Pushing "red lines" for Ukraine and a scenario of Russia's defeat: An interview with a Czech diplomat

David Stulík is one of the Czech diplomats who understands Ukraine best. Having worked there for many years, he speaks Ukrainian fluently and is well-known for his candid, non-diplomatic statements. Currently, he holds an official role in the Czech government as a Special Representative for the Eastern Partnership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

We met in Prague, where NATO foreign ministers are negotiating.

Czechia is using every opportunity to influence these negotiations, explaining to others that the ban on striking military targets in Russia should be lifted.

Read more in the full interview by Sergiy Sydorenko, a European Pravda editor - "We will see a 'black swan' scenario for Russia and then it will lose everything." An interview from Prague.

Military targets or clusters of military force and human force on Russian territory are legitimate targets for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. 

So Ukraine is only doing what is guaranteed by international law.

Not striking military targets in Russia is like fighting with one hand tied behind your back.

Moods in Europe are changing greatly. Last year, there was great euphoria here, expecting a counteroffensive. But when the counteroffensive turned out to be what it was, these moods shifted to pessimism.

Now we have a situation where neither the aggressor nor the victim has enough strength to defeat the other. But there is an important difference between them. Ukraine is fighting a holy war, a war for independence, which gives it a moral advantage. And we cannot say that about the Russian army or Russian society.

Victory means the complete restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, including Crimea. Victory should also address the question "what next": we say, among other things, that Russia must compensate Ukraine for all damages.

Victory must also answer the question of what should happen to Russia next. But here I will refrain from specifics. 

Besides, I believe that Russia is a very fragile structure that can be easily broken.

Therefore, it seems to me that at some point we will see a 'black swan' scenario for Russia. Then everything in Russia will come to an end.

This turning point can happen at any moment.

We must not forget that Russia is our strategic opponent, who has challenged not only Ukraine but all of us. Therefore, there can be no compromise here, no "meeting halfway."

Either Russia wins, or Ukraine wins along with Western countries.

I think that gradually we will also cross the 'red line' regarding strikes on military targets in Russia, which some NATO countries still adhere to – let me emphasise, not all.

There are talks about shooting down 'illegal flying objects' – missiles and drones – from the territory of Ukraine's neighbouring states.

From a macro perspective, time is definitely on Ukraine's side. But now time is against Ukraine.

I believe it is very important to bring them to Ukraine. When representatives of other countries, MPs, see Kharkiv, see the front line, meet with the military and hear about what these people did before the war, what careers and lives they had, this human approach greatly changes the perspective and perception of the war.

Western representatives who have visited Ukraine perceive it differently than those who have never been there.