The president of the Czech Republic said his country is ready to join a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, warning “the biggest threat to European security was and still is Russia.”
Speaking to Ukrainian online newspaper European Pravda on Saturday, Petr Pavel said Ukraine would struggle to liberate its occupied territories without a significant increase in Western military support for Kyiv.
He said: “If there is no real will to provide much more military support [to Ukraine] [...] with limited personnel, it will be impossible for Ukraine without huge losses to succeed in liberating territories that are occupied by Russia.”
Pavel said Russia's war in Ukraine would likely result in Moscow temporarily occupying Ukrainian regions but stressed that the West should not recognize Russia’s sovereignty over the occupied territory.
“This conflict, without changing the parameters, will most probably end up with some compromise [...] but I believe the compromise solution shouldn't be recognition of occupied territories as rightfully Russian,” he said.
“As a matter of principle, if we want to maintain the rules-based international order, where principles like territorial integrity and sovereignty matter, then we simply cannot accept the fact that the aggressor will be rewarded by being granted legal ownership of occupied territories.”
Russia currently controls approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory.
U.S. under President Donald Trump has moved swiftly to end the three-year-long war in Ukraine, with high-ranking American officials engaging in peace talks with counterparts from Moscow and Kyiv.
However, Washington’s calls for concessions have raised concerns that a potential settlement could force Ukraine to surrender large parts of its occupied territory to Russia.
Last week, U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, who has been part of the peace negotiations, suggested that a future agreement to end the war could involve Kyiv ceding territory in exchange for “future security guarantee.”
European leaders fear that such a settlement could likely embolden Russia to pursue further aggression in the region.
He said: “If there is no real will to provide much more military support [to Ukraine] [...] with limited personnel, it will be impossible for Ukraine without huge losses to succeed in liberating territories that are occupied by Russia.”
Pavel said Russia's war in Ukraine would likely result in Moscow temporarily occupying Ukrainian regions but stressed that the West should not recognize Russia’s sovereignty over the occupied territory.
“This conflict, without changing the parameters, will most probably end up with some compromise [...] but I believe the compromise solution shouldn't be recognition of occupied territories as rightfully Russian,” he said.
“As a matter of principle, if we want to maintain the rules-based international order, where principles like territorial integrity and sovereignty matter, then we simply cannot accept the fact that the aggressor will be rewarded by being granted legal ownership of occupied territories.”
Russia currently controls approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory.
U.S. under President Donald Trump has moved swiftly to end the three-year-long war in Ukraine, with high-ranking American officials engaging in peace talks with counterparts from Moscow and Kyiv.
However, Washington’s calls for concessions have raised concerns that a potential settlement could force Ukraine to surrender large parts of its occupied territory to Russia.
Last week, U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, who has been part of the peace negotiations, suggested that a future agreement to end the war could involve Kyiv ceding territory in exchange for “future security guarantee.”
European leaders fear that such a settlement could likely embolden Russia to pursue further aggression in the region.
‘Coalition of the willing’
Pavel, who visited Kyiv on Friday to meet his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, also signaled the Czech Republic’s readiness to join the newly formed “coalition of the willing.”
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer proposed the peacekeeping force, made up of NATO troops and other interested countries earlier this month. It aims to provide security guarantees for Kyiv, including the possible deployment of a European contingent in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia.
Pavel said: “We are part of this coalition now...If there is a strong group of European nations willing to provide security guarantees to Ukraine, my strong conviction is that (the) Czech Republic should be among them.”
Russia has opposed any deployment of European troops in Ukraine.
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