The Czech Republic may send its soldiers to Ukraine if Europe agrees to create an appropriate contingent.
Points of attention
- The President of the Czech Republic is in favor of sending soldiers to Ukraine as part of a European coalition under specific conditions and agreements.
- The Czech Republic is considering joining a 'coalition of the willing' to take concrete actions in response to the situation in Ukraine, rather than just engaging in discussions.
- Before sending soldiers to Ukraine, it is crucial to establish a clear mission mandate and define the structure of the military contingent to ensure operational effectiveness.
Pavel admitted the possibility of sending Czech soldiers to Ukraine
Czech President Petr Pavel stated this at a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv.
According to the Czech head of state, the "coalition of the willing" is a group of countries that are ready to work, not "just talk." In particular, a meeting at the level of commanders-in-chief took place in London on March 20. They discussed the modalities of a potential military presence in Ukraine.
The Czech Republic is ready to be part of these negotiations. If there is a final decision to create such forces, I believe that the Czech Republic will become part of them.
Peter Pavel
President of the Czech Republic
The president also noted that making a decision on the military contingent before negotiations begin is "very difficult."
First, you need to have an agreement on the military presence, and then discuss the mandate of the mission and its structure and composition. We have heard the numbers of 10 thousand or 20 thousand. I think, as far as the mandate is concerned, we will have discussions on how to deploy such a contingent, which country can provide the best pieces of the puzzle so that this contingent is effective.
As a reminder, European countries are currently discussing one of the options for security guarantees for Ukraine. It involves sending European soldiers to Ukraine to deter Russia from a possible second attack.
