Czech president, Zelensky discuss situation in Ukraine, cooperation

5/5/2025 5:51

Czech President Petr Pavel and visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday discussed the development of the situation in Ukraine, the prospects for peace talks and the possibilities of post-war reconstruction.

Speaking after their meeting, Pavel said his country supports Ukraine's path to lasting peace. "Through its constructive approach, Ukraine has clearly shown that it is ready for it. However, any peace agreement must be an agreement in which international law is not called into question and which can be trusted," he said on social media platform X.

On his part, Zelensky expressed gratitude to the Czech Republic for its support of Ukraine's path toward EU membership. "This year, we are ready to open the first clusters in the negotiation process," he said on X.

He also appreciated the Czech initiative to buy artillery ammunition for Ukraine from outside the EU, which he said has proven effective. "We count on this year's cooperation being just as effective: a supply of 1.8 million shells is expected this year," he said.

The two leaders also talked about the creation of a Ukrainian-Czech F-16 training school outside of Ukraine. Zelensky confirmed that both sides agreed on the plan, and the Czech Republic will help Ukraine to make it a reality.

During the visit, representatives of the Czech Republic and Ukraine also signed a memorandum on cooperation in mental health care, according to the Czech National Institute of Mental Health.