Czech President Petr Pavel Urges Continued Efforts to Defeat Russia

During an annual commemoration for victims of Nazi persecution, Czech President Petr Pavel urged an unwavering commitment to defeating Russia in Ukraine.

Speaking at the ceremony at the National Cemetery in Terezin on Sunday, May 21, he emphasized the importance of unity, historical awareness, and learning from the past to avoid repeating grave mistakes.

“At this stage, I would like to urge that we not abandon our joint efforts aimed at defeating Russia in Ukraine and that we reject the violation of the rules of the international order that we are witnessing. We have to be motivated,” he said.

“We should be motivated by the very historical experience that we are talking about today. It is right that we remember him and put him in the context of today’s situation, the only way we can avoid repeating the mistakes of the past,” he added.

Acknowledging the challenges faced by Europe due to the war’s economic and social consequences, President Pavel openly acknowledged that it would be difficult to maintain unity in support of Ukraine, but said it is vital to do so.

“War fatigue puts pressure on politicians and makes it difficult to manage public finances. It will be increasingly difficult to maintain unity in support of Ukraine.”

In earlier statements, President Pavel, a former army chief and high-level NATO official, shared his assessment of Ukraine’s planned counteroffensive, stating that the plan has a good chance of being successful, but could lead to heavy losses if Russia uses its prepared defenses well.

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