According to Deputy Marian, negotiations in Saudi Arabia present a coalition of countries that are willing to support Ukraine and understand that a full-scale Russian invasion has global consequences. “Whether it’s the food situation, the humanitarian impact, trade routes, transportation and so on. What is important is that it should be centered on what Ukraine wants,” the deputy explained the Foreign Ministry’s position.

According to him, it is impossible to talk about peace as long as Russia kills Ukrainian civilians, destroys infrastructure there, and does not respect Ukraine’s independence. “We must support Kyiv,” he added, confirming that all participants in the Jeddah talks had signed up to support Ukraine’s territorial integrity, including countries in the Global South such as Brazil, India and China.

“For us, Ukraine within the 1991 boundaries was the only Ukraine. It is clear that some countries outside the European Union, outside of NATO, would be more flexible in this regard. But at least what I heard at the meeting was support for the territorial integrity of Ukraine, said Marian.

On Wednesday, President Petr Pavel and Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavský (Pirate) also spoke about consultations in Jeddah. “I told the president that we offer professional assistance in implementing the ten-point Ukrainian peace plan, especially in the areas of nuclear security and the prosecution of war crimes,” Lipavský said. Pavla also informed about the involvement of Czech companies in the reconstruction of Ukraine.

The debate also includes a trip to the UN General Assembly in September, where Pavel will lead the delegation and Lipavský will accompany him. “This is an important moment where global security issues will be discussed in detail,” said the Minister of Finance. He recalled Czech candidacy for non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council in 2032 and 2033.

Chinese participation in talks in Jeddah

Deputy Marian also mentioned Saudi Arabia’s political and diplomatic strength. “This is a country that has great influence in the region, which is a bit far from us. If I mention being able to provide events with high-quality logistics, it is a country that wants to improve and enhance its international status,” said Marian. That is why, according to her, she conducted similar negotiations and reminded that the global coalition against ISIS recently held a meeting in Riyadh .

According to Marian, Saudi Arabia is capable of bringing countries such as Brazil, India or China to the negotiating table. “It was a meeting that brought China’s participation, which is important news for us. This meeting will be followed by further negotiations,” promised Marian, highlighting the involvement of other members of the so-called global south.

“We know how close the relationship is between Russia and China, we can talk about whether it is really a strategic partnership, or is it currently between the stronger – China – and the weaker – Russia. Beijing, of course, has its own interests , but we must continue to talk to him,” the deputy said. He added that Moscow’s actions in recent years may have led other countries to conclude that aggression on the global political stage would not serve them well.

However, due to potential competition between Washington and Beijing, according to him, it is possible that in the coming years the US will focus on the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Therefore, the EU must “do its share” in a NATO military capacity and in support of Ukraine.

Changing the Western approach to Central Europe

EU countries have learned to quickly support Kyiv, thought Marian. “What we have seen over the last year and a half is great unity and understanding that the problem concerns not only the Baltics, Poland or the Czech Republic, but also Europe,” he added, giving an example of how the dynamics of the country can be. negotiations between Western countries with the Czech Republic have changed, which has historical and recent experience with Russian influence.

“We were asked by our Western partners, what are we doing, what about reducing the number of diplomats,” Marian said, referring to the Russian attack on Vrbětice. He reminded that France is now hearing that it should have listened more to Central European countries in the past.

“We spoke with our German partners and we see a much greater understanding than in previous years,” he replied to a moderator’s question about whether Berlin would provide Kyiv with Taurus missiles.

Ukrainian counterattack

Marian stated that the Czech Republic must not allow itself to be forced into the idea that a Ukrainian counterattack should decide this year’s or next year’s war. “Ukraine are the ones who can decide what peace will be like. Even if we talk about a ceasefire, which of course many countries want, the question is what will happen next. Because 2014 was the first Russian aggression in Ukraine. Then the question is whether the situation will not repeat itself after the end of the ceasefire,” he added.

“We may need to talk about the fact that we are facing a period of Russian containment and that is a matter of decades,” the deputy said. According to him, there is a strong belief in Russian society that Ukraine has no right to exist. At the same time, he pointed to the rebellion of the Wagner group, which, in his opinion, must have found support in the Russian oligarchic system and which dealt a significant blow to Russia’s presentation as a superpower.

“If Russia concentrates on itself, that is good news for us,” Marian said, but she also recalled the situation in the 1990s, when the Soviet Union collapsed and needed help from the West. According to him, the goal of Czech diplomacy remains for Moscow to stop aggression in Ukraine, but also in Georgia and the Caucasus.