Prague: Russia should not be expected to become 'friendlier' after the Ukraine war comes to an end, according to the Czech Republic military chief. "Russia will stay here. Russia will not be safer towards us, it will not be friendlier and it will not be more predictable," Chief of General Staff Karel Rehka said in weekend remarks to Czech television.

According to Anadolu Agency, Rehka's remarks came days before the war reaches its third anniversary, amid discussions of potential negotiations and peace proposals making headlines. He highlighted the challenges of achieving a resolution to the war that would prevent it from resurfacing in the future.

Rehka also discussed the Czech military's plans to increase its active and reserve members to 37,500, though he admitted this goal is 'unrealistic' due to demographic trends and past recruitment efforts. Under current plans, the Czech army is set to have 30,000 professional soldiers and 10,000 active reserve members by 2030. At present, the army consists of approximately 23,600 soldiers, with around 1,000 added over the past five years.