Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala on Tuesday warned that Europe was one step away from war, following Russia’s invasion of separatist regions in Ukraine. 

In a speech to parliament in Prague, the prime minister once again condemned Russia’s recognition of the separatist areas in eastern Ukraine as an “act of aggression against a sovereign state.”

The liberal-conservative politician spoke out in favour of EU sanctions, which should have very harsh consequences for Russia.

He described it as a mistake that the West did not act forcefully enough after Russia’s annexation of the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in 2014.

Anyone who believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to revive the Soviet Union will end with eastern Ukraine is naive, Mr Fiala stressed.

He said the Czech Republic is ready to participate in a reinforcement of NATO’s eastern flank, among other things with chemical weapons specialists.

“At the same time, the Czech Republic is preparing for possible crisis scenarios such as a loss of energy supplies from Russia or a wave of refugees from Ukraine,” he said.

(dpa/NAN)