President Petr Pavel and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy held talks in Prague yesterday to discuss the development of the situation in Ukraine, the prospects for peace talks, and the possibilities of post-war reconstruction, in which the Czech Republic wants to participate, Pavel told at a joint press conference after their meeting.
Zelenskiy, for his part, said he appreciated the Czech Republic for its efforts to stop Russian aggression, and that the Czech munitions initiative is working excellently.
Zelenskiy said that Ukraine greatly appreciates the Czech Republic’s support for its European efforts. He expressed regret that some European leaders are blocking the process, and suggested they are only doing so to get a better seat on the Red Square tribune.
Pavel stated that if Russia succeeded in the war, it would have direct negative consequences for the Czechs. If Russia were rewarded for its aggression, this would confirm that the Kremlin’s manner of pursuing its foreign policy objectives is correct. He stressed that it was in the Czech Republic’s immediate interest that the outcome of the peace negotiations, which will hopefully begin in the near future, should not be that the aggressor is rewarded and the victim, Ukraine, is punished.
He said the Czech Republic would support Ukraine in its ambitions to become a member of the European Union and NATO. He also pledged further support for Ukraine through the supply of ammunition.
Zelenskiy said Ukraine needs more sanctions against Russia, support, and also a tangible increase in mutual defence cooperation across Europe.
He also noted that reconstruction of hospitals is a high priority for the embattled country, with hundreds of them damaged as a result of Russian attacks. In some regions, Zelenskiy said, it will be necessary to build an entirely new medical network.
The two presidents also spoke yesterday about efforts to create a Ukrainian training centre for F-16 fighter pilots.
“Of course, we cannot set up such a training centre on the territory of Ukraine, because Russian attacks continue every day,” said Zelenskiy. “We are working with our partners to do everything possible to establish such a training center outside Ukraine.”
Ukraine is asking its partners to increase pressure on Russia because without such pressure it will not take any steps to end the war, he continued. A ceasefire is possible at any time, he said, but it should last at least 30 days to provide a realistic chance for diplomacy.
Zelenskiy has a number of meetings scheduled in Prague today, including with opposition politicians and representatives of the Chamber of Deputies. He described these as important meetings, as he would like to convey to representatives of the Czech Parliament that the security of Ukraine and the Czech Republic is also a guarantee of the security of Europe.
At the press conference, Pavel aso said the deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine is out of the question until a peace agreement is reached. He said a combination of political, diplomatic, economic and military guarantees could be enough to guarantee peace for Ukraine once an agreement is reached.
“At the moment there are no specific negotiations on what troops, what units could possibly be deployed in Ukraine. We are really still far from that,” said Pavel.
He argued that there was no point in announcing a ceasefire for one, two or three days, as “it is impossible to start peace talks in such a short period of time.” If anyone had expressed a will for a 30-day ceasefire, complete and unconditional, it was Ukraine, not Russia, he said.
“We need to remember that if anyone really holds all the cards to end the war, it is President Putin, who can do it with a single decision. But so far he has shown no such real will,” Pavel said.
