A Historical Comparison of Czech-Russian and Slovak-Russian Diplomatic Relations and a Comparative Analysis of their Reactions to the War in Ukraine

Abstract

The Russia-Ukraine war is the most significant military conflict on European soil since the Second World War. It poses a particular challenge to the Central and Eastern European region. In this paper, I will compare the historical relations with Russia of two countries that are culturally, geographically, and in many respects politically very close to each other; Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The comparative analysis is relevant not only because of the factors already mentioned but also because of the recent Slovak elections. Although the two countries have similar patterns in many respects, as we shall see, they also differ in several ways. While the reactions to the eventual war were initially similar, today the Slovak public opinion appears to be growing tired of supporting Ukraine, which has again increased susceptibility to populist communication panels. At the same time, the perception of Russia seems to be improving, with voices of a more critical tone losing grip. This phenomenon can also be seen to a more limited extent in the Czech Republic but to a much smaller degree. The comparative analysis reveals not only the causes of similarities but also those of the differences, the understanding of which may be critical in the study of the Central European region in the period ahead.