CZECHIA – Babis: Prolonged Ukraine war is leading the world toward the “gates of hell”

PRAGUE, Sept 17 (ATSH-DPA) — Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis has called on Europe to step up efforts to end the war in Ukraine, warning that the current situation could lead to a wider conflict. Speaking at a security conference in Prague, Babis said Europe and the U.S. should work together to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the negotiating table.

“The path the world is on does not lead to security. It is taking us toward the ‘gates of hell’ and toward a Third World War,” he said.

Babis expressed concern that the war, which he described as a “war of attrition,” could spread even further. He did not say whether Ukraine should be prepared to give up territory as part of a possible peace deal.

Babis’s government has taken a more cautious stance on support for Ukraine than the previous government. That stance has put him at odds with Czech President Petr Pavel, a former NATO general and one of the main backers of the Czech initiative to supply Ukraine with millions of rounds of ammunition.