Czech president: Trump damaged NATO more than Putin

Czech President Petr Pavel condemned recent sharp remarks by US President Donald Trump targeting NATO member states. Pavel stated that Trump’s critical comments have damaged NATO’s credibility more than Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions, according to foreign media.

“In the past few weeks, Trump has done more to undermine NATO’s authority than Vladimir Putin achieved over many years,” he said. Pavel emphasised that NATO is founded on principles of deterrence and collective defence.

“At the moment we start questioning the Alliance as a unified, cohesive entity ready to act jointly and decisively, its role naturally diminishes,” Pavel warned.

He noted that Trump’s criticism ignores NATO’s nature as a defensive alliance, which is not obliged to automatically participate in wars beyond its territory. According to Pavel, European allies were initially not informed about objectives or operations, and no one requested their cooperation.

“Only when the war began to develop, possibly in unexpected directions, did Donald Trump state that European allies should ensure safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and when he did not receive a positive response, he considered it a disappointment for all of NATO,” Pavel said, calling this “unfair.”

By Jeyhun Aghazada