MFA responds to Czech president's statement about occupation of Ukrainian territory after end of war

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said this in a comment on statements about the possibility of temporarily leaving part of Ukrainian territory under occupation, Ukrinform reports.

The ministry said that the withdrawal of Russian occupying forces from the sovereign territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders was one of the mandatory points of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's Peace Formula. This and other provisions of the Formula will guarantee a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace not only for Ukraine, but for the entire European continent and the world, the comment said.

"We emphasize that there can be no middle-ground solutions when it comes to human lives, freedom, common values, justice for Russia’s crimes, and the restoration of international peace and security. In this context, temporary solutions will not bring lasting peace but will merely postpone war," the ministry said.

It called for joint efforts to implement the Peace Formula in the interests of all peace-loving nations that respect the UN Charter and the value of human life.

"Together, we must increase pressure on Russia to coerce it into a just peace, liberate Ukraine’s territories, and restore respect for international law. This is a realistic scenario that we can achieve through joint efforts," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.

Earlier, Pavel said in an interview with The New York Times that Ukraine "will have to be realistic" about its prospects of recovering territory occupied by Russia and accept that some territory could remain under Russian control, at least "temporarily."