Biden thanked Czech PM for helping supply almost 1M rounds of ammunition to Ukraine
The Prime Minister of the Czechia, Petr Fiala, and the President of the US, Joe Biden (photo: twitter.com/WhiteHouse)
President Biden and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala discussed aid to Ukraine, which is repelling Russia's large-scale military aggression, in Washington. The parties, in particular, touched upon the issue of supplying artillery shells to Kyiv, according to the White House and Holos Ameryky.
"The leaders underscored their unwavering support for Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia’s brutal invasion," the press release from the US President's office stated.
Biden commented on the Czech initiative to supply ammunition to Ukraine, which is in great need on the front lines.
"I want to thank you for your assistance, Mr. Prime Minister, in providing nearly 1 million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine. We are committed to fulfilling our part of the commitment," emphasized the American President.
In this context, Biden added that Congress must approve the extension of funding for Ukraine's support, which is very important for the US, and approve a bipartisan national security bill.
The parties also focused on challenges in the Middle East region, condemning the blatant and unprecedented attacks on Israel by Iran and its proxy groups.
Biden welcomed the Czech law mandating at least 2% of GDP be spent on defense needs. The US president also positively commented on Prague's decision to purchase 24 American F-35 aircraft for $4.5 billion.
During the meeting at the White House, the parties also discussed energy security, deepening strategic ties, and shared democratic values.
Czech initiative regarding ammunition for Ukraine
Back in February, Czech President Petr Pavel announced that his country had found 800,000 shells for Ukraine, but funding was needed for their transfer.
Later, Ukraine's partners began announcing that they were allocating funds to purchase shells for our country.
According to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, the first batch of Czech shells was expected in April of this year.
Yesterday, April 15, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced that Czechia had contracted to purchase 180,000 shells for further transfer to Ukraine. Another 300,000 ammunition are planned to be contracted.
