Volodymyr Zelensky Has Set off for Slovakia
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, following his visits to Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, has embarked on a journey to Slovakia. The head of state announced this on his Twitter account.
"Next stop - Slovakia. Important meetings in Bratislava with President Zuzana Čaputová, Prime Minister Eduard Heger, and Chairman of the National Council Boris Kollár. Together with our reliable neighbor, we discuss specific defense support, Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration, the NATO Summit, the Normandy format, bilateral cooperation, and energy security," wrote Volodymyr Zelensky in his post.
Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Bulgaria in the first half of the day on Thursday, July 6, and later in the evening, he departed for the Czech Republic.
Following the bilateral meeting between President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria Nikolai Denkov, a Joint Declaration on Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic Integration was signed.
In the Czech Republic, Volodymyr Zelensky met with President Miloš Zeman. After the meeting, Zelensky stated that a clear invitation to Ukraine regarding future NATO membership at the Vilnius Summit would be a significant demonstration of the Alliance's courage and strength.
Following the meeting with the Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Zelensky received the announcement of the Czech Republic's intention to provide additional attack helicopters, large-caliber ammunition, and assistance in training F-16 fighter pilots to Ukraine.
Fiala also emphasized that the Ukrainian people deserve the "opening of the doors to NATO" as they not only defend their independence but also contribute to the security of Europe.
The specific details regarding the transfer of ammunition were not disclosed by the Czech Prime Minister. However, he emphasized that during the conflict, the Czech Republic has already provided more than 700 units of heavy equipment and over four million pieces of ammunition to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
It is worth mentioning that the NATO Summit 2023 will take place in the capital of the Republic of Lithuania, Vilnius, from July 11 to 12. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that a decision on "bringing Ukraine closer to NATO" will be made during the summit. Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas also expressed optimism, even promising a pleasant "surprise" for Ukrainians in Vilnius.