Czech and Slovak presidents planning to visit Ukraine, media report
Petr Pavel (Photo:REUTERS/David W Cerny T)
Newly elected Czech Republic President Petr Pavel together with his Slovak counterpart Zuzana Čaputová are to visit Ukraine and meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Slovak publication Pravda.sk reported on Jan. 28.
Pavel is also expected to talk to President Zelenskyy by phone on Jan. 29, the publication wrote.
The new Czech president will reportedly discuss his upcoming visit to Ukraine with Zelenskyy during the conversation.
Čaputová, who met with the president-elect of the Czech Republic at his campaign headquarters, welcomed the proposed trip, Pravda.sk reported.
Pavel is a 61-year-old retired general who during his election campaign actively supported Ukraine in its resistance to the Russian invasion. He won 57.6% of the vote in the presidential elections, according to initial results released by the Czech state statistics office, the BBC reported.
Pavel will officially assume office in March, replacing Milos Zemen, the previously pro-Russian Czech president.
Zemen, who downplayed the likelihood of a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, quickly changed his tune after Feb. 24, 2022 – the day Russian tanks started to roll across the border.
He immediately called for Russian banks to be banned from the SWIFT international banking payments systems, and called the full-scale invasion “a crime against peace.”
He’s also described Russian dictator Vladimir Putin as a “madman”, according to Euronews.
“Lunatics need to be isolated, and we must protect against them not only by words but by concrete measures,” Zeman said.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
