It would be naive to say the least to believe that Putin will stop in Ukraine in the fulfillment of his imperial dreams, so the war in Ukraine is also a struggle of Europeans for their peaceful future. This was stated by Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky in a speech at the "Lajos Kossuth" University. during the visit to Hungary, reports Ukrinform, quoted by BTA.
"It is naive to think that if Russia wins in Ukraine, its tanks will stop at our borders. Moscow's goal is not only to destroy Ukraine and assimilate it with its cruel thinking as purely Russian territory. It is about undermining our part of Europe. He wants to drag the West back into its world of tyranny and disorder, traditions and behavior... The defeat of Ukraine will bring the victor new resources and open the door to other so-called “special military operations” in Central and Eastern Europe”, said the Czech first diplomat.
He noted that the future of Europe is at stake. “If we allow Russia to destroy Ukraine, if its aggression goes unpunished, other predators around the world will follow its example,“ Lipavsky said.
Ukraine, he stressed, is fighting for its survival. However, it also fights on behalf of the peoples of Europe. The Czech foreign minister recalled that today in Ukraine people are being killed by the same tanks that today's fathers and grandfathers saw on the streets of Budapest and Prague.
„The situation is changing and Russia's imperial cruelty continues. Just as in 1956, 1968 or 1981, those in power in Russia believe that they are the only ones who decide the fate of the peoples within their reach. As before, Moscow knows only one way to deal with those who oppose it – to beat them”, said the Czech foreign minister.
Lipavski noted that Russia's imperial ambitions would be boundless if no limits were placed on them, and recalled the words of former Czech President Vaclav Havel, who once said: “The problem with Russia for many centuries is that Russia does not know exactly where it begins and where it ends." If it is allowed, Russia will not hesitate to seize the territories of the former Eastern Bloc, warned Lipavsky.
Minister Lipavski emphasized that after two years of Russian aggression, the conflict in Ukraine has turned into a war of attrition.
"This is a crucial moment! We must remain focused on Ukraine's defense needs and increase pressure on Russia and its allies through sanctions. We must continue to pursue active and intelligent multilateral diplomacy," Lipavsky said, adding that as Hungary prepares for its second presidency of the Council of the European Union, the central question will be how to deal with Russia's aggression against the West. .
„I believe that our two sides play a special role in this battle. We are the ones who escaped from the prison that Moscow built for us and around us after World War II. We know what it's like to live in this prison. We don't want to live in it again. We need to remind those who look at this prison from the outside what a terrible place it is and that Moscow must not be allowed to build it again and drag others there against their will, Lipavsky summed up.
The day before, he held talks with his Hungarian colleague Peter Szijjártó.
As reported, the Czech government and president took the initiative to seek ammunition for Ukraine in third countries with EU funds. Prague claimed to have found 800,000 units of ammunition through its contacts, and later mentioned even more than a million; 500,000 of them have already been purchased.