Level of solidarity with Ukraine among Czechs remains high – Government Envoy
Government Envoy for Ukraine's Reconstruction Tomas Kopecny stated this in an interview with Ukrinform.
He cited data from the sociological agency STEM, which shows that public opinion has remained largely consistent: around 40% of Czechs support military supplies (not because they do not want Ukraine to win, but because they fear Russia could strike their country). At the same time, 70–80% of people want to help Ukraine with humanitarian aid, deliver equipment to hospitals, trade, develop, and rebuild the country. The overwhelming majority consistently wish for Ukraine's victory.
"95% of our citizens consistently consider Russia to be the aggressor. Only about 5% in this country have any sympathies toward Russia," Kopecny noted.
He recalled that together with then-Ukrainian Ambassador Yevhen Perebyinis, they opened a bank account to raise funds for Ukraine on the third day after Russia's full-scale invasion. Within one day, the account collected EUR 2 million, and after six weeks – EUR 40 million. The envoy admitted that he initially believed that by autumn 2022, the public would be tired and even the government would lose enthusiasm to continue, but support only grew stronger.
"Often, when citizens see something unjust in Europe or the world, for example, when Donald Trump says something against Ukraine, donations sharply increase… Every time such an event happens, people once again start contributing massively," Kopecny said.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, Czechs have raised 2.8 million euros to purchase a helicopter for Ukrainian intelligence.
Photos provided by Tomas Kopecny from his archive and by Ukrinform
