Petr Fiala, a conservative Czech politician who dares to distance himself from Trump

If the Russian aggression against Ukraine were to end in the defeat of the invaders, a few countries would deserve special thanks.

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Czech Republic, one of the European countries that has supported Ukraine the most

One of them is the Czech Republic, governed since 28 November 2021 by a conservative prime minister, Petr Fiala, leader of the Občanská Demokratická Strana (ODS, Civic Democratic Party), which is part of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group. In the Czech Republic, they have a very clear memory of Russian imperialism, after the USSR sent tanks to crush the Prague Spring of 1968, one of the popular rebellions against communism that broke out in Europe subjected to communist dictatorships controlled from Moscow.

Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the Czech Republic has been one of the European countries that has provided the most aid to the Ukrainians, aid that includes more than 194 tanks and 17 attack helicopters, despite being a country with very modest armed forces. So far, the Czech Republic has devoted 0.8% of its GDP to military aid to Ukraine, a higher percentage than the US (0.5%). Czech cities have also seen some of the most enthusiastic demonstrations of support for Ukraine.

The Czech government is headed by the conservatives from the ODS

Currently, the ODS has 34 of the 200 seats in the Czech Parliament. Fiala governs at the head of a coalition of five parties. This government has been strongly supporting the cause of Ukraine. In fact, Fiala was one of the first European leaders to travel to kyiv after the Russian invasion, a trip he made on March 15, 2022, a trip on which he was accompanied by the then Prime Ministers of Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki, and Slovenia, Janez Janša.

Fiala: “We stand with Ukraine and on the side of the free world!”

Unlike other conservative politicians in several European countries, Fiala has not hesitated to distance himself from Trump, acting on his own criteria. On February 28, after the shameful ambush of the Ukrainian president in the White House, Fiala published a message that went viral on Twitter, with more than 5 million views:

"We stand with Ukraine and on the side of the free world!"

This was not the only time that the Czech prime minister has distanced himself from the American president. On March 4, after learning that Trump was cancelling US aid to Ukraine, Fiala said on Twitter:

"We must strengthen our economic and military capabilities and take full responsibility for our own security. This requires increased investment in defence. Ensuring our security also means intensifying our support for Ukraine. We cannot allow Russia’s aggressive policy, which threatens us all, to succeed."

These words are a far cry from Trump's policy of appeasement and rapprochement with Russia, which in recent days has left us with such unusual scenes as the US president blaming Ukraine for the Russian invasion, calling Zelensky a "dictator" and voting with Russia and North Korea at the UN against Ukraine.

Czech conservative ministers criticise Trump

Other members of Fiala's government are also distancing themselves from Trump. On 28 February, Czech Defence Minister Jana Černochová (also a member of the ODS) openly criticised the US president after Zelensky was ambushed in the White House:

"President Zelensky did not arrive at the White House on a rug to be scolded like a toddler and then left cornered. The three-year war caused irreparable damage and suffering to his nation. And that cannot be dismissed out of hand.

Unfortunately, Donald Trump does not understand that not everything is negotiable. If he makes a shameful deal with Putin, it will do America no good.

Current events are another reason why we should urgently invest in our own defense.

And it is in our vital interest to continue supporting Ukraine."

“Abroad he has so far acted as a pure Marxist”

Justice Minister Pavel Blažek, also a member of the ODS, went even harder on Trump on Tuesday for suspending US military aid to Ukraine:

"Donald Trump seems to overlook America's historical and cultural affinity with Europe, of which the country has been well aware throughout its history. In domestic politics he fights against neo-Marxism, but abroad he has so far acted as a pure Marxist. Politics does not work on the basis of economic issues alone. This is a mistake that could cost the United States dearly in the long run. And unfortunately for the entire West. At least as we have known it until now."

“This is not the America we want to see!”

Another ODS member in the Czech government, Transport Minister Martin Kupka, also criticized the line the US is taking in a message posted on March 1:

"This is not the America we want to see! As a bastion of democratic values ​​and a courageous defender of the fight for freedom, we see displays of arrogance and vanity, instead of understanding and support. What is even worse is that this is a reaction without basic empathy for a country that persists in defending itself and without truthfully calling the war a Russian aggression. In my opinion, Europe now has the only good option, based on its historical experience, to firmly support Ukraine and provide it with even more military, economic and humanitarian aid. Such a unified and principled stance can only make us stronger and earn us greater respect in both Russia and the United States. Yes, we stand firmly with Ukraine."

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Photo: Vláda České Republiky. Petr Fiala, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic.