On March 20, 2025, the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, arrived in Ukraine on an official visit. During his visit, he went to Odesa, which was attacked by Russian-Iranian Shahed drones at the same time.
He was greeted by Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister for Reconstruction, OleksiI Kubela, and the President also had a meeting with Ukrainian military personnel and the heads of the Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kherson regional military administrations.
They discussed key issues related to the security of maritime navigation, Ukraine’s recovery, and the development of Ukrainian communities.
Petr Pavel, even before being elected Head of State, consistently advocated for supporting Ukraine. His personal stance and experience on the international stage have strengthened the political weight of Czech assistance, which is among the most systematic within the EU. The visit of the President of the Czech Republic to Odesa was a logical continuation of Prague’s active participation in strengthening and supporting Ukraine.
He last visited Ukraine nearly two years ago. During his presidency, the Czech Republic became one of Ukraine’s most reliable strategic partners.
During bilateral meetings, Ukrainian representatives expressed their gratitude to the Czech people and government for their ongoing support in countering Russian aggression.
The Czech Republic remains among the leaders in providing military and technical assistance to Ukraine. The total amount of defense support from 2022 to 2024 reached 900 million USD.
The Czech Republic is also actively involved in the reconstruction of Ukraine. The government of the Republic allocates over 20 million USD annually in financial support for humanitarian, stabilization, economic aid, and reconstruction efforts.
«The Czech people have demonstrated that Ukraine is not alone in this fight, and we highly appreciate your position,» said Oleksii Kuleba, Vice Prime Minister for Reconstruction of Ukraine.
It is worth noting that during the President’s visit to Odesa, Russia launched three groups of Shahed attack drones. The entire civilized world must witness Russia’s crimes against Ukraine.
Discussions began with issues at the regional level, focusing on the reconstruction of Ukrainian regions affected by the conflict.
The Czech side has taken patronage over Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and is involved in projects in Kyiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, and Lviv regions. Dozens of initiatives have already been implemented, including providing hospitals with modern equipment, building modular medical points, and supplying water purification stations, generators, and school buses. In just the past two years, humanitarian projects worth several million dollars have been implemented in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
As part of the «Renovation and Modernization of Hospitals» project, involving the Czech National Development Bank and the Czech Development Agency, significant investments in the medical sector are being prepared. This includes the modernization of the Kyiv Regional Children’s Hospital and the Lviv Regional Veterans’ Hospital.
The heads of the Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kherson regional military administrations also joined the discussion. Together with them, they explored the prospects for expanding humanitarian aid to the affected regions.
Energy issues also played a significant role in the talks. Co-generation units, transformers, and other energy equipment provided by Czech partners have significantly strengthened Ukraine’s energy system. The next steps in cooperation in this sector include renewable energy and attracting Czech investments into relevant projects.
The Czech Republic will also continue supplying specialized equipment for clearing Ukrainian land from explosive objects, including Božena systems, which will significantly accelerate the pace of demining in frontline areas.
The focus of the discussion was maritime security. Since the summer of 2023, Russia has launched more than 450 missiles at Ukraine’s port infrastructure. However, Ukraine remains a guarantor of global food security – since the launch of the Ukrainian corridor, Ukrainian ports have transported 110 million tons of cargo.
The importance of establishing convenient and fast passenger rail connections between Ukraine and the Czech Republic was also emphasized. A direct, non-transferable route from Kyiv to Przemyśl to Prague is scheduled to launch soon. In addition, the modernization of the track infrastructure and locomotive fleet of JSC «Ukrzaliznytsia» was discussed, with the possibility of localizing production in Ukraine.
At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides confirmed their shared vision for Ukraine’s future within the European and Euro-Atlantic family, emphasizing the importance of further cooperation within the frameworks of the European Union and NATO initiatives.
In this context, Oleksii Kuleba emphasized: «We highly appreciate the support of the Czech Republic on Ukraine’s European integration path and our NATO membership. Ukraine aims to strengthen European security, and together with our partners, we will work towards creating a new stability architecture in the region»
He also thanked the President for supporting Ukrainians who have found refuge in the Czech Republic. The country’s government is providing strong assistance regarding the integration of Ukrainians, including access to education, healthcare, and the labor market.
«Mr. President, your presence here is yet another powerful signal of support for Ukraine. We are confident that together we can achieve even greater success in building our partnership. Ukrainian-Czech friendship has a long history, and today we are laying a strong foundation for the future of our cooperation. Thank you for your attention and for your support!» concluded Oleksii Kuleba.
