, but there is only one effective response to them all – unity. Unity in every decision made for our collective defense,” he said.

He added that Kyiv expects “full support” from its partners, and that bilateral projects were also discussed with individual leaders.

“Europe must be protected from any threats. Only joint action and combined efforts can guarantee real security. I am grateful to everyone who understands this and is ready to work in this way,” Zelenskyy said.

The PURL initiative, launched by the US and NATO, is designed to accelerate the delivery of weapons and equipment to Ukraine to strengthen its defense capabilities.

SAFE, meanwhile, is a new EU initiative that offers €150 billion ($176.7 billion) in low-cost loans to member states to boost their defense capabilities.