The President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, opened the Prague Defense Summit and said that hopes that future US President Donald Trump would be able to resolve the conflict in Ukraine quickly as he promised were unrealistic, and warned that a likely deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin would be to the detriment of Ukraine and Europe.
"Many countries are hoping that Donald Trump will bring change, especially since he is talking about resolving the conflict in 24 hours. It is unrealistic, but I think he will make efforts to come to an agreement with Putin. It will probably not be in our interest or in Ukraine's interest." , Pavel said in the debate at the beginning of the three-day conference.
The Czech president, otherwise a retired general and former head of the NATO Military Committee, said that it is necessary to wait for concrete moves when Trump comes to the White House, because what is currently being learned about the peace plan from Trump's advisers looks like a simple handing over to Russia of the territories it occupied with banning Ukraine from joining NATO for 20 years, while transferring responsibility for an eventual large demilitarized zone to Europe.
"The result is the temporary secession of some territories and the establishment of an administrative border in the conflict until we manage to reach a diplomatic solution," said Pavel.
The Czech president warned that the situation on the battlefield, where Russia has an advantage, is such that it is difficult to motivate the warring parties to negotiate.
"There have been no proposals for negotiations until now. Neither the Russian proposal nor the Ukrainian plan for complete victory were negotiation proposals. Neither has China presented a concrete plan for negotiations," Pavel said and warned that both India and China should be involved in peace initiatives. put pressure on Russia.
The Czech president believes that Russia's current advantage on the battlefield is the result of the West's slow and weak initial support for Ukraine when Russia attacked.
"Russia's aggression against Ukraine is not just another conflict in a series, but redefines the international order and is crucial not only for Ukraine but also for international principles such as sovereignty and territorial integrity. Support for Ukraine must not weaken," said the Czech president.
In his opinion, transatlantic ties are a necessity for the world to face the challenges and threats of authoritarian states such as Russia, North Korea and others.
"I called on China to play a more active role. Being a world power does not only bring benefits but also means responsibility," said Pavel.
The President of the Czech Republic appealed to Europe not to wait for the moves of the new American administration, but to start learning on its own that peace rests on a strong defense, that concessions for the sake of peace are always only an invitation to further aggression, and that its security is not guaranteed by the mere fact that NATO exists .
"Europe must invest more in defense. Two percent of GDP is simply not enough. Europe will have to do more regardless of the outcome of the American elections. With Trump, we can do it faster," said Pavel.
Petr Pavel recalled that in his first presidential term, Trump shocked his allies when he said that the US would not defend those allies who do not invest enough in defense, even though Article 5 of the NATO agreement guarantees collective defense.
"We were shocked, but some American friends told me - separate the man from the statement. And that message is fine," said Pavel.
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