Global Courant
ISTANBUL
Ahead of an important NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius later this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that an invitation to join his country would show the alliance’s “courage and strength”.
“All that is needed is an invitation. We understand that there may be difficulties in one or another expression to gain the unified support of all Alliance partners… However, I believe this is just such a moment – a great chance. Show the courage and strength of the entire Alliance. “
According to a statement from the Ukrainian presidency, Zelenskyy said that he expects a concrete signal from Kiev’s invitation to join NATO and that his country needs this motivation as well as “honesty in our relations”.
Saying that NATO has not yet found a common approach regarding Sweden’s membership in the alliance, the official added that many issues related to defense support to Kiev will be discussed at the NATO summit to be held in Vilnius.
Zelenskyy also expressed his gratitude to the Czech Republic for hosting Ukrainians fleeing the ongoing war with Russia and Prague’s military and economic support to Kiev.
The statement said the two presidents discussed common security issues and strengthening defense cooperation, and Zelenskyy emphasized the need for more and tougher sanctions against Russia.
The Ukrainian president also answered a question about his visit to Turkey on Friday, expressing that he believes he will reach an agreement with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“We have a few issues. Grain expansion is a very important issue in NATO to support Ukraine. The prisoner exchange… We have a lot to discuss and I believe we will make agreements with the President of Turkey,” he said.
Pavel promised support to Ukraine
Pavel, on the other hand, expressed his government’s support for Kiev, saying that Ukraine’s aspirations to join the EU and NATO should be supported.
“We will do everything for this. We will try to ensure that the negotiation process is started by the end of this year and it is made clear that Europe will stand by Ukraine in the future,” Pavel said.
Pavel assured his Ukrainian colleague that the Czech Republic would continue to support him in this matter.
Pavel said many Czech firms collaborated with Ukrainian companies and he was “eager” to take part in the country’s rebuilding, both during and after Russia’s war.
“We see this as a good opportunity for Czech companies. This is a mutually beneficial cooperation and we need to pay enough attention to it,” he said.
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