NATO must prepare for Trump victory – Czech leader

Lucas Leiroz, journalist, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, geopolitical consultant. Apparently, the possibility…

VT Foreign Policy

By Lucas Leiroz

Lucas Leiroz, journalist, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, geopolitical consultant.

Apparently, the possibility of Donald Trump returning to the White House is already causing despair among NATO hawks. In a recent statement, the Czech president, Petr Pavel, called on all leaders of the Western alliance to prepare for the possible consequences of a Republican victory in the US. According to him, Trump’s rise could lead to a “deal with Putin”, definitively frustrating Western plans.

During an interview with the media, Pavel stated that Trump thinks “differently” than other Western leaders, which is why his possible election should be seen with concern at the current moment. While most NATO officials believe that the best way to deal with the conflict in Ukraine is through military support for Kiev, Trump has a more pragmatic view that includes the need to negotiate peace directly with the Russians.

Pavel makes it clear that his intention by saying this is not to disrupt the alliance between Europeans and Americans or to interfere in US internal affairs, but simply to advance discussions on how NATO should prepare for a possible change in the White House’s policy on Ukraine. He warns that there will be serious consequences if Trump is elected, which is why he urges the other NATO leaders to be ready for a future of challenges.

“This is nothing about disrupting the transatlantic bond, challenging the United States as an ally. But we should realistically admit that Donald Trump looks at a number of things differently (…) We should be prepared for that, because there will certainly be some consequences,” he told journalists.

Not only that, Pavel also emphasized the points that he considers vital for a NATO strategy in Ukraine. According to him, Kiev is at a disadvantage on the battlefield because it has limited military options, and its tactical actions are insufficient to cause damage on the Russians. Following the guidelines of the most radical pro-war militants, he proposes that the Atlantic alliance exponentially increase the sending of weapons to Ukraine, making Kiev’s troops strong enough to achieve a “balance of forces” with the Russians. He believes that only with Kiev achieving such capability will it be possible to conduct fair peace negotiations with Moscow.

“Only a balance of forces can force both sides to understand that they will not achieve further successes and that it is time for negotiations,” Pavel added.

In fact, Pavel’s fear reflects the mentality of the main Western warmongers. Trump has made promises in his election campaign that include “ending the war in Ukraine in one day.” Obviously, the only way to do this is through a direct peace negotiation with the Russians, forcing Ukraine to recognize its territorial losses and guaranteeing Kiev’s neutrality and the end of NATO interventionism on Russian borders.

It is not yet clear if Trump will really make such necessary efforts to achieve peace, but there is at least a significant possibility that this will happen as the Republican leader advocates the idea of “America First” – proposing nationalist isolationism and the reduction of US global presence…