Zelensky flew to Prague yesterday, escorted by two Czech Air Force jets, after holding talks in Bulgaria. He aims to build support for Ukraine by getting an invitation to begin the process of joining Nato at a summit in Vilnius next week.

Kyiv’s allies are divided over how fast Ukraine should join Nato, and some Western governments are wary of any move that might take the alliance closer to war with Russia, which invaded Ukraine almost 500 days ago.

“We don’t know when the war will end, but what we do know now is that we need to open the door to the European Union, to the North Atlantic Alliance to the brave Ukrainian people,” Fiala told a press conference alongside Zelensky.

Zelensky said Ukraine needed to do everything possible to start EU accession talks.

After talks with Czech president Petr Pavel yesterday, Zelensky said regarding Nato that his country needed much more than the general statement of more than 10 years’ standing that the door to the alliance was merely “open”.