Czech leaders voice deep skepticism about Putin’s peace intentions after Alaska talks

ISTANBUL

Czech leaders have expressed on Monday strong doubts about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s willingness to end the war in Ukraine, following Friday's talks with US President Donald Trump in Alaska.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said Prague remains firmly behind Kyiv and stressed that clear US and European security guarantees are essential for any meaningful Russia-Ukraine negotiations, Radio Prague International reported.

“The Alaska meeting clearly showed that while the United States and its allies are seeking ways to achieve peace in Ukraine, President Putin is striving for maximum territorial gains and the restoration of the Soviet empire,” Fiala said through the US social media company X.

Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky warned that Putin’s demands threaten not only Ukraine but the entire European security order.

“His rhetoric has remained the same for three years, rhetoric aimed at destroying Ukraine, destroying its sovereignty, but also directed against us, because it seeks to redraw the map of Europe back to 1997, when we were not in NATO,” Lipavsky said.

He emphasized the importance of maintaining strong transatlantic unity through the Coalition of the Willing.

Defense Minister Jana Cernochova also criticized the outcome of the Alaska talks, saying they exposed Moscow’s real agenda.

“They only confirmed that Putin is not looking for peace, but for opportunities to weaken Western unity and spread his propaganda,” she said on X.

Former Czech Ambassador to NATO Jakub Landovsky echoed the concerns, telling the Czech television that Russia would continue exploiting gains on the battlefield while buying time diplomatically.

“That dynamic now works in Moscow’s favor, so it will play for time and continue its aggression,” he said.

Meanwhile, opposition parties ANO and Freedom and Direct Democracy welcomed Trump’s initiative, arguing that concessions could pave the way for ending the bloodshed.

Trump and Putin held a three-hour closed-door meeting Friday in Anchorage, Alaska, with Putin saying they reached an "understanding."

Following the summit, Trump told Fox News that significant points were agreed upon, with only minor items remaining.