Vladimir Putin is waiting for the results of the US presidential election, hoping to reach an agreement with Donald Trump on ending the war in Ukraine without the contribution of any European country, says the president of the Czech Republic, retired general Petr Pavel. quoted by Euractiv.

“President Putin has made it absolutely clear that there can be no peace talks until after the elections in the United States. In this way, he clearly made it clear that for him, the partner for possible negotiations is none other than the USA and not any of the important European countries,” Pavel said in an interview with the Czech newspaper Seznam Zpravy.

The Prague leader warned that if Donald Trump becomes US president again, Putin may try to negotiate with him, “regardless of what Ukraine or the rest of Europe thinks about it.”

Petro also noted that such talks between Putin and Trump could lead to “some kind of compromise that theoretically returns Russia to the status of a key player, and the others will somehow have to find a way to accept it.”

Pavel, who became president of the Czech Republic earlier this year, is a strong supporter of Ukraine, advocating “unlimited” support for Kyiv from its partners.

But as a former military man and former chairman of NATO’s Military Committee, Pavlo was more cautious than other alliance leaders about the prospect of a quick military defeat for Russia.

Petro Pavel predicted the “fatigue” of the US from helping Ukrainians

For example, he warned in March, when the Ukrainian military was due to launch an offensive this spring, that this would be Kyiv’s only chance to inflict a decisive defeat on the Russian military before the West gets “fatigued” from supporting Ukraine.

“War fatigue is connected not only with the exhaustion of human resources and equipment, the destruction of infrastructure in Ukraine, but also with fatigue in the countries that provide aid. Many countries, many politicians expect some progress this year. I think that there will be only one attempt to launch a major counteroffensive in Ukraine,” he explained at the time.

“Therefore, if [Ucraina] decided to launch a major counter-offensive, and it fails, it will be extremely difficult to get funds for the next one,” said Petr Pavel, who was chairman of the NATO Military Committee from 2015 to 2018 and chief of the Czech General Staff. Armed Forces from 2012 to 2015, with the rank of general.

His words proved prophetic, as the latest aid package prepared by the White House for Ukraine was blocked by Republicans in the US Congress, and more conservative lawmakers in Washington fear continued support for Kyiv.

Most are staunch supporters of former President Donald Trump, who since the start of the Russian invasion last year has said, among other things, that the US should not have sent cluster bombs or tanks to Kyiv and that it would consider allowing Russia to occupy parts of Ukraine as part of a peace deal between two countries.

Follow the latest events of the 664th day of the war in Ukraine LIVETEXT on HOTNEWS.RO.