Czech Republic pledges extended ammunition support to Ukraine
The Czech Republic intends to continue supplying ammunition to Ukraine until 2026, announced President Petr Pavel after a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky in Prague. Under the so-called Czech initiative, Kyiv is to receive 1.8 million rounds this year, and discussions regarding next year's supplies are already underway, reports Bloomberg.
Czech President Petr Pavel stated on Sunday that his country is conducting talks about extending ammunition supplies to Ukraine until 2026. This statement was made during Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Prague, where the Ukrainian president described the cooperation so far as "brilliantly", reports Bloomberg.
"This is a very strong decision," Zelensky commented on the initiative under which the Czech Republic, with the help of 11 countries, is set to supply Ukraine with a total of 1.8 million rounds in 2025.
President Pavel emphasised that the war is not nearing its end, thus securing supplies for the coming months is necessary. "We are simultaneously negotiating about ammunition supplies for next year, because we obviously can’t assume that peaces will be achieved this year," he pointed out.
He added that any potential weakening of military support for Kyiv could encourage Russia to continue its aggression and prolong the conflict.
The Czech Republic is not like Slovakia
The Czech Republic remains one of Ukraine's most loyal partners in the European Union and NATO. The country not only coordinates international weapons deliveries but has also taken in one of the largest Ukrainian refugee communities in the EU.
The Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, adopts a completely different tone, having announced participation in the 9th May celebrations in Moscow. He called Zelensky's statement, suggesting insufficient security for foreign guests in Russia, "unacceptable" and "having no place in modern diplomacy."
