President Pavel: Time playing in Russia’s favour, continued support for Ukraine crucial

Russia is playing for time to get the upper hand in the war with Ukraine, and continued support from the West is crucial, Czech President Petr Pavel said at Thursday’s conference Diplomacy and Security held at the headquarters of the Czech Foreign Ministry. Russia’s victory would be our defeat, the president said, noting that Russia’s imperialist ambitions reach far beyond Ukraine’s borders.

The former head of NATO’s Military Committee said that Russia’s strategy was a drawn-out conflict which would give it time to top up both equipment and human resources. We are seeing massive weapons deliveries from North Korea and efforts to violate the sanctions against Russia, Pavel said.

He said Russia was dragging out the conflict so as to benefit from war fatigue and was waiting for the outcome of the US presidential election in the hope that America might halt military support to Kyiv.

The president also spoke about the disruption of the world order which he said is now evident almost everywhere. “Frozen conflicts are thawing in the Caucasus, and the wave of military coups in African countries, especially in the Sahel, is causing increasing concern. The explosive potential of the current crisis in the Middle East, sparked by Hamas' barbaric attack on Israel, is evident above all else," the president said.