President Pavel: Ukraine might join NATO without controlling all its territory

Czech President Petr Pavel stated that Ukraine's entry into NATO might not require full control over its entire territory. In an interview for Novinky.cz, he drew a parallel with West Germany's post-war NATO membership despite Soviet occupation of part of its land. At the recent NATO summit, leaders promised Ukraine an irreversible path to membership but did not extend a formal invitation. Pavel anticipates that Ukraine might negotiate peace with Russia in the coming years, potentially leading to a situation where Russia occupies part of Ukraine, though this would not be recognized by democratic states. This scenario could still allow Ukraine to join NATO.