In an interview with the Czech publication Novinky, the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, expressed doubts about the possibility of achieving a "just peace" for Ukraine as a result of the end of the war. According to him, the full restoration of Ukraine's control over its entire territory, including Crimea, as well as compensation for the damage caused by the war, is an "illusion", and the reality will be somewhat different.
"If we consider a just peace as an absolute ideal, then it would mean the full restoration of Ukraine's control over the entire territory, including Crimea, as well as compensation for losses. But, as we probably all feel, this is rather an illusion. The reality will be somewhat different. We should strive to get as close as possible to a just peace," Pavel said.
He also expressed the opinion that Russia will probably retain control over part of the Ukrainian territory following the peace negotiations.
"If peace talks take place, then, most likely, we will be talking about the occupation of part of the Ukrainian territory by Russia for a long time. From the point of view of democratic countries that claim to observe international law and the UN Charter, it should be the case that we will observe the agreement between the warring parties, but do not recognize the change of international borders on the basis of aggression. We will consider the territories occupied by Russia temporarily occupied while Ukraine restores its sovereignty over the territory it currently controls," Pavel added.
