Czech President urges the US not to "push Europeans into the abyss" and give them time to rearm

Czech President Petr Pavel has called on the United States to give Europe more time to ensure the continent's security and deter an increasingly aggressive Russia. The Czech president made the call in an interview with Bloomberg Television.

European countries cannot ensure a lasting peace in Ukraine without the help of the United States, and U.S. President Donald Trump is right to demand a significant increase in defense spending, Pavel said. But it will take years to replace some of the protections Washington currently provides, he added .

"The US will try to put pressure on the Europeans to do it faster. Let's create enough pressure on the Europeans, but let's not push them into the abyss," said the Czech president.

Pavel's comments come two weeks before NATO leaders are expected to agree to spend at least 5% of GDP on defense. This will be a victory for Trump, who has long pushed for Europe to invest more in its security.

According to him, the goal of The Hague summit and subsequent events is to "keep Americans engaged" in the region. He expressed optimism that the allies would agree to increase military investment and that the United States would uphold NATO's Article Five, the collective defense clause, which obliges members to defend each other.

"I believe that we can maintain unity. European allies will welcome a much stronger statement that Russia is and, at least in the short term, will remain our biggest security challenge," he said.

• May 26 Rutte expressed hope that Allies would agree to a common goal of 5% of GDP in defense spending.
• June 9 Rutte said that Russia is building up its military capabilities, including increasing production of tanks, armored vehicles and missiles of various types. In five years, it will be ready to use military force against NATO.