French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, March 5, urged Ukraine's allies "not to be cowardly" in supporting the country to fight off the Russian invasion. "We are surely approaching a moment for Europe in which it will be necessary not to be cowardly," he said on a visit to the Czech Republic. "War has returned to our land."
The French president went to Prague on Tuesday to clarify his country's standpoint on a Czech plan to buy weapons outside Europe for war-ravaged Ukraine. He is due to meet Czech President Petr Pavel and Prime Minister Petr Fiala, and address a nuclear forum during his one-day visit.
At a security conference in Munich last month, Pavel said the Czech Republic – an EU and NATO member of 10.8 million people – was able to collect a substantial amount of weaponry for Ukraine outside the continent.
He said that working with Canada and Denmark, the Czechs had "identified" 500,000 rounds of 155-millimetre ammunition and 300,000 122-millimetre shells "which we would be able to deliver within weeks" given the needed funds.
Macron said his country would take part in the initiative but did not disclose any details as to how much it would contribute. The Netherlands has already pledged to donate €100 million.