- Category
- Latest news
Pavel: Russia Unlikely to Seek Peace While Advancing on Battlefield
- Authors
![Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk]( "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
-72b63a4e0c8c475ad81fe3eed3f63729.jpeg "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
Czech President Petr Pavel has rejected the notion that Russia is winning the war in Ukraine, saying Moscow’s territorial gains come at an unsustainable human cost and will not lead to peace, he said in an interview with the BBC on July 8.
Pavel said that while Russia has managed to seize some Ukrainian territory, its so-called victories are nothing more than tactical advances achieved through massive casualties and equipment losses. True victory, he stressed, looks very different.
He warned that as long as Russia sees some success on the battlefield, it will not pursue peace talks.
“They [the Russians] believe they can achieve much more through military action than through negotiations. That’s why President Putin orders his commanders to exert maximum pressure on Ukraine,” Pavel said.
He added that Russia is pursuing a dual strategy—attacking along the frontlines while simultaneously terrorizing civilians in the rear—in an attempt to break Ukraine’s will to resist.
Still, Pavel praised Ukraine for showing both resolve and courage, pointing out that Ukrainian forces continue to inflict serious damage on the Russian military. However, he acknowledged that Ukraine’s smaller population limits its ability to mobilize troops at scale.
The Czech President cautioned that if the war continues at its current pace, it could drag on for years—an outcome he called “unacceptable for everyone.” That’s why, he said, the West must simultaneously support Ukraine militarily while ramping up pressure on Russia.
“We’re trying… on one hand, to support Ukraine in the war and show Russia there is no victory on the battlefield, and at the same time apply maximum diplomatic, political, economic, and financial pressure so Russia understands the only solution is at the negotiating table, not on the front line,” he added.
Czech President rejected the notion that Russia’s current summer offensive might be its last major push before beginning serious negotiations. Petr Pavel said he doesn’t trust Russian intentions and finds little credibility in their public messaging.
Pavel argued that Western sanctions remain a powerful tool and will eventually force Russia to rethink its strategy as its economy continues to deteriorate.
Europe, he said, must play a role not only in supplying weapons to Ukraine but also at the future negotiating table.
Addressing the question of liberating occupied territories, Pavel warned that Ukraine, even with full Western support, cannot retake all of them quickly without suffering massive casualties. It would be wrong, he said, for the West to pressure Ukraine to do so.
“We want them [Ukrainians] to survive. We want them to survive as an independent, sovereign country. And there is a price for restoring Ukraine as an independent and autonomous state,” he stated
“If that price is accepting that part of the territory will be temporarily occupied, without legal recognition of that occupation, then so be it. But we will never recognize those occupied areas as legally Russian,” He said.
Pavel added that Moscow does not care for residents of the occupied territories the way it does for its own citizens. “I believe the occupied regions are a kind of burden for Russia, mostly used as a political tool,” Czech President stated.
“Look at Ossetia or Abkhazia… These regions are much poorer than Russia, and the Russian authorities aren’t trying to improve living conditions because these are second-class citizens for Russia,” he said.
Earlier Czechia delivered 400,000 new shells to Ukraine, reinforcing long-term military support of Ukraine.
