"Any assistance to Ukraine is beneficial to European security because, in the event of its defeat, the EU will face Russia on its own borders," said Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavský in an interview with ÄŒTK.
"We must realize that in Ukraine, we are containing Russian imperial expansion, which is gnashing its teeth on the region of Central Europe and the Baltic countries," stated Lipavský.
According to him, assistance to Ukraine, be it military, humanitarian, financial, political, or moral, contributes to European security.
"If Ukraine falls, we will face Russia a bit closer, literally on the borders of the European Union, very close to the Czech Republic, and we should not allow this," he emphasized, adding that it is important to explain to the public the necessity of supporting Ukraine.
Lipavský believes that war fatigue, often discussed, manifests itself in various ways.
"If we become tired of our own security, we will lose both freedom and sovereignty," said the head of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Lipavský thinks that the recent European Council meeting demonstrated that European states can reach agreements despite Hungary's blocking of aid.
"I regularly tell everyone in Europe that our main task is to keep Russia as far away from our borders as possible. This should be the focus of our policy. The debates are not easy, but we see that European countries can come to an agreement in the end," Lipavský said.
He believes that a final agreement will be reached at the extraordinary summit on February 1.
"I understand when some EU member states, so to speak, 'constructively hold back,' for example, we have repeatedly observed this with military aid financing. It is not only Hungary; there are also countries that pursue a policy of neutrality—Austria or Ireland. They do it in a way that does not hinder other countries from strengthening Ukraine's security and increasing Ukraine's chances to defend itself against Russian pressure," the minister added.
