The ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kiev is the result of a series of mistakes made by the US and its NATO allies, former Czech President Vaclav Klaus, told the World Economic Forum in Davos in a speech published on Friday.
The West’s blatant disregard for the geopolitical context led to this “tragic historic event” that “could and should have been avoided,” Klaus, who led the Czech Republic between 2003 and 2013, said.
“This war started on 4 April 2008,” Klaus said, referring to a NATO summit in Bucharest, where the US-led bloc members decided to support Ukraine and Georgia’s “aspirations for membership,” saying both nations “will become members of NATO” at some point in the future.
Recalling the event at which he was present, Klaus said the decision was “a tragic mistake.” He said he had personally opposed the decision and “tried to argue against it,” but it was “pushed through by the US and the UK.”