Today, there cannot be any artificial restrictions on defense assistance to Ukraine, and ambitious decisions that will strengthen the common European security are needed. This was stated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy following the negotiations with President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel and President of the Slovak Republic Zuzana Čaputová in Kyiv.
During the meeting with media representatives following the negotiations, the Head of the Ukrainian State said that this day began with another Russian missile attack on Ukrainian cities. Most of the enemy missiles were shot down, but unfortunately hits and casualties are reported.
"In the city of Dnipro, two lives were taken by terror, in particular, a very small child died. In the city of Uman, a missile destroyed a residential building, an ordinary high-rise building. At the moment, 17 people are known to have been killed, including three children. And a lot of wounded. Debris analysis continues," he said.
A moment of silence was held in memory of those who were killed in missile attacks launched by Russia.
Zelenskyy said that during the negotiations with the Presidents of the Czech Republic and Slovakia today, they discussed how to stop the terrorist state and bring all Russian terrorists and murderers to justice.
"It is our main task – for everyone in Europe, in the free world. Russia must lose this war, and its leadership must be punished for the crime of aggression and genocide against Ukrainians so that other nations do not have to experience what Russian terror has brought to Ukrainians," the Head of the Ukrainian State said.
The President of Ukraine thanked the Slovak and Czech people and their leaders for their help in protecting the freedom and life of Ukrainians.
"All the aid provided to Ukraine, every air defense system provided, every military aircraft, every gun, every unit of armored vehicles with which we defend ourselves from Russian aggression are the saved lives of Ukrainian men and women," he said.
Zelenskyy briefed his counterparts on the situation at the front and outlined the prospects Ukraine has now.
"I believe that one of the main conclusions from our conversation today should be the conclusion that there cannot be any defense taboos in security assistance to Ukraine. Every artificial defense limitation for our country is just another terrorist opportunity for the Russian Federation," the President said.
According to the Head of the Ukrainian state, it will be absolutely fair to provide our soldiers with everything necessary to protect life, including long-range weapons, modern aircraft, and a sufficient number of artillery and armored vehicles.
During the meeting, the leaders of the three states also discussed the political opportunities created by Ukraine and its partners to speed up the onset of peace.
"I informed on our efforts to implement our plan – the Ukrainian Peace Formula. I am grateful to Slovakia and the Czech Republic for their full support of our position regarding a just and sustainable peace for Ukraine. The basis of our position is the restoration of the full force of the UN Charter, all those principles on which peace should be based, above all the principle of respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of nations," Zelenskyy said.
The President of Ukraine separately thanked his colleagues from the Czech Republic and Slovakia for supporting the Ukrainian initiative to create a Special Tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Another topic of the negotiations was the need to strengthen the European Union and NATO by joining Ukraine. In particular, the parties discussed preparations for the NATO Summit in Vilnius.
"We expect ambitious decisions that will strengthen European security. It is time to remove any uncertainty in Europe about security. And already this year we have to start negotiations on Ukraine's joining the European Union. We are doing everything for this," Zelenskyy said.
The Head of the Ukrainian state noted the support of Slovakia and the Czech Republic for the European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine. According to him, the relevant principles are recorded in the Joint Declaration signed today.
According to him, further support from Slovakia and the Czech Republic for the Ukraine-EU Solidarity Lanes is also fundamentally important.
"It is important not only from the point of view of our country but also from the point of view of common European security. At a time when Russia is doing everything to destroy transit and trade routes in Europe, we must jointly defend fundamental European freedoms and treaties," the President of Ukraine is convinced.
Zelenskyy expressed hope that together with the European Commission, a solution that will help eliminate all artificial restrictions on the movement of Ukrainian products will be found.
"We have an enemy and we have partners. Russia is blocking our export lines and sea routes. Therefore, it cannot be the case that our partners block them on land," he said.
In addition, the President noted the readiness of Slovakia and the Czech Republic to work more actively with Ukraine in reconstruction projects, in particular, the decision of the Czech Republic regarding patronage over the restoration of Dnipropetrovsk region. With the President of Slovakia, relevant steps regarding Chernihiv region were discussed.
"We are also grateful to the Czech side for the supply of prefabricated bridges for Ukraine's logistical needs. We are grateful to the Slovak side for already initiated housing construction projects for our Ukrainian families. I am sure we will do much more together," Zelenskyy said.
For her part, Čaputová said that friendship unites the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and the two countries strive to bring this symbolic message to Ukraine.
"We are united not only by a common past but also by a common future," she said.
The President of the Slovak Republic spoke about her communication with Ukrainians who suffered or lost relatives due to Russian aggression. As Čaputová said, peace and justice should not only be talked about, but also fought for, and the entire civilized world should understand this.
"When it comes to war crimes, it is very important that there is a fair punishment for these crimes. Therefore, I am very glad that the Slovak Republic is one of the first countries to send expert teams to document war crimes. It is necessary so that we can bring the culprits to justice in the future," she said.
The President of Slovakia also emphasized the importance of Ukraine gaining full membership in the European Union. For this, important steps must be taken. Čaputová said Slovakia is ready to help this process move as fast as possible.
"Ukraine has been fighting Russian aggression for more than 400 days. For 400 days you are under bombardment, you are under shelling, civilian objects and people are destroyed. But you have shown the whole world that you do not give up and work to achieve peace – a just peace. And in achieving this just peace, we must support you," Čaputová said.
The President of the Czech Republic also spoke in support of Ukraine's membership in the EU and NATO and noted that our country deserved it with its resilience, courage, resistance, and struggle for freedom.
"We are ready to provide assistance within the framework of the partnership based on our experience gained on the way to the EU. I also brought the assurance that our cooperation will continue and deepen. And it will apply not only to military aid but will also have different forms, in particular in the areas of business development. Our private entities are interested in cooperating with Ukraine," Pavel said.
He said that the Czech Republic seeks to move from aid to cooperation, and the countries have everything necessary for such cooperation. In particular, there are some projects that can be deployed quickly.
"We are ready to offer our support and cooperation in the field of energy, transport infrastructure, and housing. I am extremely glad that we have reached an agreement with Mr. Zelenskyy on these issues. We have reached an understanding that this cooperation should take place, and we will move to implement it quickly," the President of the Czech Republic said.
According to him, to deepen cooperation and facilitate the implementation of bilateral cooperation projects, the Czech Republic plans to open a Consulate General in the city of Dnipro.
Pavel also assured that the Czech Republic supports the creation of an international tribunal to investigate crimes committed by the aggressor on the territory of Ukraine.
