Czechia sees surge in donations for Ukraine amid Trump-Zelenskyy tensions

Czechs have dramatically increased their financial support for Ukraine in the wake of a heated confrontation between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Following the leaders' tense exchange at the White House on Friday, donations surged, with some collection groups seeing a dramatic spike in contributions.

The Dárek pro Putina initiative, which typically raises between CZK 220,000 and 270,000 daily, saw nearly CZK 3 million crowns donated in just a few hours following the broadcast of the Trump-Zelensky meeting.

“As Trump creates public pressure, some people in the Czech Republic are taking out their credit cards and creating counterpressure,” Martin Ondráček from the initiative told iROZHLAS.cz.

The surge in donations has been evident across multiple fundraising efforts. Ondráček reported that his group is now collecting over CZK 4 million per day, a substantial increase from the 250,000 to 300,000 crowns it previously raised.

Other organizations, including People in Need, have also witnessed an uptick in contributions, with their fundraising for Ukraine skyrocketing twentyfold, reaching 20 CZK million in a single week.

“That is, of course, a significant increase. It’s twenty times more,” Tomáš Vyhnálek, fundraising director at People in Need told ČT24.

The funds are going towards a wide range of military and humanitarian aid, including the purchase of a Black Hawk helicopter and drones for frontline units in Donetsk and Kharkiv.

Local volunteers and organizations have also stepped up their efforts, sending medical supplies, firefighting robots, and trench candles to Ukraine.

“People are simply realizing that these partners can no longer be trusted,” said Martin Kroupa, of the Memory of the Nation and Group D collections.

As Czechia continues to play a pivotal role in supporting Ukraine, the next steps will focus on both increased defense spending and ongoing diplomatic efforts.

Veronika Stromšíková, political director and chief director of security for the Foreign MInistry will represent Czechia at talks in London on Tuesday, discussing strategies for achieving a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia following the summit hosted by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Meanwhile, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala is pushing for a defense budget increase to 3 percent of GDP, aiming for gradual funding increases.

Czech officials are also prioritizing transatlantic cooperation, with Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský speaking with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio about transatlantic cooperation and achieving lasting peace in Ukraine on a call Monday.