Czech President: Ukraine could join NATO even when some territories are occupied

Czech President Petr Pavel has suggested that Ukraine's full control over its entire territory should not be a prerequisite for joining NATO.

Aug 20, 2024 - 05:25
Czech President: Ukraine could join NATO even when some territories are occupied

Czech President Petr Pavel

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:

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this. 

We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society.

A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support.

Become a Patron!