Baltic and Czech foreign ministers back Ukraine ahead of Putin-Trump summit
The foreign ministers of the Baltic states and Czechia have expressed support for a fair peace settlement in Ukraine amid reports of an upcoming meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
Source: European Pravda; Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna on X (Twitter); Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže on X (Twitter); Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys on X (Twitter); Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský on X (Twitter)
Details: Tsahkna underlined his support for Ukraine, its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
"If borders can be changed by force, none are safe. If nations can be forced to live under a bigger neighbour’s dictate, none are free," Tsahkna wrote.
Tsakhkna emphasised that Estonia will not "reward aggression" and that Ukraine can count on its "unwavering support in achieving a just and lasting peace".
Braže welcomed US President Donald Trump's efforts to end Russia's aggression against Ukraine, but added that "just, lasting, dignified peace is what we all want, Ukrainians the most".
"Such peace must involve Ukraine and uphold its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Russia mustn’t be rewarded for aggression," she added.
Budrys noted that Ukraine's borders, sovereignty and independence are "non-negotiable".
"From Luhansk to Crimea, every inch belongs to the sovereign nation of Ukraine, fighting for its freedom," Budrys added, pledging support for efforts to achieve "a just and lasting peace in Ukraine – based on international law".
Lipavský, in turn, recalled that Russia did not seize Ukraine in three days or three years, and that it was forced to negotiate by Ukraine’s allies, sanctions and Ukrainian courage.
"Ukraine must remain free. State borders cannot be moved through pressure and blackmail. Who becomes a member of the EU and NATO is decided by their members, not Vladimir Putin. Czechia wants peace, but its form must always be agreed first and foremost by Ukraine," Lipavský said.
Background: Amid news of the upcoming meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska on 15 August, as well as media claims that Washington and Moscow want to reach an agreement to end the war in Ukraine that would lock in Russia's occupation of part of the territories seized during its full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that "the answer to the Ukrainian territorial question is already there in the Constitution of Ukraine".
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