At the U.N. General Assembly yesterday, Pres. Petr Pavel called on more U.N. members to consider signing the joint declaration from the Summit on Peace in Ukraine in Switzerland in June. That document reaffirms the commitment of the 94 signatories to the "principles of sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of all states, including Ukraine, within their internationally recognized borders." Two days before this speech, Pavel said in the New York Times that Ukraine needs to be realistic about its prospects of recovering occupied territory and that the most likely outcome is that part of Ukraine will temporarily be under Russian control. That means the West would temporarily suspend the sacred principle of territorial integrity. Pavel had made similar statements in Houston in July and in Prague in Aug., but they received virtually no international coverage. The NYT article gives him a much wider audience for his appeal to realism. In the managed escalation of the war, Pavel's ongoing role is to act as a safety valve that temporarily releases some of the pressure but without bringing the destruction any closer to an end. [ Czech Republic signers United Nations New York City ]
Glossary of difficult words
prospects - chances or opportunities for success or wealth;
safety valve - a valve that opens automatically to relieve excessive pressure; an outlet for pent-up energy or emotion.