Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday it would be difficult to fight Russia if kyiv does not receive long-range weapons, arguing that the decision to hand them over “depends exclusively” on the United States.
“Without long-range weapons it is difficult to not only carry out offensive missions, but also, to be honest, defensive operations. We are discussing this issue with the United States, it is an issue that depends on them at the moment,” said Zelensky, who arrived in Prague on Thursday night.
For the Ukrainian president, the delivery of long-range weapons to Ukraine “only depends” on a decision by Washington.
During the visit to Prague, Zelensky received a guarantee that the Czech government will donate to Ukraine more attack helicopters, artillery ammunition and the Czech Republic’s contribution to the training of Ukrainian pilots in ‘F-16’ fighters to defend against the Russian invasion.
The security was given by the Czech Prime Minister, Petr Fiala, after a meeting with Zelensky, who arrived in Prague on Thursday night, after a surprise visit to Bulgaria and before traveling to Turkey today.
In a message on the social network Twitter, Fiala said that the Czech Republic, one of the main providers of military aid to Ukraine, will provide flight simulators so that Ukrainian pilots can train to fly F-16s on Ukrainian soil as well.
The head of the Czech Government recalled that, since the start of the Russian invasion, on February 24, 2022, Prague has sent four million medium and large-caliber artillery shells to Ukraine.
In the message, Fiala stated that the Ukrainian president appreciates the support of the Czech Republic and is ready to support Czech companies involved in reconstruction projects in Ukraine.
Arriving in Prague, Zelensky thanked the Czechs for their support, both material and moral, and recalled that the country received many refugees fleeing Russian aggression.
He also called for unity and courage, acknowledging that it would be difficult to gain unanimous support for his desire to join Euro-Atlantic structures such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Source: TSF
