Czech President Petr Pavel has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could initiate a general mobilization for the war in Ukraine following parliamentary elections scheduled for September 20. Pavel indicated that the opportunity for peace negotiations with Russia will significantly narrow after the election, urging Western allies to increase diplomatic pressure on Moscow in the coming weeks.
Speaking at the NATO summit in Ankara, the former chairman of NATO's military committee stated that the current period presents an opportunity to convey a clear message to Russia about a willingness to engage in negotiations. "Russia will have parliamentary elections in September. President Putin will hardly declare mobilisation before, but once the elections are over, then the window will shrink," Pavel said.
Pavel believes that Russia is facing increasing internal challenges. He suggested that sustained Ukrainian strikes deep within Russian territory, coupled with continued Western military support for Kyiv, could create conditions making the Kremlin more amenable to negotiations. These comments follow a series of Ukrainian drone attacks targeting areas including Moscow, oil infrastructure in western Siberia, and fuel supplies destined for Crimea.
He emphasized that NATO must continue providing Ukraine with necessary military aid while maintaining diplomatic pressure on Russia, asserting that Russia could achieve more through negotiations than by prolonging the conflict. Pavel also noted that Ukraine's long-range strikes have disrupted fuel supplies within Russia and exposed vulnerabilities behind its front lines, contributing to growing strain within the country.
During the NATO summit, Pavel also addressed concerns regarding former U.S. President Donald Trump's prior criticisms of allies, describing the meeting as smoother than anticipated. He reported that the summit successfully met its objectives, including increased defense spending, presenting a united front, and reaffirming support for Ukraine. He added that Trump had expressed being "highly impressed by the spirit shown in the room" during a closed-door session.
Discussions also included concrete proposals for enhancing Ukraine's air defenses, such as a Norwegian initiative to procure additional surface-to-air missiles for Kyiv. Pavel cautioned that demand for air defense missiles and other advanced weaponry is currently outpacing manufacturing capacity, urging NATO to rapidly expand weapons production. He outlined a "defense strategy 3.0" proposal, suggesting the alliance maintain 30-day stockpiles of less expensive weapons while ensuring industry readiness to scale up production of advanced systems, including long-range missiles and air defense interceptors. NATO's nuclear deterrence policy, he confirmed, remains unchanged despite internal discussions on future defense arrangements among some European countries.