At the 2024 Prague Defence Summit on Friday, Czech President Petr Pavel expressed his belief that President-elect Donald Trump will strike a deal with Vladimir Putin. However, he warned that such a deal would not be in the best interests of the Czech Republic, Europe, or Ukraine.
Czech President said Trump’s advisors had proposed “simply giving Russia a part of the occupied territories, saying to Ukraine that they will not become members of NATO for at least 20 years, and giving Europe a responsibility to protect in the long term 1300 km line that might be free of weapons.”
President Pavel noted that several countries were bracing for the US election, expecting Trump to ‘deliver the change’ and end the war in Ukraine “within 24 hours,” as he promised during his campaign.
“I don’t think it is realistic, but at the same time, I believe that he will make an effort to end this war and to make a deal with President Putin.”
Ukraine and its Western allies are reportedly concerned that military support for Kyiv may be reduced amid the ongoing conflict with Russia. Recently, Trump’s Vice President-elect, JD Vance, told reporters that negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are “necessary,” suggesting that a peace agreement could involve designating the current line of demarcation between Russia and Ukraine as a demilitarised zone and forcing Ukraine to commit not to join NATO—a statement that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned.
