Prague [Czech Republic], March 14: Czech President Petr Pavel said today during his visit to Slovakia that it would be easier to justify Ukraine's entry into the European Union as an economic, social and cultural move than a military one if it were to be admitted to NATO.
"Many countries agree that Ukraine should be invited to the Western bloc as soon as possible. I think that the membership of Ukraine or any country in the European Union can be more easily explained to those who do not want it as an economic, social and cultural step, rather than a military one. It is certain that the eventual admission of Ukraine to the EU will not cause as many controversies as thoughts about its admission to NATO," Pavel told the Czech news agency CTK.
The Czech president, a retired general and former head of the NATO Military Committee, warned that Ukraine is starting to run out of ammunition and weapons and that it is necessary to help it with what it needs for a successful defense and eventually for an offensive to try to restore control over its territory and borders.
"First of all, these are armored combat vehicles, anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense, because we see how mass attacks on civil infrastructure aim to paralyze Ukraine and how many human lives and material victims they take," Pavel said.
The Czech president said that the Ukrainian army also lacks ammunition, and unlike Russia, which has its own production, although it may have a logistical problem to deliver ammunition to the front, Ukraine does not have the ability to produce ammunition, and it needs about 10,000 artillery shells per day.
"Material and financial aid is the only thing that can maintain the morale of Ukrainian soldiers, but also of the Ukrainian public, which is currently very high. It is necessary to explain to Czech citizens that aid to Ukraine is necessary. If our citizens do not see the meaning of aid to Ukraine, if they are not realized that we are helping ourselves, then it will be difficult to maintain this pace of help," Pavel said.
According to tradition since the breakup of Czechoslovakia, the Czech president went to Bratislava today for his first foreign visit after taking the oath on March 9, and he agreed with Slovak president Zuzana Čaputova to travel together to Kiev in April at the invitation of Ukrainian president VolodymyrZelensky.
Source: Beta News Agency