Yesterday at 23:16
During his working visit to the Czech Republic, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel.
“The Ukrainian delegation is here in Prague to thank you for your continued and strong-willed support. And it is very symbolic that this visit to the Czech Republic began on such a day – on the Day of Remembrance of Jan Hus, the national hero of the Czech Republic and all those who value courage. The courageous Czech participation is really tangible: in defense, in politics, in everything we do together for the sake of the freedom of our Europe,” the Head of State said during a meeting with media representatives following the meeting with Petr Pavel in Prague.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed special gratitude to the President of the Czech Republic and every Czech citizen for helping Ukrainians, including children, who received protection in their country from the war unleashed by Russia.
“All of us in Ukraine dream of the day when we can guarantee security for all our people, and therefore the opportunity to return home. And I am grateful to the Czech Republic for the fact that with weapons for Ukraine, sanctions against Russia, support for our membership in the European Union, support for our membership in the Alliance, your state and your people really help bring the victory closer,” the President of Ukraine emphasized.
During the meeting, the two leaders focused on issues of common security and cooperation for strengthening defense. They discussed possible responses to the terrorist threats posed by Russia, including the situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP.
“Russia deserves tougher sanctions against it. We also discussed the ongoing spread of Russian propaganda, which, unfortunately, still has influence in Europe. In the Czech Republic and other European countries, Russia’s destructive influence is obvious, and this is something that we need to protect ourselves from,” the President of Ukraine noted.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Petr Pavel also discussed the issues of cooperation between Ukraine and the Czech Republic at all levels and joint efforts in relations with third countries, in particular in the context of the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula.
“The Czech Republic can help engage the states of the Global South in our joint peace efforts, including the implementation of the Peace Formula. Today I informed Mr. President of the Czech Republic about how we are already engaging many partners. We have started this work. I think it is successful. Africa, Latin America, Asia. But we need help in this direction,” the Head of State emphasized.
During the talks, the leaders touched upon the issue of strengthening alliances, especially NATO.
“It is very important that the Czech Republic does not look back to Moscow or anyone else in its political decisions. Both independent and brave, we understand each other perfectly well. And it will be right if this understanding is reflected in concrete content – not empty words, but concrete content in Vilnius,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted.
Separately, the President of Ukraine expressed gratitude for every blue and yellow flag that met the Ukrainian delegation on the streets of Prague.
“This is extremely touching. Thank you very much. We highly appreciate it. Thank you for this reality and for this attitude towards Ukraine,” the Head of State said.
For his part, Petr Pavel emphasized the importance of supporting Ukraine now when the Ukrainian army has launched a counteroffensive and demonstrated to the world that Russia is not as strong as it has positioned itself.
“Supporting Ukraine will always be our goal. We want Ukraine to win and all of us to win. We want to preserve the values on which our society is based,” the Czech President said.
Petr Pavel assured Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Ukraine can continue to count on the support of the Czech Republic, as it has been since the first day of Russia’s full-scale aggression.
The Czech leader expressed his belief that support for Ukraine is not only support for a country suffering from war, but first and foremost, it is help for all Europeans.
According to him, many Czech companies are already cooperating with Ukrainian companies and are eager to take part in rebuilding Ukraine not only after the war, but also now, during the hostilities.
“We see this as a good opportunity for Czech companies. This is a mutually beneficial cooperation, and we need to pay sufficient attention to it,” he said.
Petr Pavel also emphasized that the Czech Republic is ready to support Ukraine at the NATO Summit in Vilnius and contribute to financial assistance.
“I believe that Ukraine should be supported in its aspiration to join the EU and NATO. We will do everything for this. We will try to ensure that the negotiation process is launched by the end of this year and that it is clearly stated that Europe will be with Ukraine in the future,” the President of the Czech Republic summarized.
