Zelenskyy arrives in Czech Republic, meets with President Pavel

Zelenskyy and Pavel shared the information at a joint briefing after the meeting.

Zelenskyy thanked the Czech Republic for its continued support of Ukraine, including assistance to Ukrainian refugees. 

During the meeting, the heads of state discussed issues of common security and cooperation to strengthen defense. They also discussed possible responses to the terrorist threats posed by Russia, including the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

"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 said.

In addition, the presidents discussed the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula and support for Ukraine on its path to NATO and the EU. 

Petr Pavel assured that his country supports Ukraine because it understands the importance of its victory.

"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. He added that support for Ukraine is not only about supporting a country that is suffering from war, but first and foremost about helping all Europeans.

Pavel also spoke about cooperation between Czech companies and Ukrainian firms in the process of rebuilding Ukraine. Moreover, his country wants to join the reconstruction not only after the war, but also now, during the war.

Pavel also emphasized that the Czech Republic is ready to support Ukraine at the NATO summit in Vilnius and join the financial assistance of the Alliance member states.

The news that Zelenskyy had arrived in the Czech Republic was first reported by ct24.

The outlet noted that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived on a special Czech government plane and landed at Prague's Vaclav Havel Airport. The plane was accompanied by a pair of fighter jets. After landing, he headed to Prague Castle, where a welcoming ceremony took place. This is Zelenskyy's first visit to the Czech Republic since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion.

"The visit of the Ukrainian president is intended to be an expression of gratitude for the support that the Czech Republic has provided to Ukraine since the beginning of Russian aggression and to bring mutual confidence that this support will continue," the Czech government said in a press release. "At the tête-à-tête meeting, the presidents will coordinate their positions on the eve of the NATO summit in Vilnius, where they are expected to discuss, among other things, security guarantees for Ukraine.”

Zelenskyy's visit is accompanied by unprecedented security measures.

Earlier, Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced his visit to the Czech Republic on Telegram.

"I will hold substantive talks with President Petr Pavel, Prime Minister Petr Fiala, the chairmen of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies Miloš Vystrčil and Markéta Pekárová Adamová, and meet with members of the government, parliament, and media representatives. The focus will be on defense support, Ukraine's European and Euro-Atlantic integration and the NATO Summit in Vilnius, the situation around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the implementation of the Peace Formula, and the reconstruction of Ukraine," the statement said.

• Earlier, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived on a visit to Bulgaria on Thursday, July 6. During his visit, the parties signed a declaration of support for Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration and cooperation in the energy sector. The Bulgarian parliament also voted in favor of Ukraine's membership in NATO and support for the Ukrainian Peace Formula.