Czech president: If the cost of Ukraine's survival is temporary Russian occupation, then so be it

Ivanna Kostina, STANISLAV POHORILOV - 4 August, 16:19

Petr Pavel. Stock photo: Getty Images

Czech President Petr Pavel has told the BBC in an interview that the temporary Russian occupation of part of Ukrainian territory may be the price that has to be paid for Ukraine's survival as a sovereign state.

Source: Pavel in an interview with the BBC, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Pavel believes it would be unfair for the West to put pressure on Ukraine to immediately liberate all the occupied territories. He said the West does not want the Ukrainian nation to be exterminated.

Quote from Pavel: "Right now, Ukraine, with all Western support, is not in a position to liberate occupied territories in a short timeframe without a significant cost to lives. And of course it will be very unfair for the West to push Ukraine to liberate all occupied territories right now, because we don’t want to exterminate the Ukrainian nation. We want them to survive as an independent sovereign country. And if there is a cost to renewing Ukraine as an independent autonomous state, if the cost is to accept that part of the territory will be temporarily occupied, without recognising it legally, then so be it. We will never recognise these occupied territories as legally Russian."

The Czech president believes that it is essential to continue providing military aid to Ukraine, but that the war cannot be won on the battlefield, and economic pressure from Europe and the United States is a more powerful tool to force Moscow to the negotiating table.

Quote: "I believe that it is clearly in the interest of both sides of the Atlantic to exert much greater economic pressure on Russia, because it’s very powerful when it comes to convincing power. I believe with the state of the Russian economy today, they cannot stand economic pressure for a long time. That’s why sooner or later, if these measures are applied, Russia will have no alternative than to sit at the table and negotiate, which they have been refusing to do up to now."

Background:

In early July, Pavel said he disagreed with the assertion that Russia is "winning the war" against Ukraine.
He also pointed out that both Russia and Ukraine have their own problems and limitations that prevent them from gaining an advantage in the war.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!