PM Shmyhal to meet EU leaders in Prague to discuss military aid for Ukraine

Denys Shmyhal, Ukraine's prime minister, speaks during a news conference at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, UK, on Thursday, June 22, 2023. (Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal will hold meetings with some of the EU leaders in Prague on May 28 to discuss military aid for Ukraine, Czech media outlet Ceske Noviny reported, citing Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala.

The Czech government announced over the weekend that Polish President Andrzej Duda, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silinova would attend the meeting, which will take place on May 28 in Kramar's villa in Prague.

Fiala added that apart from Shmyhal, a U.S. representative would also be present, but he did not specify who would attend and at what level, Ceske Noviny reported.

The parties will discuss how to improve the coordination of aid to Ukraine, including ammunition supply, air defense, and cooperation in the defense industry.

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"We will discuss how we can help in this critical phase that Ukraine is going through in its defense against Russian aggression, how the current initiatives are working at the moment," Fiala said.

The meeting's participants will also discuss the Czech initiative to buy artillery ammunition for Ukraine.

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

Over 20 countries have joined the initiative and are already contributing or willing to contribute.

"I cannot discuss the details. The most important news is that the first deliveries under the initiative will arrive in Ukraine during June," Fiala said.

Read also: Slovak citizens raise funds to buy over 2,500 shells for Ukraine