Russian Spies in Europe: Lipavský Warns of Growing Influence

Almost a month has passed since the meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Negotiations between Volodymyre Zelenský and Russian counterpart is still in sight. How to read the situation?

So that the Russian position did not move even a millimeter. Putin invited Ukrainian President Volodymyra Zelenka to Moscow, which is absolutely humiliating invitation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov immediately began to clean any positive impressions of the Alaskan summit, when he said that there would be no meeting, that they did not plan anything and more or less insisted on their own – to completely destruction of Ukrainian statehood.

He does not recognize Zelena as a legitimate president. He speaks of him as a “de facto president”, ie as a person who only controls territory, which is nonsense. Zelenky won democratic elections, Putin not. These are the classic fixed Russian elections as they have been there for many years. Putin does not mean any peaceful conversations at the moment. The war continues and almost every day Russia leads large missile attacks. Ukraine, of course, defends itself and attacks back.

But how next? In the end, Trump’s initiative was not as successful as many hoped. At the same time, the public feels that Europe is in the shadow of the US in terms of negotiations on the calm of weapons.

It was the power of sanctions and military support for Ukraine, which led Putin at least to the Alaska. We must be able to continue it if it is to take us seriously. We do not necessarily have to wait for the United States. However, the strongest security guarantee for Ukraine is a strong armed Ukrainian army. It is necessary to continue to support Ukraine to have it.

Also, we must not retreat politically anywhere, we must build our own arms industry and increase defense spending. Russia has created a huge arms machinery, expands the levies to the army, builds other factories and their propaganda openly speaks of wanting to attack Europe. We should be ready and strong for it to not even think about the Kremlin.

“Europe is full of spies”

You were recently in Ukraine. Do its inhabitants still believe in a fair peace, or have they come to terms with the fact that there will be a great compromises?

In Ukraine I went through political interviews with my counterpart Andrij Sybiha, with the deputy prime minister or local representatives in Dnieper. Perhaps there was no other line from Ukraine than we know. Of course, Kyiv is ready for peace negotiations, said March 11. Since then, we can calculate how many days it was. Ukrainians are without any conditions to stop fire. But we have already said that Putin does not reflect it.

Only where can slow negotiations about peace in Ukraine go? What are the scenarios?

We can talk about different scenarios. I think that for the Czech Republic it is important to remind the Munich scenario, when Czechoslovakia was “sacrificed” in favor of the aggressor and did not lead to the stopping of World War II. We can talk about the Finnish scenario at the age of 80 and today when it is in NATO. The key is that it is Ukrainians who will have the sovereignty and freedom to decide on their future.

We legally insist that Ukraine is in those borders in which it was recognized in the Budapest Memorandum. There are three nuclear powers – the United Kingdom, the United States and Russia – guaranteed Ukraine by giving up nuclear weapons for territorial integrity. And Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has violated its own word. Nor Putin nor no one else explained how they want to deal with this violation of the promise. The new security guarantee must be even more solid. Russia cannot be trusted.

In public space, there are often questions about what is an informal meeting of Foreign Ministers called Grammar School, when the result of the negotiations is no hard and binding opinion.

The fact that it is an informal action of foreign ministers, we have a more charged program than on regular advice that takes place once a month in Brussels. But these are the paradoxes of the diplomatic world. It is important negotiations, although there were no new positions against Russian aggression against Ukraine. But any such debate three of them three arguments and in a way shifts the opinion of the majority.

But are there any friction surfaces in how you want to push Russia?

Of course, we are at a time when the European Union is difficult to find a match on a number of things. It was as much as possible, the nineteenth sanction package. IO was discussed how to dispose of large Russian assets that are frozen in European banks. I think that if we have a large package of Russian money, it is nonsense to collect taxes from taxpayers to support Ukraine. There are a number of legal obstacles, but I personally welcome such a debate and we support it as the Czech Republic.

You mentioned that in many things the European Union is difficult to find a match. Do you have any example?

Again I suggested that we should cancel Schengen (Territory of 27 European countries, including the Czech Republic, whose internal borders are not carried out by inspections of persons – ed.) For Russian diplomats, because we now give the Russians an advantage. Our diplomats, when they want to go to Russia, must always ask for a visa. Sometimes they get it, sometimes not. But the Russians can send someone they have in Vienna. It’s unfair and it weakens us. At the same time, we know that the Russian diplomatic network also supports various hybrid attacks that take place throughout Europe. It is full of spies. I think such a restriction is in place. Europe has not yet found a match, but I raise this topic regularly.

“Leaving the EU and NATO would be a disaster”

The position of the Czech Republic towards Ukraine is quite consistent. However, the elections are approaching, and there are often opinions within the campaign that we are moving away from the current course. Will the opposition dare?

I would not like to come in the Czech Republic the political representation, led by Andrej Babiš (YES), who reports that he will not supply weapons to Ukraine. He wants to have a policy similar to Viktor Orbán or Robert Fico. This would fall out of the coalition willing and become irrelevant in Europe. And this is no false threat to look at the statements of Babiš and his suits, not to say Tomia Okamura or Communist Kateřina Konečná, who openly uses Moscow lines.

Shouldn’t the European Union as such be the drive engine as such as a coalition?

