Evolution of the politics of Slovakia and Czechia regarding russia’s war against Ukraine (To the 30th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of the Slovak and Czech Republics)

  • Post category:Issue XXIV

Stepan Vidnianskyi
Doctor of History, Full Professor, Head of the Department of History of International Relations and Foreign Policy of Ukraine, Institute of History of Ukraine of the NAS of Ukraine, Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine

DOI: 10.37837/2707-7683-2023-1

Abstract. The article discusses the fact that after the overthrow of the communist regimes in the late 1980s, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the formation of independent states in the region, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe began to build good neighbourly relations with Ukraine on a fundamentally new basis. During the last 30 years, after thedeclaration of independence of the Slovak Republic (SR) and the Czech Republic (CR) in 1993, the relations of both republics with independent Ukraine developed quite successfully and dynamically. But after the beginning of the russian-Ukrainian war in 2014, they acquired a fundamentally new character and substance, as well as a special meaning. In this regard, the article examines the politics of the SR and the CR and the attitude of the politicalforces and the public of those states to russia’s war against Ukraine. The impact of the russian-Ukrainian war on the internal political development of Ukraine’s Western neighbours proves that their vital interests are freedom and people’s rule, the protection of national statehood, and cooperation with allies, partners, and democratically oriented neighbours.
And after the victory over the russian aggressor, the strong economy, stable politics, and active international relations of Ukraine will contribute to equal and beneficial cooperation with the closest neighbours and partners, such as the SR and the CR. Optimism is particularly encouraged by the plans of our Western neighbours to contribute to Ukraine’s recovery after the victory over the russian enemy.
Keywords: full-scale aggression, russian-Ukrainian war, Slovak Republic, Ukrainian-Slovak relations, Ukrainian-Czech cooperation, Czech Republic.

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