On Europe Day, May 9, a large-scale rally was held in the capital of the Czech Republic – Prague – calling for the creation of a ‘European Sky Shield’ for Ukraine, aimed at protecting it from Russian aggression. Participants in the event, including Czechs and Ukrainians, marched through the city center with flags and slogans, expressing support for the security assistance plan for Ukraine.
This is reported by Kyiv24
The main idea of the rally was a call to Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala to support the initiative for creating a defensive system for Ukraine – the ‘European Sky Shield for Ukraine’. Participants held shields cut out of cardboard, painted in the colors of the Czech flag, as well as with NATO and EU emblems.
“There is no better way to celebrate Europe Day than to support those Europeans who are facing brutal aggression, namely Ukrainians, and to support the ‘Sky Shield’ operation,” noted co-organizer of the rally Tomáš Pešinský.
Support from International Experts and Politicians
The rally was joined not only by Ukrainians and Czechs but also by international experts and politicians who expressed their support for this project. The plan includes the deployment of 120 aircraft to protect central and western Ukraine from missile and drone attacks, which pose a serious threat to Ukrainian infrastructure.
Olena Maksymenko, a lawyer from Odesa living in the Czech Republic, emphasized:
“I came to support this rally simply because I understand that as long as our sky is not protected and this war continues, every child living in Ukraine faces physical and moral pressure every day, every minute. Not to mention the women and elderly people who live there in an unprotected state.”
Dmytro Horiuk from Kharkiv expressed the opinion that the proposal to bypass the eastern regions of Ukraine in the protection plan is incorrect:
“Europe must protect Ukraine across its entire territory.”
International Support and Initiatives
The protection plan has received support from 73 politicians, diplomats, and experts from Europe and North America, including political scientists, former high-ranking officials, and military personnel. Notably, Slovak politician Fedor Gal, Czech documentary filmmaker Olga Sommerova, and former commander of the U.S. Army in Europe Ben Hodges expressed their support for this initiative.
The event was organized by Czech civic organizations ‘Civic Guide’, Pulse of Europe z.s., and ‘Voice of Ukraine’, which sent an open letter calling for support for the Czech Prime Minister’s plan. The letter emphasizes that the security of Ukraine and Europe depends on effective measures to protect the country’s sky and calls for joint action in this important area.