The majority of Czech residents spoke out against Russia’s demands for Ukraine’s non-alignment with NATO

The majority of Czechs – more than 70% – believe that Russia’s demand for Ukraine to not join NATO should not be satisfied. It is reported by CzechRadio with reference to the results of a survey conducted by the agency Kantar CZ.

About 20% of the population of the republic hold the opposite point of view.

The agency conducted a similar survey in the middle of last month, before Russia launched a military special operation in Ukraine. At that time, about 30% of the respondents were in favor of the demands of the Russian Federation, about 25% abstained, and only 35% of Czechs were categorically against it.

Earlier, the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, said that the West had made a number of mistakes in relations with Russia, including a promise to Ukraine to join the North Atlantic Alliance. He acknowledged that “there are moments” that Western countries “offered and then could not implement, such as the promise that Ukraine and Georgia will become part of NATO.”

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, in turn, stated the need to conclude a new agreement with a guarantee of the state’s security and that he “had lost interest in joining NATO for a long time” due to fears of a confrontation with Russia.

Recall that on February 21, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing the independence of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), and on February 24 he made an emergency appeal to the Russians and announced a special military operation in Donbass. In his speech, he stated that “circumstances require decisive action from Russia” and stressed that “Russia will not allow Ukraine to have nuclear weapons.”

In response to Russia’s actions, Western countries (USA, Canada, European Union, Great Britain, Japan) announced new, tougher sanctions against the Russian Federation, including financial and economic ones.