Czech President warns newly formed government against scaling back aid to Ukraine
Photo: Czech President Petr Pavel (Getty Images)
Czech President Petr Pavel urged the new government not to scale back support for Ukraine, emphasizing that it is important both for the security of Czechia itself and for its future economic opportunities, ČTK reports.
During a meeting with representatives from Liberec, President Petr Pavel emphasized that ending support for Ukraine would be a strategic mistake.
This statement comes amid the formation of a new coalition government, as the ANO, SPD, and Motorists parties have already called for a review of Czechia’s support for Ukraine. For instance, the day before, Chamber of Deputies Speaker Tomio Okamura (SPD) told journalists that SPD wants to halt all financial aid to Ukraine, as well as Czech initiatives regarding ammunition supplies.
At the same time, Pavel believes that Czechia should continue supporting Ukraine not only for ideological reasons but also for practical ones, as cutting aid would deprive the country of future opportunities in Ukraine’s reconstruction and reduce its own security.
"Even if we set aside solidarity, principles, and values and look at the situation purely pragmatically, stopping support for Ukraine now is completely illogical. It would close off our path to future cooperation in rebuilding Ukraine, which will inevitably begin sooner or later. Therefore, even those who do not see the need to help a country under attack must understand: supporting Ukraine strengthens our own future security and opens significant economic opportunities," the president said.
He also noted that after the war, a large-scale reconstruction process will begin, and countries that have shown solidarity with Kyiv will have better chances to participate in it and gain economic benefits.
"That is why I try to explain to everyone who doubts the need to continue helping Ukraine that supporting it is in our own interest. A successful end to the war and fair peace negotiations for Ukraine are important not only from a security perspective but also economically. Helping Ukraine now means not only future security guarantees for us but also new economic opportunities. This is what we need to focus on," Petr Pavel added.
From the president’s perspective, a pragmatic approach clearly supports the continuation of aid.
Earlier, President Pavel stated that a Russian victory in the war against Ukraine would be a defeat for the entire West.
Incidentally, Czechia canceled the modernization of T-72 tanks intended for transfer to Ukraine due to technical issues with their fire control system.
