‘Ukraine has to be able to defend itself because it defends the rest of Europe’, says Jan Lipavský, partly in response to standoff over aid in US congress

The Czech Republic says it is on the verge of delivering thousands of extra artillery shells to Ukraine, just weeks after it announced an initiative to source the much-needed supplies from outside the EU.

Its foreign minister, Jan Lipavský, said it had so far secured 300,000 shells and that the ammunition would provide a vital “few months’ breathing space” on the frontline. Sources added that the first deliveries would come before June.

“We have a direct experience with 40 years of being a satellite of Moscow, being a country which was invaded in 1968 by Russian tanks to curb the Prague Spring,” said Lipavský, adding that his country could not stand by and watch Ukraine go without help. “No one really wants to bring back those [Soviet] times, and I have to say that the population is very sensitive to that.”

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  • Rapidcreek@lemmy.worldEnglish
    8·
    8 months ago

    The Czech Republic did a solid for Ukraine bÿ searching the world for arty shells. Now EU countries are giving them money to buy them and send them to Kiev. Ukraine can pound the Russians with a quarter million artillery shells a month, if they have them. I believe CR can round up about a million. Question is, will they all work.