Russia’s Airspace Breaches Could Prompt Military Response, Says Czech President
Czech President Petr Pavel warned that repeated violations of NATO airspace by Russia may require decisive action.
The Gaze reports on it, referring to Novinky.cz
Pavel explained that Russia systematically tests not only the individual air defense systems of NATO countries, but also the Alliance's readiness to resolutely defend its borders. According to him, restraint is interpreted by Moscow as weakness, while a show of force commands respect.
"There are nations that simply need to be told: don't do this, or it will end badly. But for some, it has to end badly for them to understand that this is not the way to go,” he emphasized.
He gave the example of Turkey that shot down one of the violators after numerous violations of its airspace by Russian aircraft. This forced Russia to stop its provocations and demonstrated the effectiveness of clear rules and decisive action.
“When I was still chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Russia repeatedly violated Turkey's airspace. They provoked, testing how far they could go,” said the Czech president. “When the Turks got angry after the tenth violation, they simply shot down one of two or three planes, and there was peace.”
Pavel stressed that although escalation of the conflict is undesirable, sometimes shooting down an aircraft may be a necessary step to protect allies and establish inviolable rules in NATO airspace.
He also added that Russia behaves as it is allowed to, and only a show of force can force it to comply with international norms.
The Czech Republic stands out among European countries for its active support of Ukraine, which is evident not only at the state level but also through a large-scale volunteer initiative. Local non-governmental organizations are raising significant funds to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities and assist in its long-term reconstruction.
At the state level, the Czech Republic plans to continue its program of humanitarian, stabilization, and economic assistance to Ukraine, allocating more than €40 million annually until 2030.
The funds, distributed through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with other state institutions, are intended to support Ukrainian refugees, medical care, education, housing, energy, as well as land demining, cyber security, and democratic reforms.
Of particular note is the volunteer initiative “Darek pro Putina” (“A Gift for Putin”), with a recent fundraising campaign financing not one, but two Ukrainian Flamingo cruise missiles.
The initial fundraising goal was 12.5 million Czech korunas—enough for one missile—but within 48 hours, the amount exceeded 16 million. Thanks to an agreement with the manufacturer Fire Point, the activists' contributions were doubled.
“Darek pro Putina” has previously donated a refurbished Black Hawk UH-60 helicopter, a modernized T-72 tank named Tomas, and an RM-70 rocket system to Ukraine, demonstrating strong and consistent support for Ukraine on both a military and symbolic level.
As The Gaze informed earlier, Czechia is preparing to transfer around 30 upgraded T-72M4CZ tanks to Ukraine’s armed forces that are comparable to Russia’s most advanced T-90M main battle tanks.