European security revolution takes place: politician Czech on shift from US reliance

He shared his thoughts on the Espreso TV channel.

“If the Ukrainian Armed Forces move into a counteroffensive and destroy the enemy, then Europe will stand, of course. Today, Europe’s fate depends on Ukraine, and everyone recognizes this, including politicians such as Ursula von der Leyen, Macron, Starmer, and the leaders of Scandinavian countries. Prime Minister Tusk openly says this as well. The President of the Czech Republic, General Petr Pavel, has said that the fate of Europe’s future is being decided in Ukraine. There is a consensus on this. So, the question is not whether Europe has awakened — it has awakened. It even gave a rebuff. I am confident that Ukraine will stand with Europe’s help,” he said.

Czech mentioned that Europe has awakened in several aspects. First, significant funds will be allocated to the defense sector, including 800 billion euros — the amount announced by the European Commission in its program. On March 19, the so-called "White Paper" (White Paper on European Defense) was presented by the European Commission.

"The leaders of the European Council — the heads of the EU states — gathered to approve it and make specific decisions. So, in this area, everything starts and ultimately ends with money. Ukraine will not be deprived of these funds — they will be sufficient," he noted.

Secondly, there is now an understanding that without Ukraine, the European security system is unthinkable today, says the politician: "On March 12, the European Parliament adopted a resolution emphasizing Ukraine's role as the cornerstone of the European system."

And third, and most importantly, what has happened is a complete revolution in European thinking regarding their own security: “We must think about European security without the United States of America,” Czech said.

He noted that on March 5, in a speech to the nation, President Macron stated that a new era has come. He emphasized that Europe can no longer fully rely on American power and leadership — we must build what is called European strategic autonomy and create an alternative.

“The sign that such an alternative really exists was France’s willingness to share its nuclear forces with the rest of Europe. This is a sign that when someone — whether it’s Russia or even the USA — tries to threaten with nuclear weapons, demanding silence, Europe must also be able to respond. This was the strongest statement. In Moscow, they completely lost their minds, as France was always considered pro-Russian, pro-Moscow. But here, Macron told the French: 'It’s over. We must regard Russia as an existential threat not only to Ukraine but to all of Europe,'” Czech added.

• It was recently reported that France urges the EU to consider a strong response to possible tariffs from Trump.