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Blanár: The EU is surprised by Trump’s actions, it had enough space and didn’t use it

by AI | 18.Feb 2025 | Europe in brief AI

Foreign Ministers of Slovakia and Czech Republic Juraj Blanár and Jan Lipavský talked in Prague also about peace negotiations on Ukraine.

The Foreign Ministers of the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic, Juraj Blanár and Jan Lipavský, talked about peace negotiations concerning Ukraine in Prague. PHOTO: TASR/Barbora Vizváryová

Bratislava/Prague – The European Union (EU) is today, according to Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár (Smer-SD), caught off guard by the actions of American President Donald Trump in connection with the preparation of peace talks on Ukraine, in which it is not yet involved. However, according to him, the Union had enough space to start the negotiations and did not use it. He said this after meeting with his Czech counterpart Jan Lipavský, reports a TASR correspondent in Prague.

“Maybe the EU is caught off guard by President Trump’s actions today. By actively entering into the resolution of the conflict and clearly stating that he wants to try to end it as soon as possible. Logically, we can say that the EU had plenty of space to start peace talks, but did not use it. Sensitivity on the part of the EU is not quite appropriate,” said Blanár. He added that it is necessary to listen carefully to all parties involved. “Now everything is starting to take shape, but the responses were clear – the American side clearly said that Ukraine will also be at the table,” he noted.

According to him, Slovakia supports any peace initiatives – whether Trump’s or Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s. “We are prepared to host preparatory talks on peace at a lower level. We do not know the details yet, but we want to contribute as well, if there is interest from all parties involved,” announced Blanár. He reiterated that if the issue of sending troops to Ukraine was discussed, SR will not send them.

He added that Slovakia’s stance differs from the Czech one in that, according to SR, the delivery of weapons at this moment does not help resolve the conflict. However, both countries agree that it is unacceptable for state borders to be changed by force.

According to his words, Lipavský tried to explain the Czech position to Blanár. According to him, Russia is conducting various sabotages and a strong information war against Europe, and it is necessary to defend against it. This is also the basis of Czech foreign policy in relation to Ukraine.

According to him, it is not yet clear where the situation will develop. “But what we do know for sure is that we need Ukraine to have the strongest possible starting position, to be strong and able to defend itself,” said the Czech Foreign Minister, adding that it is therefore necessary to continue to support it. He did not want to speculate about sending soldiers yet. “I am extremely cautious about this and do not publicly speculate on this topic,” added Lipavský. (February 18)

“Maybe the EU is caught off guard by President Trump’s actions. By actively entering into the resolution of the conflict and clearly stating that he wants to try to end it as soon as possible. Logically, we can say that the EU had plenty of space to start peace talks, but did not use it. Sensitivity on the part of the EU is not quite appropriate.” Juraj Blanár