Europe must be tough on Trump to help Ukraine – Czech foreign minister

Europe must be tough on US President-elect Donald Trump if it wants to prove something to him and persuade him to help Ukraine, said Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský noted in an interview with European Pravda that one thing is known about Trump: he is a tough guy.

"If we, as Europe, want to prove something to him, maybe to convince him of something, we need to be tough too," Lipavský said, adding that Ukraine is tough.

"Ukraine is so tough that it was not three days, not even three months, and now I'm sure it won’t be three years for Russia to be able to subjugate it. So I expect toughness," Lipavský said.

At the same time, the minister emphasised the need to wait for the final composition of Trump's administration.

"We know many names, we hear some speculation. Some names have even already been dropped. We need to wait," the minister added.

The Czech foreign minister says it will be necessary to convince Trump's team that the war is not just about Russia and Ukraine, that it is a global affair that affects food security and security in the Indo-Pacific region.

"Especially now, with North Korean soldiers also attacking the Ukrainian army. This is something we need to be able to explain and act on accordingly," he said.

Lipavský is also convinced that tough behaviour will not cause a response: "Toughness is respected in the world we are living in."

Jan Lipavský said that no one knows whether US President-elect Donald Trump will stop helping Ukraine, but even if he does, he will not do so suddenly.

The media reported that Europe is calling on the Biden administration to strengthen US support for Ukraine to bolster Kyiv's position as much as possible before Donald Trump's inauguration in January.