The temporary occupation of Ukrainian territories by russia should not obstruct Ukraine's continued integration into NATO or the EU. Czech President Petr Pavel stated this during a panel discussion at the NATO Public Forum in Washington, where the NATO summit is taking place, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine.
"Obviously, we cannot agree that the territories occupied by russia should be recognized as russian because that would mean going against the principles on which our societies are built. However, it is likely that part of the Ukrainian territory will be temporarily occupied. But such a situation should not prevent us from continuing Ukraine's integration into NATO or the EU and insisting on the restoration of its full sovereignty in the foreseeable future", - he said.
The Czech leader emphasized that for this, Ukraine needs significant support from its partners. In his opinion, supporting Ukraine is a matter of principle.
"We want to live in a world where small countries are also protected, where they have guarantees that they can realize their aspirations. And that is why we believe it is in our interest to defend Ukraine", - Pavel noted.
As reported earlier, after the strike on "Okhmatdyt", the Czech Republic informed russia that they are "the trash of humanity".