Published on Tuesday, August 11, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with Costa Rican President Laura Fernández-Delgado on Tuesday about a possible meeting and areas of cooperation between the two countries.

Zelenskyy announced the virtual conversation on his Telegram channel, thanking Fernández for supporting Ukraine and for “such warm and important words of support for Ukraine and our people.”

During the conversation, Fernández assured Zelenskyy that Costa Rica supports Ukraine both in voting on resolutions at the U.N. General Assembly and in efforts to secure the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia, as well as in holding the Russian Federation accountable for its crimes, including the crime of aggression, according to Zelenskyy.

The Ukrainian president also said the two leaders discussed opportunities for cooperation between their countries.


“There are many different areas in which our partnership can bring good results,” Zelenskyy said in his post. “Costa Rica is interested in our experience in the security sector. We agreed that the teams will work on a possible format for our meeting.”


Costa Rica’s Presidential House is expected to release information about the virtual conversation between Zelenskyy and Fernández.

According to the Embassy of Ukraine in Mexico, which also represents Ukraine’s interests in Costa Rica, Costa Rica recognized Ukraine as an independent country on Dec. 23, 1991.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on June 9, 1992.

Costa Rica is Ukraine’s main trading partner among the countries of Central America, according to the embassy.

In 2020, according to data from Ukraine’s State Statistics Service, trade in goods between the two countries totaled $123 million. Ukrainian goods exports to Costa Rica amounted to $74 million, while Costa Rican goods imports into Ukraine totaled $49 million. Ukraine’s trade surplus in bilateral commerce amounted to $24 million.

Promising areas for developing cooperation between Ukraine and Costa Rica include pharmaceuticals, tourism, renewable energy, participation by Ukrainian companies in infrastructure projects in Costa Rica, and the supply of food products to the Costa Rican market, the Embassy of Ukraine added.

Costa Rica has openly supported Ukraine’s defense against the Russian invasion. In May, Costa Rica condemned Russia’s military offensive against Ukraine, which included the use of a hypersonic missile during a large-scale attack on the capital, Kyiv.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” against Ukraine in February 2022, launching an invasion that drew widespread international condemnation. Since then, many countries have imposed sanctions on Russia and provided humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine.

The war has resulted in an estimated 400,000 to 1.5 million casualties, including people killed and wounded, between February 2022 and November 2025, according to conflict-related casualty data compiled by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

------------
What additional steps should Costa Rica take to support Ukraine? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com