European main priority is to keep Russia away from borders, Czech MFA states
Jan Lipavský, Head of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Photo: Getty Images)
Europe needs to keep Russia as far away from its borders as possible. And to do that, it is necessary to continue supporting Ukraine, states the Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavský in an interview with CTK.
"We must remember that in Ukraine, we are containing Russia's imperial expansion, which threatens the Central European region and the Baltic countries," the minister notes.
According to him, assistance to Ukraine—be it military, humanitarian, financial, political, or moral—is in favor of European security.
"If Ukraine falls, we will face Russia closer—literally at the EU's borders, very close to Czechia, and we should not allow this," the Foreign Minister emphasizes.
Lipavský believes that it's necessary to explain to the populations of European countries why it's crucial to continue aiding Ukraine in its war against Russia.
"I regularly tell everyone in Europe that our main task is to keep Russia as far away from our borders as possible. This should be the focus of our policy. The debates are challenging, but we see that European countries are capable of reaching consensus," he added, commenting on the EU's decision to start accession negotiations with Ukraine.
The official also predicts that EU leaders will eventually agree on providing €50 billion to Ukraine at the extraordinary summit scheduled for February 1.
Russia may continue attacks
Western officials and analysts have previously suggested the possibility that if Ukraine loses, Russia might launch attacks on other countries.
Recently, German analysts suggested that the aggressor country could rebuild its military strength within six years to attack NATO.
Additionally, the Chief of Staff of the Belgian Army, Admiral Michel Hofman, emphasized that Russia might open a second front in Europe, potentially targeting Moldova or the Baltic countries.
