Czech President Petr Pavel fears the Republican nominee “looks at a number of things differently”
Europe should be prepared for former US President Donald Trump’s possible return to the White House, which could lead to unfavorable agreements for Europe, Czech President Petr Pavel has said.
If the Republican frontrunner wins the November election, it could mean the conclusion of an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which may not be at all beneficial for Ukraine and Europe, Pavel warned in an interview with radio station Radiozurnal.
“This is nothing about disrupting the transatlantic bond, challenging the United States as an ally. But we should realistically admit that Donald Trump looks at a number of things differently,” Pavel pointed out. If Trump is legitimately elected, it is necessary to respect the decision of American voters, “but we should be prepared for that, because there will certainly be some consequences,” he cautioned.
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Donald Trump, who like current US President Joe Biden is seeking another term as president in this year’s election, has claimed that the Ukrainian conflict would not have broken out if he had remained in power. He has repeatedly insisted that he has a good relationship with both the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, and is well-positioned to negotiate an end to the conflict, although he has not elaborated on such a peace settlement would look like. “If I’m president, I will have that war settled in one day, 24 hours,” he told CNN last year.
Reacting to the statement, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said he was worried about the prospect of Donald Trump returning to the White House, branding Trump’s claim that he could stop the conflict in one day as “very dangerous.”
In January, the eldest son of former US President Donald Trump, who is an important player in his father’s election campaign, said the fighting between Russia and Ukraine has to end in talks, and in order to persuade President Zelensky’s government to negotiate, Washington must stop sending money to Kiev. The announcement came as the Biden administration’s attempts to push through a $106 billion national security package, which includes $60 billion for Kiev, continue to face staunch resistance from Republican lawmakers, who have demanded stricter controls on the southern US border in exchange for approving the bill.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has many times stressed that Moscow has never rejected peace talks with Ukraine, whereas Kiev has publicly withdrawn from the negotiation process. In October 2022 Ukraine’s President Zelensky signed a decree which left the door open to future talks with Russia, but also states that negotiations with President Putin are “impossible.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in December that for Moscow, it does not matter who wins the 2024 US presidential election because the political establishment in Washington “sees Russia as an enemy and an existential threat” regardless of party affiliation.
