Czech President on Ukraine's NATO membership: Let's leave this question open

This was announced by the President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel in an interview with the publication “European Pravda”, as reported by Ukrinform.

He suggested that the active presence of American companies in Ukraine would likely lead to the United States defending its interests. In addition, he noted that security guarantees would also be provided by European countries that have expressed their readiness to support Ukraine.

Pavel mentioned the “coalition of the willing” – a group of states ready to send stabilization forces to Ukraine after a peace agreement is reached. He also reminded that the Czech Republic is part of this coalition.

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Answering the question of why NATO membership is not included in the list of security guarantees for Ukraine, the Czech President pointed to the position of US President Donald Trump on this issue. He noted that the US President had ruled out the possibility of Ukraine quickly joining NATO. If this proves to be an obstacle to reaching a peace agreement, Pavel considered it necessary to accept reality. He also stressed that NATO membership is not a matter of months and will require more time.

At the same time, he noted that the issue should not be taken off the agenda. He suggested leaving it for the future, as important leaders come and go. He pointed out that in three years, the US will have a different administration that may look at the issue differently.

The leaders of the EU, Britain and Canada plan to meet in Paris to discuss their position on Ukraine and the terms of the peace process.