Pavel: Russia’s collapse would present major security threat

The collapse of Russia would present a major security threat to the world, Czech president-elect Petr Pavel said in an hour long Facebook session during which he took questions from the public. Pavel, who served as head of NATO’s Military Committee, said the disintegration of Russia and subsequent chaos could create an even more explosive situation than the world faces today, since the country has nuclear weapons. The president-elect said that it was important that after its defeat someone in Russia should retain control of its territory and be able to conduct international negotiations. He reiterated that peace talks can only begin on condition that Russia pulls out of Ukraine and the country regains full control of its territory within internationally recognized borders.