Pavel: Ukraine has two-month window to revive peace talks

President Petr Pavel believes allies have just two months to increase pressure on Russia and push it towards peace talks with Ukraine, he said in an interview with The Telegraph following the NATO summit in Ankara.

Pavel warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could order a general mobilisation after Russia's parliamentary elections on September 20. He argued that continued military support for Ukraine, coupled with diplomatic pressure, offers the best chance of bringing Moscow to the negotiating table.

The Czech president also stressed the need to expand defence production, saying NATO countries must ensure industry has the capacity to rapidly increase output of advanced weapons, including long-range missiles and missile defence systems.