Czech President Pavel Says Temporary Russian Occupation May Be Price for Ukraine Survival

Czech President Petr Pavel has stated that the temporary occupation of part of Ukrainian territory by Russia may be the necessary price for Ukraine to survive as a sovereign state. He emphasized that it would be unfair for the West to pressure Ukraine to immediately liberate all occupied regions, as Ukraine is currently not able to do so without incurring heavy human losses, even with Western support. Pavel affirmed that these occupied territories will never be legally recognized as part of Russia. While military aid to Ukraine should continue, he believes the war cannot be won solely on the battlefield and that greater economic pressure from Europe and the United States is a more effective tool to compel Russia to enter negotiations. Given the weakened state of the Russian economy, Pavel argued that sustained economic sanctions will eventually force Moscow to the negotiating table. The Czech president thus calls for a balanced approach prioritizing Ukraine's survival over immediate territorial reclamation.