Czech Republic warns of scenario of Trump "shaking hands" with Putin if re-elected

Czech President Petr Pavel (Photo: Getty).

In an interview with Radiozurnal, Czech President Petr Pavel warned that if former US President Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner, wins the November election, it could lead to Mr. Trump signing a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to the Czech leader, this scenario may not be beneficial for Ukraine and Europe.

"This is not about breaking the transatlantic relationship, challenging the United States as an ally. But we should realistically acknowledge that Donald Trump sees some issues differently," said Mr. Pavel.

The Czech president warned that if Mr. Trump is elected legitimately, the decision of American voters must be respected, "but we should be prepared for that, because there will certainly be some consequences."

Former US President Donald Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018 (Photo: AFP).

Former President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden are both seeking a second term in this year's election. Mr. Trump has said that the Russia-Ukraine conflict would not have broken out if he were still in power.

Mr Trump has also repeatedly asserted that he has good relationships with both Russian and Ukrainian leaders and is qualified to negotiate an end to the conflict, although he has not explicitly said anything about a peaceful solution. "If I were president, I would solve that war in a day, 24 hours," he told CNN last year.

Responding to the statement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was worried about the prospect of Mr. Trump returning to the White House, calling Mr. Trump's claim that the conflict could be stopped in one day "very dangerous."

In January, former President Donald Trump's eldest son, who played a key role in his campaign, said the war between Russia and Ukraine must end in negotiations, and that to convince President Zelensky's government to negotiate, Washington must stop sending aid to Kiev.

The announcement comes as the Biden administration's push for a $106 billion national security package, which includes $60 billion for Kiev, continues to face resistance from Republican lawmakers who demand tighter controls on the southern border in exchange for passing the bill.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stressed that Moscow has never refused to negotiate peace with Ukraine, while Kiev has publicly withdrawn from the negotiation process. In October 2022, President Zelensky signed a decree declaring that negotiations with President Putin were "impossible."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in December that it does not matter to Moscow who wins the 2024 US presidential election, as the Washington establishment "views Russia as an enemy and an existential threat" regardless of which party comes to power.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/sec-canh-bao-kich-ban-ong-trump-bat-tay-voi-ong-putin-neu-tai-dac-cu-20240130150144429.htm