Former Czech foreign minister warns Europe cannot rely on peace talks with Putin

Jan Lipavský posted on X from Kyiv, where he took part in the Yalta European Strategy (YES) conference organized by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation. He highlighted Russia’s large-scale mobilisation, drone production and missile stockpiles, arguing that Europe’s belief in a possible deal with Putin is misplaced. Lipavský warned that the same weapons could be turned against a European state if the war spreads.

He urged the Czech Republic and the EU to boost air and missile defences, counter-drone measures and civil protection, and to integrate Ukrainian wartime expertise into their armed forces and industry. The former minister also called for renewed arms supplies to Ukraine, including Czech L-159 aircraft, to diminish Russia’s capacity to threaten Europe. He concluded that preventing Putin’s victory requires decisive, not conciliatory, action.