"And disconnect them from global network": Czech President proposes radical sanctions against russia - media

Czech President Peter Pavel has called on NATO to take "decisive and possibly asymmetric" measures in response to russian provocations on the alliance's eastern flank.

In an interview with The Guardian newspaper, he said that Moscow has developed "a style of behavior that almost reaches the threshold of Article 5, but invariably remains slightly below it" (Article 5 of the NATO Charter stipulates that an attack on one member of the alliance is considered an attack on all - TMT).

Among the possible steps, Pavel named disconnecting russia from the global Internet, excluding its banks from international financial systems, and shooting down planes that violate the airspace of NATO countries.

Commenting on the current situation, Pavel stressed that the alliance should not limit itself to diplomatic statements.

"Unfortunately, russia does not understand nice words. They understand the language of force," he said.

Pavel, a retired general and former chairman of NATO's military committee, also expressed disappointment with "the lack of determination on the part of the United States to continue to pressure russia," while avoiding direct criticism of President Donald Trump.

He had previously told Czech media that "Trump has done more to undermine NATO's credibility than vladimir putin has done in many years," but this time he focused on the need for a consolidated and tough stance from the allies.

According to him, russian military leaders openly admitted that they were taking advantage of the alliance's indecision: "When I asked them why they were carrying out provocations, they answered: 'Because we can.'"

The Czech President warned that the lack of reaction would only push Moscow to further escalation.

"If we do not react to the violations we are facing today, russia is likely to become more active," he said, echoing similar assessments by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Separately, Pavel criticized European countries for their inability to develop an independent strategy towards russia.

"Instead, we are mostly waiting for signals from Washington," he noted.

In his opinion, the most favorable moment for increasing pressure on Moscow was lost last year, but the current situation still allows for a "last attempt" of sanctions pressure.

"If you want the lifting of sanctions, discussions on European security - we are ready for this. But the condition is clear: a ceasefire and peace talks on Ukraine," Pavel summed up.

The Czech President's statement came against the backdrop of a series of incidents in the Baltic region. This week, a NATO fighter jet shot down a drone over Estonia, and earlier cases of drone violations have been recorded in Latvia and Lithuania. As the publication notes, most of the episodes involved drones, presumably Ukrainian, that changed course under the influence of russian electronic warfare.