Czech president meets Zelensky in Kyiv to show support amid worsening energy crisis
Editor's note: The story is being updated.
Czech President Petr Pavel arrived in Kyiv on Jan. 16 for talks with his counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, as Ukraine grapples with an energy crisis caused by Russian attacks.
Pavel and Zelensky would discuss ways "to advance our strategic partnership, defense cooperation, and peace efforts," said Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who welcomed Pavel upon his arrival in the morning.
The news follows days of sustained Russian drone and missile attacks against the energy grid in Kyiv and elsewhere in Ukraine, leaving citizens without heat and electricity amid freezing temperatures.
Ukrainian authorities have declared a state of emergency to tackle the consequences and alleviate humanitarian challenges facing the population.
As part of his visit, the Czech president and Zelensky jointly paid tribute to fallen Ukrainian soldiers at Kyiv's Memorial Wall before the official talks.
"I informed (President Pavel) about the situation on the front line and about our recovery needs," Zelensky said on X after the meeting. "Every day, Ukrainians have to restore essential services after Russian attacks."
Pavel said that the two leaders also discussed peace efforts, and he praised Kyiv for doing a "great job to put an acceptable proposal on the table."
"The key now will be for Russia, which started the war, to speed up the peace process," the Czech president noted on social media. He also reaffirmed that Prague would continue supporting Ukraine through the ammunition initiative and preparations for EU membership.
Pavel, who first visited the western city of Lviv on Jan. 15 before heading to the capital, also underscored Czech support for the Ukrainian energy sector in a separate post earlier in the day.
"At a time when darkness and cold have become a form of pressure, Czechs are operating here not only as entrepreneurs, but above all as partners and allies," the Czech president said on X.
A long-time advocate of continued support for Ukraine, Pavel is visiting Kyiv only a week after Czechia's new foreign minister, Petr Macinka, amid a growing divide in the Central European country's stance on the war.
While Macinka reaffirmed that Prague and Kyiv remain partners, far-right members of Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis's new ruling coalition are becoming vocal in their opposition to aiding Ukraine.
