Volodymyr Zelensky Has Departed from Bulgaria to the Czech Republic

After his trip to Bulgaria on Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelensky declared an unannounced visit to the Czech Republic. This was stated in Ukrainian President’s Twitter.

"Next stop - Prague. I will hold substantive negotiations with President Petr Pavel, Prime Minister Petr Fiala, the Heads of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament, Milos Vystrcil and Marketa Pekarova Adamova, and meet with members of the government, parliament, and media representatives. The focus will be on defense support, European and Euro-Atlantic integration, the implementation of the peace formula, the situation around the JFO [Joint Forces Operation], and the Vilnius Summit," wrote the President of Ukraine.

For Volodymyr Zelensky, this visit to the Czech Republic is the first since his election as President in 2019.

The Czech Republic consistently supports Ukraine in the war against Russia, providing military and humanitarian assistance.
Czech President Petr Pavel, in particular, stated: "It was made clear why we should support Ukraine. We must perceive this as a matter of principle. If we want to live in free and democratic societies, in the way of life we cherish, then we have no other way. Because if we allow Russia to win, we will lose all of this sooner or later," he said.

It should be noted that Volodymyr Zelensky arrived on a visit to Bulgaria on Thursday. During this trip, the leaders of both countries signed a joint declaration, which became the 22nd document confirming support for Ukraine's NATO membership.

Last year, the Ukrainian leadership submitted an application for accelerated accession to the bloc, which entails joining the Alliance without the Membership Action Plan (MAP). At that time, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that Kyiv could count on a positive response only if supported by all 30 member countries.

Volodymyr Zelensky also had a disagreement with the pro-Russian President of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, over his position on Russia's war against Ukraine. Radev stated that "more and more weapons will not solve the problem," to which Zelensky replied, "God forbid you find yourself in my place. Would you say, 'Putin, please, take Bulgarian territory'?"

Also, according to the media, prior to the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Zelensky plans to visit Turkey to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.