Czech President Petr Pavel doubts that Russia will start peace negotiations after the end of the summer offensive, saying Moscow’s ultimate goal is the total defeat and subjugation of Ukraine.

Reporting on an interview Pavel gave to the BBC, Do Rzeczy quoted the president as saying: “Personally, I don’t believe in it, I don’t trust Russian arguments at all. When they say that they don’t set themselves the goal of completely defeating Ukraine, it’s worth listening to President Putin or (FM) Sergey Lavrov to understand what they really want.”

Pavel went on to clarify that Moscow’s idea of peace, Kyiv’s complete subjugation, is not legitimate. “If they want Ukraine to submit to all of Russia’s demands, then this is not a compromise on the battlefield. It’s simply the complete defeat of Ukraine, complete control over its territory, setting their own conditions and subordinating Ukraine to Moscow’s will.” 

The Czech president noted that as long as Putin sees some progress on the battlefield, he will not feel the need to negotiate.

“They believe they can achieve much more through military action than through negotiations. That is why President Putin orders his commanders to exert maximum pressure on Ukraine,” he said. 

Russian forces, he added, are not only increasing the pressure on the front, but are also putting pressure on the civilian population by attacking civilian facilities and “psychologically putting them in a situation where they will demand that their government stops the war at all costs.”

Despite two rounds of negotiations back in May and June, which led to some prisoner exchanges and the return of fallen soldiers, no ceasefire is in sight. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the pace of peace negotiations depends on Kyiv’s position, the effectiveness of U.S. mediation, and the situation on the battlefield, notes Do Rzezcy.