Czechia joins EU allies in shaping stance before high-stakes US–Ukraine talks

European countries, backed by Czechia, agreed Sunday to join Ukraine in high-stakes talks in the United States, underscoring Prague’s push for binding security guarantees as leaders prepare for a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said after a videoconference of the so-called “coalition of the willing” that coordination before Monday’s White House meeting was vital. “We agreed that the goal should be to stop the killing of people as soon as possible and that clear security guarantees to Ukraine from the United States and Europe will be absolutely crucial for further negotiations,” Fiala said on X.

Although no Czech representative will travel to Washington, Prague is actively shaping Europe’s stance. Jakub Tomek, head of the prime minister’s communications department, told the Czech News Agency that “we are coordinating our positions with the participants in the coalition of the willing.”

Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský reinforced that message after phone calls with his French, British, Finnish, Dutch and Polish counterparts. “Europe must now show that it is ready to play its role and come up with credible commitments that will be a real guarantee of security for Ukraine,” Lipavský said. He added that “coordination of the European approach ahead of Monday’s meeting is crucial.”

Lipavský also said Prague will again push to restrict Russian diplomats’ movement through the Schengen zone as part of a future sanctions package. “The only thing that follows from this is that Russian diplomats deserve to have their movement through Schengen restricted because they are openly working to support aggression,” he said.

Among the notable guests are French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Also in attendance are British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni.

The diplomatic maneuvering follows Trump’s meeting Friday in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which produced no visible breakthrough. Trump later abandoned his earlier demand for an immediate ceasefire, signaling instead that he would press for a broader peace deal.

According to Veronika Stromšíková, head of the Czech Foreign Ministry’s political affairs section, Trump has been holding phone calls with selected European leaders about the Alaska meeting. “As far as I know, the Czech Republic was not among them,” she said.