Negotiations on the Ukrainian crisis continued, and Prague and Warsaw promised Kiev ammunition
Negotiations continued today around the world about the tense situation around Ukraine and fears of a possible military aggression by Russia against that country. Prague and Warsaw promised Kiev, among other things, ammunition supplies, and the Ukrainian president signed a decree to strengthen defense.
There have also been calls for a diplomatic solution to the crisis. In Moscow, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, who described his trip as a “peacekeeping mission” and said that none of the EU member states wanted a war. Among other things, the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Kiev, who said that Putin “holds a gun to his head so that he does not want to change our European security architecture”.
The prime ministers of Poland and Britain visited Kiev today, who both supported Ukraine. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that Warsaw was ready to hand over artillery ammunition, portable anti-aircraft missiles, light mortars and observation drones to the Ukrainians. According to the Unian agency, he also stated that Poland is preparing for the worst case scenario, however he hopes that it will not happen. But in the event of a Russian invasion, he is ready to receive wounded Ukrainians and part of the Ukrainian population.
Johnson, according to a Reuters agency, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky another on how to intimidate Russia. “The Obalisators warned that another Russian invasion of Ukraine would be a huge strategic mistake and would have clear humanitarian consequences,” Reuters was quoted as saying in a statement issued after the meeting. The British prime minister warned that in the event of a possible fall of the Russian army on Ukraine, Moscow must automatically expect to face sanctions.
Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán has headed for Moscow and said that Budapest expects to agree to increase supplies of Russian natural gas. At the same time, he spoke out against further sanctions against Russia; According to him, the current anti-Russian sanctions have so far affected Hungary more than Russia. The head of the Kremlin warned at a press conference that Russia sees Ukraine’s possible future entry into the North Atlantic Alliance as a threat to its own security. Putin also stressed that Moscow in a recent US written statement on a Russian security passport lacked an adequate response to the most important body.
In a phone call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, US Foreign Minister Antony Blinken called on Russia to vote in diplomacy. He also talked about the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from the Ukrainian border. Lavrov said the US agreed to further negotiations on security issues.
Ukrainian President Zelensky has signed a decree strengthening the country’s defenses, which envisages an increase in the Ukrainian army by 100,000 troops over the next three years and an increase in their salaries. According to him, the decree marks the beginning of Ukraine’s transition to a professional army. The head of state again warned of panic over the threat of Russian invasion.
For the first time, Ukraine began receiving natural gas from Western Europe via Hungary. This opened up a new supply route for the country at a time when the threat of war with Russia threatens Ukraine’s energy security, Reuters said. Qatar, meanwhile, has acknowledged that although it is one of the largest gas exports, it will unilaterally replace a possible Russian gas outage in Europe.
In her speech, Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová pointed out that Russia’s demands on NATO go beyond Ukraine and also apply to Slovakia and other post-communist countries, such as the Czechia. According to her, a possible conflict between Russia and Ukraine would also be felt by Slovakia, for example in the form of migration waves from Ukraine.
The State Security Council discussed the photo of preparing the Czechia for the effects of a possible Russian aggression against Ukraine in Prague today. “We are counting on a diplomatic solution and I believe in it, but we are also prepared for a worse scenario,” said Prime Minister Petr Fiala after the meeting. Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky, who will visit Ukraine next week, said that Russia’s use of force would be unacceptable.
According to Interior Minister Vít Rakušan, the Czechia is counting on possible humanitarian aid on the spot. The Austrian also recalled the agreement with Slovakia that the Czechia could, if necessary, send a contingent of police officers to its border with Ukraine.
Representatives of the Czech Republic and Ukraine today signed an agreement on the donation of artillery ammunition, specifically 4,000 artillery shells, which was approved by the Czech government last week. Deputy Minister of Defense Daniel Blažkovec and Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhny also signed an agreement for a long time, which will allow the treatment of wounded Ukrainian soldiers in the Czech Republic. (CTK)