Ústav mezinárodních vztahů

Britain Has No Clue Why It’s Punishing Russia
"Before you sanction Putin, it would help to know what you're after," writes Mark Galeotti in his analysis for Foreign Policy. The analysis focuses on British retaliatory measures in response to attack on former Russian spy and his daughter.

Paul Ryan’s visit to Prague
The Speaker of the US House of Representatives Paul Ryan was in the Czech Republic on a two-day visit, the highest-placed US official to visit the country in nine years. Although the visit had been labelled as private, the US House Speaker had a packed agenda of meetings with Czech politicians and he was the first foreign official ever to address a session of the Czech Chamber of Deputies. Daniela Lazarová from Radio Prague spoke with our Senior Researcher Jan Hornát and asked him to comment on the significance of this visit.

Prague has become a hub for Russian activities in broader Central Europe
President Putin’s re-election for a fourth term in office has evoked mixed reactions in the Czech Republic, reflecting the different perceptions of Russia today. President Zeman, who is seen as a strong supporter of President Putin, presents Russia as a promising business partner, but many politicians and ordinary people in this country still see Russia as a threat. So is Russia under Putin a partner or a threat – that’s a question Daniela Lazarová from Radio Prague put to our Director, Petr Kratochvíl.

Egypt's War on Terror: A Year Later
A year ago, Dr. Helena Reimer Burgrová, IIR's Associate Researcher wrote the paper ‘Egypt´s failing war on terror’ for the Egypt Policy Brief series of the Heinrich-Böll-Foundation. A year on she sees a mounting escalation of the so called ‘War on Terror’ waged by President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi. With scores of dead civilians especially in Sinai, Reimer Burgrová assesses, that al-Sisi tries to legitimize his rule, while failing to provide real security for the Egyptian people.

Euroscepticism is on the Rise in the Czech Republic
Jan Kovář explores the rising euroscepticism in the Czech Republic in his newest article for Emerging Europe.

Russia's Hunger Games
Presidential elections will be held in Russia soon, and not many doubt their outcome. Big clue about how Vladimir Putin will govern in his fourth term will be revealed by what he does with the security services after the election. Russian media has been filled with speculation and leaks about how the Kremlin leader is planning a major shake-up of his siloviki. Where is the Russian security state going? Listen to Mark Galeotti as a co-host of the RFE/RL Power Vertical podcast.

Size Doesn’t Matter for Spies Anymore
"In the era of cyber-espionage, even the smallest countries can play on the biggest stage," writes Mark Galeotti in his argument published by Foreing Policy.

Election of Zeman shows limits and opportunities of Moscow's meddling
The pro-Russian Czech president Miloš Zeman (73) won the election from pro-European candidate Jiri Drahoš. This is good news for the Kremlin, and shoudl have been clinched by Russian disinformation. But is it that simple? Our security analyst Mark Galeotti puts things into perspective in his analysis for RaamopRusland. Fake news can come just as easily from domestic propagandists and the presidency is but a ceremonial job. In essence this political fight amounts to the split between the Prague Café and the Czech pub.

Czech Republic, Austria: A Populist Wave to the Assault of Europe
Our Deputy Director for Research Ondřej Horký-Hlucháň in the global edition of RFI on islamophobia and the fear of migrants in the current presidential campaign and as part of a larger report on the "Czech Republic, Austria: A Populist Wave to the Assauult of Europe" by Anissa El Jabri.

Is Putin’s trolling “making Russia great again”?
"In many ways, Russia is the geopolitical equivalent of the internet troll, deliberately sowing discord. There is an obvious and severe critique to be made about such a foreign policy, but it is also worth appreciating just why the Kremlin has adopted it – and appears to feel it is working," writes Mark Galeotti in his article for Business New Europe.