The sad fact is that the European Union is starting to play the second violin. There are members who hinder the procedure. But it is a coalition willing, which tuned notes in front of Alaska and Washington and where it is a form of security guarantees for Ukraine. And please, let’s not mix it with the possible sending of soldiers, these are always scenarios that occur at the ceasefire, so that we do not give the impression of any involvement in the war. However, everything is discussed on the basis of a willing coalition, not in the bowels of the European Union.

The question is how long when the power of opposition and non -parliamentary parties grows. Babiš recently mentioned that he would not send weapons to Ukraine. And in the movement was enough! They call for leaving the EU and NATO.

I understand the Czech public that they are not satisfied with everything the government has done or how it has been communicated in the coalition. It’s not easy. But it is really necessary to think about what we can also lose and how to transform the perception of our country abroad from day to day, how to turn with investors and our business partners. Things are linked today and business cannot be done without a sense of security. Leaving the EU and NATO would be an economic disaster.

Do you talk to your foreign counterparts about a possible change of Czech position to Ukraine? Because, as you say, it really threatens.

I tell them how it is. We meet with colleagues who have known for a long time in Brussels. They come to me, ask how I am, mentioning that we will have the elections and wonder what it will look like. Someone has a bigger insight, someone smaller. I will roughly describe how they are preferences and will wish me good luck. When the elections are approaching, I ask. We all realize that there is no chance to intervene in the election contest, it is more of a social discussion. They want to inquire.

“Hamas as a liberation organization? Shocking”

In recent months, there has been a explosive debate on access to Israel and Palestine. The Czech Republic defined itself by signing a joint statement against the construction of other Jewish settlements. However, there are questions about why we do not engage in a more critical attitude to Tel Aviv.

I try to explain government policy towards Israel and demolish the greatest myths. For example, there is a claim that we unconditionally defend Benjamin Netanyahu. That has never happened. In my opinion, such a statement from any government politician is not even traceable. Let someone repair me, but it is definitely not the policy of the Czech government.

Is there a traditional approach to Israel?

The fact that the Czech Republic and Israel have strong historical ties is a fact. Just as the fact that we have strategic ties and that we do not do politics to Israel and Palestine, which could be described as activist. I think we are approaching a cool head on this matter, although very complex and demanding. We clearly condemn the humanitarian situation in Gaza. At the same time, however, we defend the principles that give Israel the right to defend against those who want to destroy it – the terrorist group Hamas, Hezbollah, Húti. They run a lot of wars.

If there are proposals that the Czech position does not identify with, we do not join them. Often, the text of one A4 size would be acceptable if some things were formulated differently, less activist. After all, when the UN General Assembly is voted on a package of resolutions, we support about one third, we will stay in a third and in the case of another third we are against. It is not that we vote only against it everywhere, it is a myth.

But is it sufficient?

It is true that the Czech Republic sends humanitarian aid to Palestinians, this year it is over 40 million crowns. Of these, 26 million goes directly to Gaza, the rest goes to other projects in other parts on the West Bank. What is not described in the Czech media is the fact that many Arab countries understand our position and respect it – it certainly does not spoil relations in the Middle East.

Demonstration of Propalestinian activists in front of the Copenhagen Forum, where the heads of diplomacy of EU Member States, including Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský, met. | Photo: Viet Tran

If you look at the regimes there, they also perceive Hamas as a threat to themselves. In many countries, including Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood is forbidden. Czech foreign policy is sophisticated and I understand that some Czech citizens do not necessarily agree with it. But it is definitely not about some ideological or religious blindness. Sometimes it was us who slammed in the quotation marks and said it wouldn’t work in this way. But even many other countries – the closer they are to Israel, the more they perceive the need for certain practical relationships.

As for the breakfast of myths, at several pre -election meetings you have had Pricestinian activists who regularly agree and visit your actions. How do you explain the Czech position?

Some come up with an already finished opinion than to come to talk. If I can lead a dialog with someone, I am open to it. For a number of demonstrators, I slowly feel that we are old acquaintances. As we see each other regularly, we always nod. I do not think we would convince each other, but if it is a dialogue and we are really able to listen – which the truth is not always doing – so I talk to those people with open head.

Have you been surprised by some opinions that have been heard at the demonstration meetings?

It’s a diverse group, I don’t want to throw everyone in one bag, it wouldn’t be fair either. It was shocking to me when two people told me that they consider Hamas a liberation organization. That was the moment I ended the dialogue, there wasn’t much to explain.

What is the most common myth that you may hear from them?

That I support genocide, I am behind the unconditional support of Israel and so on. But I try to talk to them about our policy. We started to communicate more on social networks and other forms that the Czech Republic really does in the region, such as the humanitarian aid. I am not saying that it will satisfy all of them, but I think it could have been a shortage of the Iz of my party I had in the past years. So at least I tried to remedy.

In less than a month, the elections are. Do you feel to move from the role of diplomacy to parliamentary benches if the fight for the House does not affect the coalition’s victory together?

I have been a deputy for four years, so I know what the work entails and what I’m going to. One thing is true: the Chamber of Deputies is a sample of the whole society, hares are counted after a hunt. There is no point in speculating on how things will evolve.

I focus on devoting part of my capacity to my work. I can’t turn off, after all, we do this interview here in Copenhagen at the Council of Foreign Ministers’ Council. I devote a lot of time to the election campaign, which the politician has to do a month in the elections – to have fun and meet people, create content on social networks…

So you didn’t think about other career jobs?

You probably just constantly evaluate what you can do in life. Now I stand for.