Czech PM calls for ending Russia's war against Ukraine on February 24
Photo: Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (Getty Images)
It would be symbolic and appropriate to end Russia's war against Ukraine before the anniversary of the full-scale invasion on February 24, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš says.
According to Babiš, the leaders of the states involved in the peace talks should set themselves a clear goal: to reach agreements on ending the war and guaranteeing security for all parties.
"It would be good if Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz, Keir Starmer, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Vladimir Putin agreed on a truce and set themselves the goal of ending the war on this sad anniversary of Putin's aggression against Ukraine," the Czech Prime Minister says.
He stressed that the parties must start talking about peace, not just about the war, which has been raging in full force since 2022.
Babiš also confirms his support for further humanitarian aid to Ukraine through the European Union. Separately, he mentioned preparations for the European Council meeting and discussions on freezing and possibly confiscating Russian assets. According to him, relevant initiatives are currently being actively discussed, in particular with the participation of the Prime Ministers of Italy, Belgium, and Bulgaria.
Babiš against aid to Ukraine
In early November, the pro-Ukrainian government of Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala resigned after losing the elections to the Chamber of Deputies. The victory went to the ANO party led by former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, whom President Petr Pavel tasked with forming a new government. Babiš has entered into a coalition agreement with Eurosceptic forces, which could change the country's foreign policy towards the EU and Ukraine.
On December 9, President Pavel officially appointed Babiš as prime minister and, at the same time, called on the new government not to withdraw support for Ukraine, stressing that this is a matter of security for Czechia and its future economic interests. At the same time, Babiš himself had previously repeatedly criticized the Czech shell initiative for Ukraine and stated the need to cancel it.
President Pavel is convinced that ending this initiative will have serious consequences for both Ukraine and Czechia itself. Despite this, Babiš stated that his government will not give Ukraine a single crown for weapons, emphasizing that further assistance will be provided not directly, but through European Union mechanisms.
