President Pavel: Europe must prepare for the possibility that it may have to fend for itself

After top-level political consultations on defense and security issues at Prague Castle, President Petr Pavel said that while close cooperation with the US remains a priority, it is also necessary to prepare for a scenario in which Europe or part of Europe will need to fend for itself.

According to the head of state, the Czech Republic is ready to work closely with countries of a similar mindset to boost Europe’s defense capabilities. Given the changes in the US position on a number of important issues, it is necessary to pay much more attention to the Czech Republic's own defense capabilities, as well as those of the European Union and Europe, Petr Pavel said.

The president also emphasized that the Czech Republic would continue to support peace efforts for Ukraine, but stressed that the peace deal must not be a reward for the aggressor.

Mr. Pavel concluded that in the present complicated situation defense and security issues are not a matter for one political party, but for the whole country.

Prime Minister Petr Fiala earlier announced that he had called an extraordinary meeting of parliamentary party leaders for this Thursday to discuss security and defense issues in light of the present developments. In reaction to last week’s EU summit, the Czech government agreed to gradually increase defense spending to 3 percent of GDP by 2030.