In an interview with Czech media Novinky and Právo, Pavel outlined a scenario where Ukraine could become a NATO member even while parts of its territory remain under Russian occupation.
“I think it’s not a necessary condition to have full control over the entire territory,” Pavel stated. “If there’s a demarcation, even if it’s an administrative boundary, we can consider this administrative boundary as temporary and accept Ukraine into NATO within the territory it controls at that time.”
The Czech President drew a historical parallel with Germany’s NATO accession in 1955 when part of the country was under Soviet occupation. He emphasized that there are both technical and legal solutions to allow Ukraine’s NATO membership without bringing the alliance into direct conflict with Russia.
Pavel suggested this approach could be implemented after certain, even if a temporary truce is achieved to pause the current war phase.
The discussion comes as the war in Ukraine enters its thirtieth month, with fighting now extending into Russia’s Kursk Oblast. President Pavel believes Ukraine’s actions in Kursk will strengthen Ukraine’s position during potential peace negotiations.
Related:
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- Zelenskyy says Kursk operation’s goal buffer zone in Russian territory
- Kursk Oblast: Where Russia’s “historical lands” argument falls apart
