Europe Asia News

Fiala noted that last week no one missed the news about Russian drones appearing over Polish territory, about two hundred kilometers from the Czech border, stressing that this, contrary to Russia’s claims, was certainly not a coincidence.

He stated that it was most likely a test of how well the North Atlantic Alliance functions, and added:

“And not only because of weapons systems, but above all because of the unity and solidarity that form the basis of this Western defense alliance, of which the Czech Republic has been a member for thirty years. On this we can be calm: NATO works! However, some views on our political scene do not leave us at ease. I have long argued that the defense of the state should be a common value of political representation.”

Fiala stressed that most opposition parties belittle the country’s defense or exploit it in political struggle, adding: “Some leaders even openly say that armament is unnecessary and that it would be best to withdraw from NATO. It is not surprising that the same people openly sympathize with Russia.”

He also underlined that shortly after Russian drones appeared over Poland, Russia and its satellite Belarus launched large-scale military exercises near the borders of NATO’s eastern countries, which was certainly no coincidence:

“Similar military exercises took place shortly before the invasion of Ukraine and, among other things, served to cover up preparations for the attack. Russia is sending us a clear message: we are ready to take further aggressive steps against Europe. If we do not close our eyes to the danger, but are sufficiently armed, determined, and united, neither Russia nor anyone else will dare to attack us.”