Czech President Petr Pavel has suggested that Ukraine’s potential accession to NATO should not be contingent on the complete control of its territory, including areas currently occupied by Russia. In an interview with Novinky published on August 19, Pavel emphasized that Ukraine’s path to NATO membership should not be hindered by the ongoing occupation of parts of its territory.
At the July NATO summit in Washington, member countries launched the Ukraine Compact, a security framework endorsed by 32 allies. This framework reaffirmed the commitment to Ukraine’s eventual membership, but did not provide a definitive timeline for accession. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has consistently advocated for a formal invitation to NATO, although he has stated that Ukraine’s membership would only be pursued after the conclusion of Russia’s full-scale war.
Pavel anticipates that Ukraine and Russia might reach an agreement in the coming years. He suggested that even if some Ukrainian territories remain under Russian control, these areas should be regarded as “temporarily occupied” by the West. Pavel believes that full control over all Ukrainian territory should not be a prerequisite for NATO membership.
In March, Pavel had previously stated that Russia should not be allowed to dictate the terms of peace in Ukraine. He suggested that the conflict might end with a clear military victory for one side or through mutual exhaustion rather than through negotiations.
Pavel argued that NATO could accept Ukraine with its current administrative borders, even if some regions are under temporary occupation. He cited the example of Germany, which joined NATO in 1955 despite having part of its territory occupied by the Soviet Union until 1990. Pavel expressed confidence that there are both technical and legal solutions to facilitate Ukraine’s NATO membership without directly involving the alliance in a conflict with Russia.
President Zelensky responded in December, criticizing the notion of Ukraine joining NATO in parts as “nonsense.” He warned that such a scenario might be risky for the country.