Not a Nobel Prize: Czech president cautions against "quick peace" in Ukraine
President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel (photo: president.gov.ua)
President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel warned that a "quick peace" in Ukraine would not earn a Nobel Peace Prize, but could instead trigger new aggression in the near future.
Read also: Can fighting end by summer? Zelenskyy reveals key condition
The Czech leader said that Russia has yet to understand that it cannot win on the battlefield, and creating conditions for Moscow to realize this is crucial.
"We may create favorable conditions for Russia to understand that they cannot achieve more success on the ground and that the only way is to negotiate. I'm not sure that Russia is there mentally," he said.
Other participants in the discussion, including the prime ministers of Croatia and the Netherlands, Andrej Plenković and Dick Schoof, expressed similar skepticism about Moscow's readiness for peace.
The Czech president also emphasized that Russia is a weak country with a large nuclear arsenal and should be treated accordingly.
On the subject of a "quick peace" in Ukraine, he said that such an approach would have certain consequences.
"Quick peace will not result in a Nobel Prize for peace—it will result in another aggression very soon," Pavel said, highlighting that any peace deal must be fair for Ukraine.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen agreed, noting that a poor peace agreement for Ukraine could open the door to further attacks from Russia, either against Ukraine or other European countries.
US pushes for peace in Ukraine by summer
On February 13, US President Donald Trump said he expects Ukraine to take action in the peace process. According to him, Russia wants an agreement, and if Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not act, Ukraine could "miss a great opportunity."
Recent reports suggest Ukraine has begun preparations for presidential elections and a referendum by May 15, reportedly under pressure from the Trump administration.
Reuters also reported that the US and Ukraine had discussed the possibility of a peace agreement with Russia as early as March.
In addition, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly stated that the US wants the war to end by June and will apply pressure to achieve this.
He also said a referendum on a peace deal with Russia could take place within a few months.
See here an in-depth analysis of why the US is pushing Ukraine toward elections amid an ongoing war.
