Countries agreed in Paris on the need for a strong Ukrainian army, said Prime Minister Fiala

Paris – The need for a strong Ukrainian army now and in the future to deter Russia was agreed upon today by representatives of thirty countries, who gathered in Paris at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron. They are therefore planning further deliveries of military material, as well as support for the Ukrainian defense industry and the exchange of intelligence information, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala told reporters after the meeting.

The debate about sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine is still premature, Fiala said. “The topic is in the air, but it’s not on the table,” he stated. All countries, according to him, first need to know the details of a potential ceasefire, as well as the status of the units that would be sent to Ukraine. “These are all open questions that we don’t have answers to,” the Prime Minister remarked. The Czech President Petr Pavel recently expressed the opinion that Czech soldiers should participate in such a mission.

Representatives of thirty countries met in Paris at Macron’s invitation; the summit of the so-called coalition of the willing built upon several previous similar meetings and virtual discussions. With the participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, attendees focused on the possibilities of further support for the country attacked by Russia. “We showed unity not only among European countries, a very strong will to help Ukraine, and to achieve a just and lasting peace,” Fiala stated.

According to Fiala, there was absolute agreement on the need for a strong Ukrainian army now and in the future. This means, among other things, continuing to supply Ukraine with military material. “Artillery ammunition, air defense systems, missiles, aviation ammunition, but it’s also support for the production of drones directly in Ukraine,” said Fiala. Countries also want to help Ukraine with troop training, support its defense industry, and share intelligence information.

According to the Czech Prime Minister, the latest developments show that Russia does not have enough will for a ceasefire. “It rather aims to conquer more Ukrainian territories. It is not interested in ending the war, but in lifting sanctions. Anyone who today calls for the lifting of sanctions helps Russia, stands on the side of aggression and the continuation of the war. It was clearly stated here that no lifting of sanctions can and should happen,” declared Fiala.

The participating states also agreed that in the future they must be stronger than Russia, the Czech Prime Minister added. “We must think about our security from a long-term perspective, have strong armies that will protect us from Russia, invest more in defense, take more care of our own security,” he said. (March 27)