Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for a clear signal from next week’s NATO summit following talks in Prague with Czech President Petr Pavel.

His visit to the Czech capital is part of a European tour to shore up support for Ukraine’s war effort and its bid to join NATO.

Earlier in the day, Mr Zelensky held talks in Sofia with Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov.

“What is ideal for us? We want to be invited into NATO,” Mr Zelensky said in Prague, adding that the right moment had come to demonstrate the Western military alliance’s unity and courage in the face of Russia’s war.

At the same time, the Ukrainian president acknowledged that there was resistance and that some nations still look to Moscow.

Mr Pavel, a former NATO general, argued that Ukraine should start accession negotiations with the alliance immediately after the end of the war.

“This is for our security as well. It is for regional stability and economic prosperity,” Mr Pavel stressed. 

He added that the Czech Republic would also advocate that Ukraine’s accession negotiations with the European Union should begin as early as this year.

Mr Pavel, elected president in March, visited Kyiv in April with his Slovakian counterpart Zuzana Caputova. His latest meeting with Zelensky comes just before the NATO summit in Vilnius next Tuesday and Wednesday.

Mr Zelensky was also due to meet Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala.

From January to May, the Czechs provided Ukraine with 24 tanks, 76 armoured personnel carriers and 16 air defence vehicles.

Mr Zelensky is expected to fly to Turkey on Friday.

He is set to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Istanbul. 

(dpa/NAN)