Foreign policy at the
2023 NATO Summit in
Vilnius Pavel holds
Atlanticist and
pro-Western views and advocates active Czech membership in the
European Union and
NATO. In april 2026, he said that the creation of a
United States of Europe is "almost inevitable" and might be necessary in response to Europe getting caught between the increasing brinkmanship between the global superpowers, namely
Russia,
China and the
United States. In 1987, in his biography, Pavel expressed understanding for the
invasion of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact troops. He is said to have taken this view at the age of six from his father, Josef Pavel, who was at the time an officer in the Czechoslovak Army and a member of military intelligence. Pavel later apologized for the stance expressed in his biography and condemned the invasion. Asked if he would have fought against the West in the event of a war before
November 1989, Pavel said that "a soldier defends his country and the people who live in it.... every soldier fights for the people he likes and for whom it is worth sacrificing his life". In later years, particularly following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Pavel adopted a more assertive stance, publicly supporting strong military aid to Ukraine and a firmer deterrent posture within NATO. As Chairman of the NATO Military Committee in 2018, Pavel said of the
Turkish invasion of Afrin: "Turkey is a target of terrorism and has the right to defend itself." He said it was necessary not to view the
Kurds as a homogeneous group, and that some of them were effectively fighting
extremists. During his presidency, Petr Pavel adopted a more assertive Czech foreign policy toward China, with a particular emphasis on deepening ties with Taiwan. Shortly after his election in 2023, he held a phone call with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, becoming the first European head of state to do so. He described Taiwan as a democratic partner and expressed interest in closer cooperation. Although he affirmed respect for the
One China policy, his actions reflected a more independent interpretation focused on shared democratic values. The call was sharply criticized by Beijing. Pavel’s position followed a precedent set by Czech Senate leaders
Jaroslav Kubera and
Miloš Vystrčil, the latter of whom visited Taiwan in 2020 and publicly affirmed support for Taiwanese sovereignty. As president, Pavel hosted Taiwanese officials, warned of Chinese cyber threats, and supported intelligence claims of attempted Chinese intimidation during official visits, signaling a cautious but firm stance toward Beijing. He met the
14th Dalai Lama on 27 July 2025 in India, and advocated for the
Middle Way Approach. In 2025, Pavel maintained the Czech Republic’s support for Israel as a state but drew a clear line between that support and the actions of Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. He criticized the Israeli leadership for lacking a broader political vision in
Gaza, warning that its military-heavy approach risked deepening the humanitarian crisis and further destabilizing the region. Pavel expressed concern over Netanyahu’s reliance on radical coalition partners, suggesting this alliance influenced Israel’s hardline policies. He called for an urgent resolution to the humanitarian situation in Gaza, stressed the need to ensure safe delivery of aid, and announced plans to initiate a national debate on the Czech position toward the conflict. His remarks stood out in the context of Czech politics, where strong support for Israel is the norm, though a few others, including Senate President
Miloš Vystrčil, voiced similar unease over the scale of civilian suffering. Pavel expressed the belief that a
negotiated two-state solution as the only sustainable resolution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Russian invasion of Ukraine , the prime minister of Belgium, at the 2015
Halifax International Security Forum Pavel supported Ukraine during the
2022 Russian invasion, which he described as a "war against the system of international relations", calling for military and humanitarian aid. He said that the West should have acted more forcefully in response to the invasion. He argued that following the annexation of Crimea by Russia and the control of parts of the
Donbas by Russian-backed separatists, the West should have established protected corridors for civilians enforced by the
OSCE. Once the invasion began, he initially expressed the view that the Russian army would be able to hold what they had occupied, and Ukraine would not have sufficient resources to push out the Russian military, including
Crimea, even with the help of Western countries. In 2023, Pavel reiterated his support for Ukraine joining the NATO alliance after the end of the war. In April 2023, he stated that it was in
China's interest to prolong the
Russo-Ukrainian War because "it can push Russia to a number of concessions." Following accusations that the Czech Republic would be mobilized and directly involved in the war in Ukraine if he won the second round presidential election, Pavel stated: , 16 July 2024 In May 2023, Pavel called for the donation of
L-159 fighter jets to Ukraine. In an August 2024 interview with
Darius Rochebin in Paris, Pavel repeatedly stressed that the
Charter of the United Nations gives states the right of self-defence, and furthermore that this right is unconditional. His position was clear that the west should not limit Ukraine's ability to defend itself, technologically or geographically. Pavel said that the Czech ammunition coalition had supplied 500,000 shells to that date.
Social issues Pavel holds progressive views on socio-cultural issues. He supports
same-sex marriage and
same-sex adoption, and confirmed he would not veto a law permitting
recognition of same-sex unions in the Czech Republic. Pavel supports the introduction of
euthanasia, After his election as Chair of the NATO Military Committee in 2014, Pavel criticised
political correctness, arguing that it creates an environment in which those in charge are told only what they want to hear. He said that during his tenure as Chair of the NATO Military Committee he saw many Chiefs of General Staff who were unable to call problems by their right name due to political correctness. As president, Petr Pavel advocated for the Czech Republic to ratify the
Istanbul Convention, a
Council of Europe treaty aimed at preventing and combating violence against women and domestic abuse.
Domestic policy During the presidential campaign, Pavel described himself as "right of centre, with a strong social emphasis". He said he voted for the centre-right
Spolu alliance in the
2021 Czech parliamentary election. He discussed political support from Spolu during the early stages of his presidential bid, eventually stating that he did not want to be its nominee, but would welcome its endorsement. Spolu endorsed him in October 2022 together with two other candidates. == Personal life ==