Petr Pavel, the President of the Czech Republic, said that the ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine was "very close" until President Donald Trump lifted sanctions on Russian diesel.
Diesel Agreement and Increased Pressure on Russia
In an interview conducted on Tuesday with Axel Springer’s Global News Network, Pavel stated that the coordinated sanctions by the United States and Europe against Russian oil, oligarchs, and other industries have put significant pressure on Russia. However, the agreement that Trump announced earlier this month, under which Russia is set to supply hundreds of thousands of tons of diesel to the United States, has given Russia "breathing room."
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Pavel added: "Now it will be much harder. Russia will use this situation to relieve pressure, and it is a kind of morale boost for them."
Reactions to Trump's Agreement
The White House announced on Wednesday that Trump successfully negotiated this agreement to supply the global market with "a large amount of diesel and reduce prices." The agreement quickly faced negative reactions, and at one point, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators urged Trump to cancel it.
Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, stated in a social media post that this agreement is "in favor of Russia" and allows Russia to "kill more, continue the war longer, and have less respect for the U.S."
Zelensky also accused Trump of using peace negotiations in Florida as a "smokescreen" while the administration pursues its agreement with Russia.
Pavel expressed support for Zelensky on Wednesday, stating: "I believe that President Zelensky and all of Ukraine are victims of a conflict." He emphasized that Ukraine is not responsible for starting this conflict.
Pavel also noted that Trump has a more open approach to Russia, adding: "He seems to be attracted to Vladimir Putin as an authoritarian leader, but I don’t think Trump sees this from the perspective of the struggle between democracy and autocracy."
While Pavel expressed concern about the diesel agreement, he refrained from using the term betrayal towards Ukraine or other European partners, describing it instead as a mistake. He said: "Because this agreement gives Russia new hope that it can ignore Europe and Ukraine and focus on an agreement with the United States and possibly China."
Pavel also did not rule out a future where European countries might purchase Russian oil, but added that this would "take time."
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