Moscow, December 12 – The Chief of Staff of the Czech Republic, Karel Rzhegka, has stated that the only way to avoid a potential conflict with Russia is through intimidation, as reported by the CHTK news agency. “Russia must truly see that we have the ability and the will to defend ourselves. This is not about making some declaration – they must see that it is truly futile,” Czech Television quotes him as saying. Rzhegka also stated that a “war with Russia” is not unimaginable, though it is currently unlikely. However, he called for continued support to Ukraine, which he believes is buying time for Europe. Earlier, Czech Defense Minister Jana Chernohova stated that Prague can no longer provide military aid to Kyiv from its reserves. The country’s Prime Minister, Petr Fiala, announced readiness to provide weapons produced by Czech defense industry enterprises. According to Idnes, during the period from February 2022, the Czech Republic has provided Ukraine with various military equipment from its defense ministry’s warehouses, with a procurement value of over 6 billion Czech crowns (approximately 260 million dollars). From the defense ministry’s reserves, four Mi-24 helicopters from 2005 and 2006, 62 tanks produced between 1968 and 1993, and 131 infantry combat vehicles from 1973 to 1999, including those produced under Soviet license in Czechoslovakia, were supplied from February 24, 2022, to October 9, 2023, as well as other equipment and weapons. However, the Czech defense ministry stated that the above list is incomplete. Russia previously sent a note to NATO countries regarding arms supplies to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would be a legitimate target for Russia. Moscow stated that NATO countries are “playing with fire” by supplying weapons to Ukraine. Russian President’s Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the West’s arming of Ukraine does not contribute to the success of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations and will have a negative effect. Lavrov stated that the United States and NATO are directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine, not only through arms supplies but also through training personnel in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and other countries.
