Zelensky meets Czech, Romanian presidents in Lithuania

President Volodymyr Zelensky met with his Czech and Romanian counterparts, Petr Pavel and Klaus Iohannis, while visiting Lithuania on April 11, according to Ukraine's Presidential Office.

Zelensky arrived in Vilnius earlier on April 11 to take part in the Three Seas Summit and hold talks with the leaders of the partner countries.

The Three Seas Initiative (TSI) is a forum of 13 European Union states, running along a north-south axis from the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic and Black Seas in Central and Eastern Europe.

The initiative aims to provide a regional dialogue on questions affecting the member states, including economic and infrastructure issues.

At the summit, Zelensky reportedly discussed military support for Ukraine and strengthening defense industry cooperation with Pavel.

Zelensky also briefed him about the situation on the front line in Ukraine, intensified Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure and the country's need for energy equipment, according to the statement.

"Thank you for the initiatives of the Czech Republic in support of Ukraine. Thank you for the military assistance we received," Zelensky said.

In February, Pavel said that Prague had identified 500,000 155 mm shells and 300,000 122 mm shells outside of Europe that could be bought and sent to Ukraine after the necessary funds were allocated.

The Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported that the initiative had concluded contracts for 1 million artillery shells for Ukraine, with shipments expected already in April.

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The Kyiv IndependentChris York

The two presidents also discussed a long-term bilateral security agreement between Ukraine and the Czech Republic, a deal which Kyiv has already signed with nine countries.

The agreements are based on a pledge made by the Group of Seven (G7) last July, which aims to bolster Ukraine's ability to resist Russian aggression.

During a meeting with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, Zelensky told him about Russia's attack on the Dnister Hydroelectric Power Plant in Chernivtsi Oblast, a few kilometers from the Ukrainian-Moldovan border, warning of possible threats to the latter country.

The two leaders reportedly discussed strengthening cooperation between the three nations, including the development of infrastructure and logistics routes on the common border.

"We appreciate Romania's position on the transit of Ukrainian agricultural products. In the context of Russia's aggression, the Ukrainian-Romanian partnership makes a significant contribution to global food security," Zelensky said.

As of early April, over 36 million metric tons of goods have been shipped through Ukraine's Black Sea corridor since its opening in August 2023, according to Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov.

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The agreement entails “enhanced cooperation for Ukraine’s reconstruction, personal data protection, digitalization, and cybersecurity,” the ministry said. It will also help “to improve migration,” as well as “border policies and processes.”

The Kyiv IndependentNate Ostiller