Volodymyr Zelenskyy's new golden gun - everything you need to know PHOTO

Ukraine’s president has received an unusual gift from his Czech counterpart – a limited edition, fully functioning gold pistol.

Petr Pavel, a former special forces soldier in the Czech army, said the present to Volodymyr Zelenskyy was to celebrate the heroism of the Ukrainian people in their fight against Russian aggression, The Telegraph reports.

He presented the CZ 75 pistol to the Ukrainian leader, who was dressed in his trademark olive green fatigues, at a meeting in Kyiv.

“Our weapons have been helping Ukraine in its indomitable fight since the beginning,” President Pavel, a firm advocate of sending weapons to Ukraine, wrote on Twitter.

“As a sign of respect for their heroism, I presented Zelenskyy with the legendary CZ 75, serial no. 22. The Order of the White Lion edition captures the courage with which he stands at the head of Ukraine.”

The special edition weapon commemorates the centenary of the Czech Republic's highest state decoration, the Order of the White Lion.

It is described as “the highest state honour for both Czech citizens and foreigners for outstanding services to the Czech Republic, eminent contributions to the defence and security of the state, and for enhancing the nation’s international reputation.”

The gold-plated pistol is engraved with a coat of arms of the Czech Republic and branches from a linden tree, which symbolises the Czech presidency. It was presented to President Zelensky in a box made from Czech maple wood.

A former Nato general, 61-year-old Mr Pavel became president in January after beating a populist challenger, Andrej Babis, who served as prime minister from 2017 until 2021.

With his good looks and military bearing, he has been described as a figure straight out of central casting. “Think Eisenhower or de Gaulle, special-ops variant,” was the verdict of The Economist.

He is regarded as solidly pro-Western and is a staunch supporter of his country's membership of the EU and Nato.

A former airborne reconnaissance platoon leader, Mr Pavel was decorated for valour by the French after his unit came to the rescue of a group of French soldiers trapped during fighting in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

He rose to become chairman of Nato's military committee before retiring in 2018. He studied at the Royal College of Defence Studies in London and obtained a degree in international relations from King's College, London.