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Czech President Petr Pavel has accused US President Donald Trump of undermining efforts to secure peace in Ukraine by lifting sanctions on Russian diesel fuel, arguing that the move gave Moscow breathing room just as a ceasefire appeared within reach, Politico reported.
“Now it will be much more difficult,” Pavel said. He argued that Russia was using the momentum to escape pressure and that the decision had given Moscow a morale boost.
Pavel also expressed support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, noting that he himself had faced sharp criticism from Trump. Both Ukraine and its president, he stressed, are victims of the conflict.
“I am probably the last person who would blame Ukraine for being responsible for this conflict. Ukraine did not attack Russia. Ukraine did not threaten Russia,” Pavel said.
According to the Czech president, Trump has adopted a more open approach toward Russia than any European leader. Pavel suggested that Trump might be drawn to Russian President Vladimir Putin as an authoritarian leader, but said the US president primarily views relations with Moscow through the lens of America’s economic prosperity.
Pavel stopped short of accusing Trump of betraying Ukraine or Europe, saying he believed the US president had made a mistake instead.
“This gives Russia new hope that it can ignore Europe and Ukraine, focus on making a deal with the United States, potentially with China, and arrange everything according to its own priorities and strategies. I believe this clearly runs counter to our interests in Europe,” Pavel said.
He also left open the possibility that European countries could resume buying Russian oil in the future, although he said time would need to pass first.
“If one day Russia becomes a country that respects the sovereignty and borders of other countries, why not have normal business relations with such a country?” Pavel said. “But Russia has not reached that level yet.”
Tensions over Russian energy and Ukraine
Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, launched in response to Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, have become another source of friction between Washington and Kyiv, as well as between Trump and Zelenskyy.
After repeatedly calling for Ukraine to halt attacks on Russia’s energy sector, Trump intensified his rhetoric toward Ukraine and its president. His administration lifted sanctions on Russian diesel following a conversation with Putin, restricted a military-related StarShield package for Ukrainian forces, threatened to suspend intelligence sharing with Kyiv and called on Ukrainians to elect a new president.
Trump also recently claimed that Russia had behaved “normally” toward Ukraine.
Zelenskyy has warned that Ukraine cannot afford to surrender or show weakness amid the risk of losing a key ally. Kyiv subsequently decided to resume deep and medium-range strikes against Russia, with Zelenskyy declaring, “We’ve had enough.”
The Ukrainian president has also suggested that Trump has an instinctive affinity for autocrats and extremely wealthy people, arguing that Putin’s decades in power may be part of what appeals to the US president.
