By Andrea Kuruc
Correspondent
President Donald Trump’s meeting with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has triggered a fury of responses from the Czech Republic. The Feb. 28 meeting was expected to discuss ongoing United States involvement in Ukraine’s defense against Russian invasion. However, talks ended abruptly after contentious debate, much of which focused on Zelenskyy’s gratitude for U.S. financial and military assistance.
Comments from Czech officials have been aimed at condemning Trump’s behavior toward Ukraine. Others attempt to use this moment as a call for additional domestic and international action, including fundraising, defense and peacemaking efforts. These came amid rising global concerns for the future of Ukraine peace negotiations and unity of free-world allies.
Czech Republic President Petr Pavel responded within hours to the events that took place in the Oval Office by reaffirming his support for Ukraine.
“We stand with Ukraine more than ever. It is time for Europe to step up its efforts,” Pavel wrote on social media, according to Expats.cz.
Some Czech officials drew harsh criticisms about Trump. According to Parliament member Jan Bartošek on X, Trump can be characterized as a “gangster” and a “crook,” and his behavior was unpresidential and an allied foreign policy failure.
Others suggested that Trump is emerging as a new authoritarian figure alongside Vladimir Putin, president of Russia. Local Czech news outlet BrnoDaily reported that Minister of the Interior of the Czech Republic Vit Rakušan wrote on social media, “[Trump and Putin] both want to grab something from Ukraine. Territory, minerals.” This serves as one of several critiques to the Trump administration’s U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal.
The unified backlash signals a deeper national concern. The Czech Republic, a former state of the Soviet Union’s Eastern Bloc, has grown increasingly anxious of the looming threat of Russian aggression. According to The New York Times, many categorize the relationship between Czechs and Russians as distrustful, often in relation to the Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968.
Following the meeting, Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský took to his X social media account to write, “The fight against Russian expansionism is in the interest of Czechia and entire Europe.”
Prime Minister Petr Fiala, while denouncing international foreign policy that supports aggressive politics, urged lawmakers to focus on the domestic sphere. In agreement with Pavel, the two have called for an increase in defense spending. Radio Prague International wrote that Fiala wants this spending to amount to 3% of GDP if “we want sustainable and long-term peace.” Fiala continued on X by alluding to the Czech’s historical experience with Russian aggression by suggesting that if drastic efforts are not made, “we will not end well.”
These claims mirror those from other countries within the European Union, as Europe attempts to reinvigorate a future plan for Ukraine support and aid without U.S involvement. The prevailing view among Czech and other global policymakers is to advocate for a more cohesive and proactive approach to safeguarding the continent’s security and unity.
As Czech leaders continue to discuss with other international players, Czech citizens have taken the mission of supporting Ukraine to their wallets. Martin Ondráček of the Dárek Pro Putina or “Gift for Putin” campaign, shares that donations had a monumental turnout following the White House meeting, according to TVP World. The crowdfunding project, which has raised over $12.5 million, directs contributions toward military support for Ukraine. Gift for Putins’ most recent campaigns attempt to supply ammunition, drones and armored vehicles.
According to TVP World, when the Ukrainian president arrived at the White House on Feb. 28, a project to gift the Ukrainian Air Force with a Black Hawk Helicopter had raised 220,000 Czech Koruna. By Friday, that number had risen to nearly three million CZK, or just short of $130,000. Since then, the initiative has completed their goal of $2.8 million to secure the helicopter, according to the Gift for Putin website. Small donor campaign models, such as these, offer insight into collective Czech support for Ukraine, and a desire to take a stronger stance to aid their victory.
The Czechs’ layered involvement in the war effort reflects wider concerns among European nations that the conflict is bound to spiral further from Ukraine’s borders. European leaders convened an emergency summit on March 6 to address support for Ukraine amid the U.S.’s temporary suspension of military assistance and intelligence sharing. The New York Times reported that as of March 11, all aid has been resumed.
