| Author (Person) | Groszkowski, Jakub |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW) |
| Series Title | OSW Analyses |
| Series Details | 01.04.15 |
| Publication Date | 01/04/2015 |
| Content Type | Journal | Series | Blog |
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Three Czech ministries prepared documents which present two different pictures of Russia and define the Czech Republic’s policy in this area in completely different ways. The foreign affairs and defence ministries view Russia as a country which is destabilising the European security architecture and is making attempts to revise the international order. In turn, the minister for industry and trade sees Russia as a key non-EU economic partner for the Czech Republic, with whom co-operation needs to be enhanced. The two different stances on Russia presented by the Czech government are reflected in the moves taken by the left-wing prime minister, Bohuslav Sobotka. The fact that the Czech government has no clear stance on Russia, coupled with the strong presence of Russian propaganda in the media, has brought about a situation in which almost half of the Czech public have not developed a clear opinion on what is happening in Ukraine. However, the transit of the US Army convoy from the Baltic states via Poland and the Czech Republic to Germany in late March/early April 2015 showed beyond any doubt that, at least on a symbolic level, the majority of the Czech public are loyal to the trans-Atlantic orientation. |
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| Source Link | http://www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/analyses/2015-04-01/czech-dilemmas-over-russia-and-nato |
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| Countries / Regions | Czechia |
