The President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, stated in an interview with ČTK that temporary territorial concessions might be possible in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. He emphasized that this does not mean legitimizing the occupation and violating international law, but rather reflects the reality on the battlefield and the desire to avoid a multi-year conflict with numerous casualties.
This is reported by ČTK, writes UNN.
Details
Petr Pavel stressed that any territorial concessions must be exclusively temporary.
"This should not de jure confirm Russia's territorial gains and violate the principle of territorial integrity enshrined in the UN Charter,"
According to him, recognizing temporarily occupied territories is "recognizing reality," as Russia already controls certain regions.
"If they are recognized as temporarily occupied, we must call them exactly that, not Russian territories,"
The President also commented on the Czech Republic's role in the peacekeeping process. He emphasized that Czech participation in peacekeeping forces in Ukraine is possible and logical, as the country actively supports Kyiv and participates in international initiatives.
"A possible role would include training Ukrainian military personnel, assisting in demining, or observing in demilitarized zones, and the decision on specific deployment should be made by the government and parliament."
Pavel criticized the gradual approach of Western countries to supporting Ukraine: in his opinion, anti-Russian sanctions and military aid should have been massive from the very beginning to strengthen Ukraine's defense as quickly and effectively as possible and reduce loss of life.
"If we had acted immediately, the situation could have looked completely different,"
Speaking about negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, Pavel emphasized that the Czech Republic does not dictate the terms of the agreement and does not advise what to keep or give away.
"At this moment, we must do everything to ensure that negotiations continue constructively: with a willingness to compromise, but firm enough so that the aggressor is not rewarded,"
At the same time, Pavel shares the skepticism of other European leaders regarding a quick end to the war. He noted that the initiative on the battlefield now belongs to Russia, and it is unknown how interested Moscow is in a quick peaceful settlement.
"Putin had peace in his hands almost from the very beginning,"
Earlier
Ukraine and the Czech Republic will continue joint arms production projects, and cooperation will increase. The Czech Republic will provide Ukraine with 1.8 million rounds of ammunition by the end of the year and participates in the aviation coalition.
Ukraine received one million large-caliber ammunition as part of the Czech initiative, said Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz highly praised this assistance.