Czech PM talks continued support and EU entry with Zelenskiy in Brussels

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy discussed supplying power generators to Kyiv and Ukraine's participation in some European Union programs in Brussels yesterday, Fiala said after a meeting of six states with a Ukrainian delegation on the sidelines of an EU summit.

Fiala said Czechia is ready to continue helping Ukraine in military terms and also with supplying power generators and repairing the energy infrastructure systematically destroyed by Russia.

Other significant topics on the agenda were the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine and support for Ukraine's accession to the EU.

"The door to the EU is open, and Ukraine, with its resolute steps, has been progressing forward," Fiala said about Kyiv's progress in legislative changes that have been adopted despite the ongoing war.

"Our interest is to help Ukraine as much as possible on this path," he said, adding that EU entry has clear rules that require a certain time.

"For [Ukraine] to be able to operate, exist, and have a chance to survive, systematic financial support is needed," Fiala said.

The EU has agreed on regular subsidies to Ukraine also thanks to the Czech EU presidency in the second half of 2022, he said.

Ukraine gave each partner country a list of military materiel it would welcome, a diplomatic source told ČTK. Czechia can provide about half of the items on the list, the source said.

Apart from Czechia, the group of six states includes Slovakia, Denmark, Finland, Latvia, and Estonia. Four groups had talks within this format in the course of the afternoon. Zelenskiy met representatives of France, Germany, and Britain on Wednesday.

Zelenskiy asked Slovakia to supply MiG-29 fighter jets for Ukraine to defend itself against Russian aggression. Zelenskiy also thanked Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger for Slovakia's approach to Ukrainian refugees. Heger said Slovakia would work on the request.