In an interview with Bloomberg on 26 November 2024, Czech intelligence chief Michal Koudelka emphasized the critical importance of maintaining a strong unified stance against Russian aggression amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war.
Koudelka, a major general heading the country’s Security Information Service, warned that pushing Ukraine to accept unfavorable peace terms would only embolden the Kremlin.
“Russia would spend perhaps the next 10 to 15 years recovering from its huge human and economic losses and preparing for the next target, which is central and eastern Europe,” he stated, adding: “If Ukraine loses, or is forced to accept a bad peace deal, then Russia will perceive that as victory.”
His assessment aligns with other European intelligence services, including Germany’s top spy Bruno Kahl, who recently warned that President Vladimir Putin will be prepared for potential military engagement with NATO by the end of the decade.
The intelligence chief emphasized that international law requires Russia to completely withdraw troops, return occupied territories, and pay reparations. Koudelka characterized the 2022 full-scale invasion as evidence of Russia being “an imperial superpower with imperial desires” demonstrating “absolute disdain” for military losses and civilian casualties.
The intelligence chief called on Western nations to avoid creating new security threats and economic dependencies when eventually resuming relations with Russia, emphasizing that the war’s outcome would determine the likelihood of future global conflicts involving NATO.
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