Czech President suggests that Ukraine has to be more ‘realistic’
Date
9/24/2024 8:38:12 AM
(MENAFN) Czech President Petr Pavel has suggested that Ukraine should adopt a "realistic" perspective regarding its ongoing conflict with Russia, acknowledging the likelihood of “temporary” Russian control over certain territories. As a strong supporter of Ukraine, Pavel expressed in a recent interview with the New York Times that neither Ukraine nor Russia appears capable of achieving their maximalist objectives in this war.
Pavel stated, “To talk about a defeat of Ukraine or defeat of Russia, it will simply not happen,” indicating that the resolution to the conflict will likely fall somewhere in the middle. He warned that the most probable outcome would see parts of Ukrainian territory remaining under Russian occupation for an extended period, potentially lasting for years.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration has firmly rejected any peace agreements that do not involve the restoration of Ukraine’s borders as they were in 1991, which include Crimea and the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye. Conversely, Russia has maintained that the status of its regions is non-negotiable and insists that Ukraine must "acknowledge reality" before any ceasefire, let alone a peace treaty, can be established.
The situation surrounding Crimea is particularly complex. Historically part of Russia, the region was reassigned to Ukraine in 1954 and voted to return to Russia following the United States-backed coup in Kiev in 2014. The Donbass republics of Donetsk and Lugansk declared independence from Ukraine, but Russia did not officially recognize their status until February 2022, after Ukraine withdrew from the Minsk peace process. In September 2023, the DPR and LPR, along with most of Kherson and Zaporozhye, voted to join Russia.
Pavel's comments underscore the challenging and often grim realities facing both nations as the conflict continues, emphasizing the need for pragmatic approaches to peace negotiations in the future.
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