Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine hoped to receive some three million artillery shells from its allies this year, including 1.8 million a program led by Czechs.
During a meeting with the Czech President and former NATO general, Petr Pavel, Zelenskyy also said that discussions were underway for a Ukrainian-Tchèque training school for F16 fighter planes pilots.
“Obviously, for security reasons, we cannot open such a base in Ukraine for the moment. Russian strikes continue every day and we therefore work with our partners to ensure that these schools can be opened outside Ukraine and this will happen,” said Zelenskyy.
During the meeting, he renewed his call for a 30-day break in hostilities, as the United States initially proposed, and said he thought that a ceasefire with Russia was possible.
“Today is the 54th day when Russia ignored the American proposal for a full ceasefire. We think that a cease-fire is possible at any time, even from today, and should last at least 30 days to give a real chance to diplomacy.
His visit to the Czech capital comes in the middle of the announcement by Russia of a 72-hour ceasefire next week to mark the day of victory during the Second World War.
Chinese chief Xi Jinping will make an official visit to Russia from May 7 to 10, confirmed the Kremlin on Sunday, to discuss “subsequent development of complete partnership and strategic interaction” and “questions on the international and regional agenda”.
Zelenskyy's visit also follows Putin's comments on state television that the need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine had not appeared and that it hopes that it will not be.
In the comments broadcast in a film on Russian state television on Sunday about its quarter of a century in power, Putin said that Russia had the strength and the means of bringing the conflict in Ukraine to a “logical conclusion”.
Editor • Rory Elliott Armstrong
