Europe needs to involve US in discussions and 'reconcile' them with Ukraine - Czech Foreign Minister

According to him, European countries should also focus on being ready to replace American support for Ukraine and European security with their resources.

"We (also) need to continue to engage with the US on debate on European security and we need to find a way maybe how to bring Ukraine and the US closer together. We should not give up on the US, definitely not. But this is the reality and we have to do what we can," Lipavsky said.

The head of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the European Commission's package for financing the governments of EU countries as part of the rearmament plan. According to the minister, this will serve as a solid foundation for the EU leaders' summit on Thursday, where issues concerning Ukraine and security will be discussed.

At the summit, he expects to see clear positions from all 27 member countries that will define the way forward on security matters.

Lipavsky also believes that Ukraine should be at the negotiating table and that a fair and lasting peace is needed, while warning that previous ceasefires between Kyiv and Moscow have not worked.

"The core interest of Czechia and, I hope, most European countries is to make sure that we will stop Russian imperialism, that we will protect the principles that borders are not changed by brute force," he said.

The Czech government has already started discussing plans to increase defense spending to 3% of GDP in the coming years, up from about 2% in 2024.

Since February, the country has also led a campaign to collect ammunition for Ukraine. The Czechia is gathering ammunition from all over the world to help Kyiv in its fight against Russia's invasion. According to Lipavský, the initiative has ensured supplies for the coming months and aims to secure more funding from donor countries.

Europe's shift in approach to defense

Europe has been left to face security issues alone since last Friday, February 28. On that day, US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House for not sufficiently appreciating US support and their efforts to end the war.

On Tuesday, the European Commission proposed lending up to 150 billion euros (157.76 billion dollars) to finance the governments of EU countries as part of a rearmament plan due to Russia's war in Ukraine.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has disagreements with the EU regarding support for Ukraine, has already called for the bloc to start direct negotiations with Russia on a ceasefire and to abandon plans for a joint declaration at the summit.

In response, European Council President António Costa disagreed with this proposal.

Meanwhile, the US and Ukraine are discussing the date and time for talks on ending the war.