"It would be naive to say that Ukraine can recapture occupied territories in foreseeable future" - Czech President on end of war

Czech President Petr Pavel in an interview for British television answered the question whether Ukraine should now start negotiations with russia and stop hostilities. According to him, it is "naive" to assume that Kyiv will regain occupied territory in the foreseeable future, the Czech edition of Idnes quotes Pavel.

"We need to be realistic. It would be naive to say that Ukraine can recapture the occupied territories in the foreseeable future. Russia will not abandon the occupied territories so simply," the Czech President said.

Petr Pavel stressed that it is now important to stop the war, but so that as a result, a compromise was created, to which all parties, including countries that will act as guarantors of the peace agreement, will agree.

"We need to stop the war and then start discussing the future order. There may be some compromise, but not without the consent of Ukraine, Russia and the countries that will guarantee this agreement," Pavel emphasized.

At the same time, commenting on the supply of weapons from Western partners to Ukraine, the President of the Czech Republic noted that, in his opinion, it is enough for "victory on earth." What exactly he means by this definition, the Czech President did not explain.

"We see the result of a long preparation. It was clear that with better weather, Russia would launch an offensive. Ukrainians have been preparing for this for a long time. They asked us for more ammunition and equipment," Pavel commented in an interview.

In addition, Petr Pavel noted that NATO cannot deploy its troops on the territory of Ukraine, as previously suggested by French President Macron. He clarified his opinion in the sense that the soldiers of the Alliance will not fight side by side with the Ukrainian ones. According to him, this will mean the beginning of the conflict between russia and the North Atlantic Alliance.

"No one wants such a conflict in Europe," he concluded.

The Czech President also noted that he did not doubt the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO, but stressed that only after the end of the war.

"We have to come to a settlement, to restore peace in the region, and then we can talk about the potential membership of Ukraine," he said, answering the moderator's question whether Ukraine should now discuss membership in the Alliance.

It should be noted that earlier Petr Pavel stated that the presence of NATO troops could carry out support directly on the territory of Ukraine, since this would not violate any international rules.