“We cannot turn our backs”: Czech and Slovak presidents visit Kyiv

The new Czech president, Petr Pavel, and his Slovak counterpart, Zuzana Čaputová, have arrived in Ukraine together.

They traveled to war-torn cities in the Kyiv region that were under occupation late in February and March 2022, Czech media report.

Petr Pavel posted a photo of leaders standing in front of a damaged house, probably in the city of Borodianka, on Twitter.

Zuzana Čaputová and I share the values of freedom and justice. It is hard to see with my own eyes that Ukrainians are paying the highest price for this, with the blood and lives of their citizens. The fight against the aggressor protects what unites us, Pavel said.

Čaputová added that the joint visit to Ukraine with President Pavel confirms a new era of relations between the leaders of Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Last night's shameful attacks on several Ukrainian cities, including Uman and Dnipro, which killed innocent people, remind us that we cannot turn our backs, Čaputová wrote on Facebook.

During the visit, the presidents will meet with the Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a number of other officials.

For Petr Pavel, this is his first trip to Ukraine, which he agreed with Kyiv shortly after his inauguration. At the time, it was agreed that he would travel with the president of Slovakia, who has already visited Ukraine since the outbreak of full-scale war.