President Petr Pavel to Visit Ukraine in April

Petr Pavel, Czechia’s president-elect, reportedly intends to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensy in April.

The recently inaugurated Czech president agreed on this during a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday, which according to Pavel’s spokeswoman was requested by president Zelensky so he could congratulate Pavel on taking office.

The visit will be part of a wider diplomatic trip abroad, including to Brussels, after Pavel’s official inauguration into office on March 9.

“Czech support is crucial for Ukraine in fighting against [the Russian Federation]’s aggression,” Zelenskiy tweeted.

Pavel earlier said that Ukraine’s membership in NATO has to be considered after the war with Russia ends.

Since the full-scale war began, Pavel has been known for his steadfast advocacy of military support for Ukraine, saying in February that Kyiv should be given any and all conventional weapons necessary for victory.

Speaking with Ukrainian publication Suspilne, the retired general and former senior NATO commander said that Ukraine has “done its homework” on common values, long-term interests, and technical interoperability with the alliance.

However, admitting Ukraine now, would make NATO a party to the conflict, which may lead to nuclear war, he said.

Nevertheless, Pavel added that he believes Ukraine deserves to be considered as a new NATO member for meeting alliance standards and defending commonly-held values.

Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian invasion for more than a year. Western countries including the Czech Republic are providing financial, military and humanitarian support to Ukraine.