MOSCOW, July 8. /TASS/. Kiev will have to abandon the desire to return the lost territories "as soon as possible" to end the conflict, Czech President Petr Pavel told BBC Ukrainian service in an interview.
"Now Ukraine, with all the support of the West, is not able to 'regain lost territories' as soon as possible without significant human casualties," he said.
"It is very unfair for the West to push Ukraine to immediately liberate all territories. There is a price for restoring Ukraine as an independent and autonomous state," he said, adding that the price could be a "temporary" loss of territories that "will not be recognized."
He added that after the end of the Ukrainian conflict and the "achievement of a peace agreement," Europe could begin discussing security issues with Russia, as well as resuming "cooperation and business that we conducted before."
The Donetsk People’s Republic, Lugansk People’s Republic, the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions became part of Russia after referendums held there in September 2022. Crimea and Sevastopol returned to Russia after a referendum held in March 2014 amid a coup in Ukraine.
On June 2, Istanbul hosted the second round of renewed direct talks between Russia and Ukraine. The parties exchanged documents with their views on the aspects of conflict resolution.
The Russian memorandum suggests two options for a ceasefire in Ukraine.
The first is a complete withdrawal of the Ukrainian army and other Ukrainian paramilitary units from the Russian territory, including the Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions, the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, and a withdrawal to a distance from the Russian borders mutually agreed by the countries and in accordance with the approved regulations.
The second option of a ceasefire for Kiev implies a 10-point package solution that includes a ban on the redeployment of the Ukrainian army, except for movements to withdraw to a distance from the Russian borders, agreed by the states, cessation of mobilization, and beginning of demobilization in Ukraine. It also orders termination of foreign military assistance to Ukraine, including the provision of intelligence and satellite communications services, as well as the abandonment of the military presence in Ukraine of third countries and participation of foreign specialists in the military operations on the Ukrainian side.