In Prague, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel to discuss continued defense, political, and humanitarian support for Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Head of State thanked the Czech Republic and the Czech people for their unwavering, principled, and deeply sincere support of Ukraine during the full-scale war, as well as their solidarity with Ukrainian citizens.
One of the key topics of the meeting was the Czech artillery initiative. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the Czech Republic has already provided significant support, and Ukraine is counting on equally effective cooperation this year – specifically, the supply of 1.8 million shells. Additionally, on Monday, the President of Ukraine will meet with representatives of Czech defense companies.
The leaders also discussed next steps in developing the aviation coalition – namely, the creation of a Ukrainian-Czech F-16 training school for pilots.
“Obviously, given the current security situation, we cannot open such a base in Ukraine. Russian strikes continue every day. That’s why we are working with partners to ensure these training schools can be established outside Ukraine. And this will happen. We agreed that the Czech Republic will support us in implementing relevant decisions,” said the President of Ukraine.
The discussion also focused on diplomatic efforts with key partners – the U.S. and Europe – to increase pressure on the Russian Federation and force it to take real steps toward ending the war. This requires tougher sanctions against Russia, continued support for Ukraine, and a substantial boost in defense cooperation across Europe.
“We believe a ceasefire is absolutely possible at any moment – even starting today – and it must last at least 30 days to give diplomacy a real chance. I am grateful to the Czech Republic for supporting our position,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.
The President also highlighted the Czech initiative to help rebuild Ukrainian medical facilities. Restoring hospitals is a priority for Ukraine. Tomorrow, the First Ladies of Ukraine and the Czech Republic will jointly open the large-scale conference Healthcare Initiative for Ukraine.
Petr Pavel emphasized that the peace Ukraine and its partners seek must be just for the country that was attacked.
“We have supported Ukraine from the very beginning. I consider that a matter of principle and the right thing to do,” he stressed.
According to him, the Czech Republic will continue to provide defense assistance, as well as support Ukraine in its aspirations to join the EU and in postwar recovery.
