The Czech Republic has expressed its readiness to participate in negotiations regarding the potential deployment of foreign peacekeeping forces in Ukraine.

Czech President Petr Pavel stated that if a decision is made to establish a peacekeeping mission, Czech military personnel could be part of the contingent.

“The Czech Republic is ready to be part of these negotiations. And if there is a final decision to create such forces, I truly believe that the Czech Republic will become part of them,” Pavel remarked.

At the same time, he added that it is very difficult to determine the powers of the peacekeeping contingent before the start of real negotiations.

He also added that determining the powers of the peacekeeping contingent before the start of official negotiations is challenging.

“First, we need an agreement on the military presence, and only then can we discuss the mission’s mandate, its composition, and structure,” he added.

The development comes after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that there are already “the contours of a peace agreement” in place regarding the war in Ukraine, following discussions with dictator Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

French President Emmanuel Macron is also considering sending peacekeepers to Ukraine under the auspices of the United Nations, while the United Kingdom has expressed its willingness to provide air protection for the international peacekeeping contingent.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky is convinced that the UN peacekeeping mission cannot be an alternative to a military contingent or security guarantees.

He stated this on March 21 during a joint press conference with the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel.

“As for the UN – with all due respect, the UN will not protect us from occupation or Putin’s desire to come again. We do not see the UN as an alternative to a contingent or security guarantees. We maintain reasonable, logical relations with the UN, with representatives and the Secretary General, but the UN cannot be an alternative to security guarantees,” Zelensky said.

Zelensky stressed that, without a mandate for defense, the UN would not be able to stop Russian aggression.

“Of course, when there are troops, there are air defense and ships, there are planes and there is a serious army, there is real intelligence from our partners here, in Ukraine, it is dangerous for the Russians to go against such infrastructure,” the President explained his opinion.