Czech President explains how U.S., Europe will share security guarantees for Ukraine

Pavel said this in an interview with European Pravda.

Discussing a potential agreement between Ukraine and the US, the Czech president noted that the presence of American businesses in Ukraine means "we can expect that they (the US – Ed.) will protect these interests."

The second component, according to Pavel, will come from European countries that have "declared their readiness to support Ukraine."

"And now, we are mainly talking about the newly formed so-called 'coalition of the willing' — states that can and want to send stabilization forces to Ukraine once a peace agreement is reached," he said.

When asked why he does not see Ukraine’s NATO membership as part of the security guarantees, Pavel pointed to US President Donald Trump’s stance on the issue.

"We have already seen that the American president (Donald Trump, - ed.) rejected the option of Ukraine's rapid accession to NATO. If this becomes an obstacle to reaching a peace agreement, then so be it. After all, NATO membership is not a matter of a few months," he added.

At the same time, he stressed that the issue should not be taken off the table entirely.

"Let’s leave this issue open for the future because politicians come and go. There will be a different government in the US in three years, and under a new administration, we may see a different approach," Pavel concluded.

• Czech President Petr Pavel also believes his country should take part in a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine once the war with Russia ends.