Dn the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, the Czech government has clearly chosen its side, through a unique initiative. The Ministry of Defence, in cooperation with the Ukrainian Embassy in Prague, has launched an online kitty to arm the Ukrainian military. With a success that exceeds all expectations: more than a billion Czech crowns have been collected, the equivalent of 41 million euros, reports International mail.
This sum, gathered in a little less than seven weeks, should allow the purchase of weapons from Czech companies which themselves are participating in the project. The ordered references are supposed to precisely meet the needs of the Ukrainian army. According to the Ukrainian embassy, almost 117,000 Czechs took part in this collection. Note that the kitty is open to the whole world, but 90% of the donations are made by Czech nationals.
Thanks from the Ukrainian Ambassador
This initiative was launched the day after Russia attempted to invade Ukraine on Friday 25 February. “It was the Czech Ministry of Defense that presented the project to the Ukrainian Embassy, in response to the desire expressed immediately by many Czechs”, writes the local site Aktualne.cz, quoted by International mail. Since the discovery of war crimes possibly committed by the Russian army, donations have been pouring in. Czech Defense Minister Jana Cernochová said she was “extraordinarily proud of the solidarity of [ses] fellow citizens “. For his part, the Ukrainian ambassador declared that he would “never thank the Czechs enough”.
