The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine began his working visit to the Czech Republic with a meeting with the Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament and the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic
First of all, the Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine expressed his gratitude for the invitation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to participate in the Parliamentary Summit of the Visegrad Group. “I am pleased to note that support for Ukraine is among the priorities of the Czech presidency of the Visegrad Four,” he said.
Ruslan Stefanchuk also thanked the Czech Republic for its political, military and humanitarian support for Ukraine, which has been provided since the first days of russia's full-scale aggression. “However, the war continues and we need continuous supplies of weapons,” he stressed, noting that Ukraine's needs include air defence systems, artillery and armoured vehicles.
At the same time, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine thanked Miloš Vystrčil and Markéta Pekarová Adamová for signing an open letter to the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson on the introduction of HR 815, the U.S. International Assistance Bill passed by the U.S. Senate on 13 February 2024, which provides for $60.06 billion in aid to Ukraine.
Ruslan Stefanchuk stressed that this is an act of solidarity with Ukraine: “We all understand that the continued military support of the United States of America plays a crucial role in this war for democracy on the European continent.”
The parties also discussed practical steps on Ukraine's path to the European Union and NATO, strengthening sanctions pressure against the russian federation, and rebuilding Ukraine.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine expressed his gratitude to the Czech Republic for its patronage of the Dnipro region and the implementation of reconstruction projects in the Kharkiv region, as well as for hosting the Second Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimean Platform in the Czech Republic in October 2023.
Ruslan Stefanchuk emphasised the importance of the Czech side's participation in the commemorative events to commemorate the Holodomor victims in Kyiv on 25 November 2023, which was another important gesture of support for our country.
At the same time, he expressed gratitude to the Czech Republic for its support of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi's Peace Formula – a Formula for a just and sustainable peace – and for the Czech Republic's contribution to the European Council's decision to start negotiations on Ukraine's membership in the European Union.
“We are grateful for the support of the Czech Republic in unblocking 50 billion euros of EU assistance for Ukraine. This is what gives us confidence,” he said, calling for further support for Ukraine.
For her part, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, welcomed the participation of the Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, in the Visegrad Group. “Our goal is for Ukraine to win the war unleashed by russia's aggression,” she said, adding that this meeting is a step towards achieving this goal.
In conclusion, the Chairman of the Senate of the Czech Republic, Miloš Vystrčil, expressed hope that the meeting would result in increased assistance to Ukraine. He also stated that the Czech Republic supports Ukraine at the level of the President, Government and Parliament.