After the prime ministers conference, the heads of parliament of the V4 nations gathered in Prague.
The host, speaker of the Czech parliament Markéta Pekarová Adamová, said Czechia, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary agreed that Russia is the aggressor in Ukraine and that they want to help Ukraine, to achieve a just peace. But she said some members were not helpful with their wording. "Words are also weapons and we should treat them as such," she emphasized.
The head of the chamber also called on colleagues to join the so-called Czech initiative, which is trying to get weapons for Ukraine in the world. "I am glad that Poland and other countries have already joined, but I would be happy if the initiative were to be expanded," said Pekarová Adamová.
The President of the Czech Senate, Miloš Vystrčil, said that they agreed with the speaker of the Slovak parliament, Peter Pellegrini: "We all stand behind Ukraine."
"But do we all mean the same?" he wondered. Is it only about humanitarian support, help in the reconstruction of Ukraine, help for refugees? Or also about military support and arms supplies.
Pellegrini, for his part, said he regretted that Slovakia is facing criticism because it 'dares' to talk about the need to at least try to trigger peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.
"I'm a little disappointed that Slovakia is being criticised. We helped very intensively in military terms at the beginning of the conflict, and we still help with all we can," he said.
The president of the Polish Senate, Malgorzata Kidawová-Blońská, said she came to the summit with "great concerns" about the future of the V4. Interests of individual countries should not overshadow the interests of the entire continent, she said.
In a final statement, the parliamentary leaders committed to promote basic human rights, freedoms, democracy and the rule of law. They also emphasized the importance of getting rid of energy dependence on Russia. (TASR)
