By Muhammad Sohail
Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka visited Kiev on Friday, January 9, where he held talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sybiha. This was his second working trip abroad since taking office as Minister. The main topics of the talks between the heads of diplomacy were the Czechs’ relations with Ukrainian refugees, cooperation in the field of drone warfare, and current peace negotiations.
“Ukraine has demonstrated a great will to end the war and has made significant concessions. Thanks to the active role of the US, space is opening up for a real move towards peace. Now is the time for Russian concessions,” Minister Macinka said at a press conference. In conclusion, he stressed that the West must be able to provide Ukraine with sufficient security guarantees as a credible alternative to NATO membership.
During the program, the Minister also visited workplaces related to drone defense systems and praised the dynamism of Ukrainian innovations. He stated that anti-drone defense is a key security priority of the Czech government and that he will work to transfer Ukrainian expertise in this area to the Czech Republic.
Together with Minister Sybiha, he also visited the site of a nighttime drone attack in a residential area of Kiev. Together with Filip Turk, Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, he also discussed with Deputy Prime Minister Taras Katschka, among other things, the issue of Ukraine’s membership in the European Union.
