Ukraine will receive invitation to NATO after end of war, - President of Czech Republic Pavel
Ukraine will definitely receive an invitation from NATO, but it will happen after the war is over, not at the NATO summit in Vilnius, as some insist.
Czech President Petr Pavel said this at the international conference "Media and Ukraine", Censor.NET reports citing Ukrinform.
"Issuing an invitation while the conflict is ongoing is like treading water. We need to stick to the real possibilities, and they are that the Allies say: the moment the war is over, we will start the process of granting membership. I think this is fairer and more rational, and for Ukraine, it is a strong statement, which I hope Ukraine will receive at the summit in Vilnius," Pavel said.
He stressed the need to increase assistance for the success of the counter-offensive. This will be discussed at the NATO summit, especially long-term support. "We have to support Ukraine, long-term... The alternative to Ukraine's failure is chaos and much bigger problems that we will face in the future," Pavel said.
Commenting on the progress of the Ukrainian counter-offensive, the ex-general did not call what is happening "disappointing".
"It was quite clear that when the counter-offensive started, it would face a very well-prepared defence. This is not what Russia had in mind for several months and was intensively building up its defence... Going against such a defence when the forces are... more or less equal is a very difficult thing. From this point of view, what we are seeing now is more of an initial phase that will rather test how strong the defence is, what the capabilities are. What will happen next will be much more powerful than what we are seeing now, because Ukraine has not yet deployed all the forces it has prepared for a counter-offensive," the former NATO general said.
He stressed the importance of explanatory work in partner countries to avoid disappointment due to "not being successful fast enough", which could not have been the case. According to the former military commander, it would rather be an unexpected surprise if the Russian positions were immediately broken through.
"A major operation has its own rules," Pavel stated, recalling his own warnings based on his military experience and his habit of assessing the situation realistically rather than overly optimistically.
