Lipavský backs Trump’s shift on Ukraine, calls to drive out Russian occupiers

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský (SPOLU) said Russian forces must be “kicked out of Ukraine,” responding to U.S. President Donald Trump’s unexpected shift in tone after meeting Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York. Trump suggested Kyiv, with EU and NATO support, could retake all lost territory and possibly more—an about-face from his earlier calls for territorial concessions. Lipavský welcomed both Trump’s stance and his emphasis on ending Europe’s reliance on Russian energy, stressing that Czechia has already taken that step. Other Czech politicians offered mixed reactions: some praised Trump’s push for ending the war, while others dismissed his statement as yet another policy reversal without substance.