Czech President Petr Pavel has called on NATO to “show its teeth” in response to Russia’s repeated testing of the alliance’s resolve on its eastern border. He suggested several possible actions, such as shutting down Russia’s internet, cutting its banks off from global financial systems, and shooting down jets that violate allied airspace.
In an interview with the Guardian in Prague, Pavel argued for “decisive enough, potentially even asymmetric” responses to counter Moscow’s provocative behavior toward the alliance. He warned that without such measures, the Kremlin might escalate its actions.
Pavel, a retired general and former chair of NATO’s military committee, is 64 years old. His defense background is uncommon among European leaders, and his years of experience talking to Moscow through the now-suspended NATO-Russia council make him an influential voice on the alliance’s future and the threats it faces.
He expressed frustration with “a lack of determination to keep pushing from the United States on Russia,” though he avoided directly criticizing Donald Trump, despite the US president continuing to question Washington’s commitment to the alliance.
Pavel previously told Czech media: “Trump has done more to undermine the credibility of NATO over the last few weeks than Vladimir Putin has managed to do in many years.” But he brushed aside questions about that comment, saying he didn’t think “any direct criticism of the United States will help at this point.”
Instead, he focused on the need for NATO members to take a firm stance on Russia. After Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, Pavel said Moscow learned how NATO operates and “developed a behavior style to almost meet the threshold for Article 5, but always keeping it slightly below that level.”
Article 5 of the NATO treaty states that an armed attack on one member is considered an attack on all members.
Pavel said Russian military leaders sometimes laughed at the alliance’s inability to make decisions. “When I asked them why they do these provocative actions in the air, close encounters or overflights over battleships in the Black Sea or the Baltic Sea, their answer was ‘because we can.’ That’s exactly the kind of behavior we allowed,” he said.
A NATO jet fighter shot down a drone over Estonia this week, and similar incidents have disrupted daily life in Latvia and Lithuania. In most cases, the drones are believed to be Ukrainian units targeting Russia that were jammed and redirected toward NATO territory by electronic warfare. Russia also accuses the Baltic states of working with Ukraine to launch drone attacks from their territories, an allegation they strongly deny.
“After the annexation of Crimea, we discussed many times the potential continuation of aggression, but my biggest fear was not an open military aggression against a NATO country, but rather a provocation below the Article 5 threshold,” Pavel said.
He warned that if some European leaders “always prefer a diplomatic solution, even though Russians show no willingness for such,” NATO risks being divided and unable to act. “Russia, unfortunately, does not understand nice language. They mostly understand the language of power, ideally accompanied with action. If violations of NATO airspace continue, we would have to come to a decision to shoot down either an unmanned or manned aircraft.”
Pavel said the alliance should also consider “asymmetric” measures “that are not killing people, but are sensitive enough to make Russia understand this is not the way they should go.” He gave examples like “switching off the internet or satellites โ you saw what difference Starlink made on the battlefield โ or cutting Russian banks from the financial system.”
This echoes recent warnings from Poland’s Prime Minister, Donald Tusk.Tusk said, “If we don’t respond to the violations we’re seeing now, Russia will probably push further.”
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“Within their doctrine, they have a provision called ‘escalate to de-escalate’… I think whatever we allow, they’ll keep pushing further,” he said.
He noted that the EU talked for years about Russia’s shadow fleet, but when it finally took action, “suddenly the whole fleet moved to other regions.”
Pavel stressed that Ukraine needs “more pressure and determination from the United States.” He said US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner should be tougher on Russia and tie sanctions relief to a potential peace deal.
He also criticized Europe for failing to define its policy toward Russia and what a post-war security arrangement might look like.
“Instead, we mostly wait for what comes from Washington,” he said. “And even the US might prefer Europe to be more active. If we don’t come up with our own proposals, we look weak or confused.”
Pavel believes the best time to pressure Russia more was last year, when it was struggling economically and militarily. But the US-Israeli conflict with Iran helped Moscow by boosting its oil revenues.
Still, Russia remains in a tough spot, and Europe and the US should make “a final push” on sanctions to force it to the negotiating table.
“If you want to get rid of sanctions, which you do; if you want to start a discussion about European security, which you’ve mentioned several times, we’re ready. But the condition is clear: a ceasefire and negotiations for peace in Ukraine,” he said.
Domestically, Pavel is in a bitter constitutional dispute with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiลก, whom he defeated in the 2023 presidential election. The fight is over who should represent the country at the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara.
This latest clash follows a series of disagreements with the government, including his refusal to appoint a controversial coalition politician as a minister. That move brought thousands of Czechs to the streets in February to show support for Pavel.
Despite critics accusing him of acting like an opposition figure ahead of a possible re-election campaign in 2028, Pavel insists the disagreement is “a matter of principle” about the president’s role. He said he’s ready to take it to the constitutional court if needed.
“I believe there’s still room for compromise, which I’ve offered to the prime minister,” he said. He proposed attending informal talks at the summit while leaving the government to handle discussions on defense spending.
An avid biker and rock music fan, he joked at a public meeting last month that if he were excluded from the summit, he could go to a ZZ Top concert in Pardubice instead. But he said he’d gladly skip it to attend the summit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about the Czech president urging NATO to take a stronger stance against Russias provocations
BeginnerLevel Questions
Q Why is the Czech president asking NATO to be stronger against Russia
A He believes Russia is testing NATOs limits with aggressive actions He wants NATO to respond more firmly to prevent Russia from going further
Q What does a stronger stance actually mean
A It usually means increasing military presence in Eastern Europe imposing tougher economic sanctions on Russia and responding more quickly and decisively to any Russian provocation
Q Is the Czech president speaking for all of NATO
A No He is speaking for the Czech Republic His statement is a suggestion or a push for other NATO members to agree on a tougher approach but NATO decisions require consensus from all 32 member countries
Q What kind of provocations is Russia doing
A Examples include disinformation campaigns cyberattacks on government systems military exercises near NATO borders and supporting separatist movements in Ukraine
Q Does this mean the Czech Republic is preparing for war
A Not necessarily Its about deterrenceshowing strength to prevent war The goal is to make Russia think twice before taking aggressive action
AdvancedLevel Questions
Q What specific actions has the Czech president proposed to NATO
A He has called for a permanent increase in NATO troops in Eastern Europe faster decisionmaking processes for deploying forces and a more aggressive posture in the Baltic and Black Sea regions He also supports expanding sanctions on Russian energy and finance
Q How does the Czech Republics position differ from other NATO members like Germany or France
A The Czech Republic is one of the more hawkish members pushing for a harder line Germany and France sometimes favor more diplomatic solutions or are cautious about escalating tensions especially regarding energy dependencies or direct military confrontation
Q What are the risks of NATO taking a stronger stance
A The main risk is escalationRussia might see it as a threat and respond with more aggressive actions potentially leading to a direct military clash It could also strain relations within NATO as some members prefer a more cautious approach
Q How does this relate to the war in Ukraine
