In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Czech President Petr Pavel said that the West should provide Ukraine with everything it needs to regain sovereignty and control over its borders.
"We have no choice but to give Ukraine everything it needs to succeed in its mission to regain sovereignty and control of its borders: anything less will be our failure. A Russian victory will backfire on us in the future because it will strengthen their perception that they can achieve their goals by force and encourage regimes around the world to count on the weakness of Western democracies," Pavel said, answering a question about the current situation on the frontline in Ukraine.
The Czech president emphasized that discussions with Moscow are possible only within the framework of international rules and laws, but "not on the terms imposed by Putin."
He also emphasized the difficult "not very favorable situation for the continuation of counteroffensive operations" by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
In particular, the President noted that this winter may be difficult for Ukraine, as much of the country's infrastructure has been destroyed and has not been fully restored. "It will be difficult for the population, and given the doubts of the countries that are currently supporting Ukraine, disappointment will grow," Pavel said.
He noted that the winter may give Russia time to replenish its supplies. According to Pavel, Russia is producing more large-caliber ammunition, more tanks, recruiting more soldiers, and is negotiating with several countries for arms supplies, such as North Korea.
"If we miss the opportunity to maintain our support for Ukraine, next year could be even more favorable for Moscow," the Czech president said.
According to him, current Western supplies of military equipment are not enough to allow Ukraine to continue high-intensity offensive operations.
"We have not kept our promises to provide Ukrainians with artillery ammunition, and training on F-16s is not progressing as fast as it should. After receiving Storm Shadow missiles from Britain and similar missiles from France, Ukraine expected to receive German Taurus missiles. But Berlin has not yet decided whether to supply these missiles or not," Pavel continued, adding that he still believes that the West has the ability to change the situation.
Background. Earlier, the Czech president noted that the war in Ukraine carries a great risk, namely military fatigue, which is manifested not only by the warring parties but also by all countries. This will lead to increased pressure to end the conflict.