DOCSLIB.ORG

Comparing Lessons Learned from Countering Russian Disinformation in Georgia and the Czech Republic

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Comparing Lessons Learned from Countering Russian Disinformation in Georgia and the Czech Republic KREMLIN WATCH REPORT COMPARING LESSONS LEARNED FROM COUNTERING RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION IN GEORGIA AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC Kremlin Watch Program 2019 EUROPEAN VALUES CENTER FOR SECURITY POLICY European Values Center for Security Policy is a non-governmental, non-partisan institute defending freedom and sovereignty. We protect liberal democracy, the rule of law, and the transatlantic alliance of the Czech Republic. We help defend Europe especially from the malign influences of Russia, China, and Islamic extremists. We envision a free, safe, and prosperous Czechia within a vibrant Central Europe that is an integral part of the transatlantic community and is based on a firm alliance with the USA. Our work is based on individual donors. Use the form at: http://www.europeanvalues.net/o-nas/support- us/, or send your donation directly to our transparent account: CZ69 2010 0000 0022 0125 8162. www.europeanvalues.net [email protected] www.facebook.com/Evropskehodnoty KREMLIN WATCH PROGRAM Kremlin Watch is a strategic program of the European Values Center for Security Policy which aims to expose and confront instruments of Russian influence and disinformation operations focused against Western democracies. Author Mariam Tsitsikashvili, Non-resident Fellow at the Kremlin Watch Program, Research Fellow at Georgia’s Reforms Associates (GRASS) The list of the respondents interviewed for the study: Jan Marian – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Common Foreign and Security Policy Department; Ministry of Internal Affairs, Czech Security Policy Department; Jakub Janda – European Values Center for Security Policy Radko Hokovsky - European Values Center for Security Policy Jonas Syrovatka – Prague Security Studies Institute Jakub Kalensky – Atlantic Council, Eurasia Center Adriana Cerna – People in Need Alexandr Mitrofanov – political columnist Rostislav Valvoda – Prague Civil Society Center Image Copyright: Page 14: Radler59 [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)] This publication was written during Mariam Tsitsikashvili’s one-year Prague fellowship with the Transition Promotion Program, “Bringing best practices and lessons learnt in exposing foreign malign influence and disinformation from the Czech Republic to Georgia”. 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Georgia Czech Republic Political • Overall political consensus is pro-Western. • Overall national consensus is pro- Dimension Only one political party with clearly pro- Western. However, the Kremlin Kremlin leanings is visible in Georgian legitimizing political groups and parliament. The political parties explicitly individuals are represented in the Czech do not legitimize Russia’s revisionist foreign parliament. policy, something that can be found in the • Far left and far right political groups Czech politics. igniting Euroscepticism and anti- • Most of the Kremlin sympathizing Westernism have more effectively politicians shelter behind a pro-Georgian moved to the mainstream than in façade. Georgia. Media • Only directly Kremlin funded media outlet • Only directly Kremlin funded media Dimension operating in Georgia is Sputnik, outlet operating in the Czech Republic functioning as an online platform. is Sputnik. • The most active disinformers are Georgian • Czech fringe media outlets appear to be fringe media outlets. more active in disseminating • Explicitly anti-Western mainstream TV disinformation than openly Russian outlet (“TV Obiektivi”) is visible in Georgia media (e.g. Sputnik) • Facebook is the major channel for • No major mainstream TV outlet that is disseminating anti-Western disinformation explicitly anti-Western is represented in in Georgia. the Czech media sphere. • The grand narrative of the disinformation • Facebook also appears to be the major outlets includes attacking European values social network used as a channel of and indirectly supporting Kremlin’s image dissemination for the disinformation of “defender of traditional values” community. • Different from Georgia, chain emails are used as means of disinformation • Anti-Western narratives put an emphasis dissemination in the Czech Republic, on “orthodox unity” with Russia in that mainly targets older generation. contrast to “immoral” West. • The disinformation in the Czech Republic is mostly focused on attacking Brussel’s and Washington’s “dictate” that “limit Czech sovereignty”. • Part of the disinformation also puts an emphasis on “Slavic unity” with Russia Societal • Extremist groups and public movements • Extremist groups in the Czech Republic Dimension are the major contributors to the Kremlin are not as influential as in Georgia; disinformation; • Para-military groups feeding Kremlin • Orthodox Church, that enjoys the highest disinformation are visible in the Czech public support and trust, is a usual society but their influence on the public disseminator of the anti-Western agenda is much limited. messages, mainly on the issues related to identity (LGBTQ) 3 INTRODUCTION Awakening moments, such as Russia's meddling in the Georgia still needs to deploy relevant and effective European and the US elections, attempts to influence countermeasures against the threat. Brexit in the UK or the Dutch Referendum on Ukraine's This paper aims to analyze the Czech experience of Association Agreement, aggressive disinformation countering disinformation on both governmental and attacks targeting Ukraine, etc. have offered enough non-governmental levels. The reason for choosing the evidence to ruminate about the seriousness of the threat Czech Republic is twofold: firstly, the historical emanating from the disinformation and fake news commonalities as well as current similarities in terms of sourced with nefarious use of technology. Even though the praxis of the disinformation in the Czech case make such disinformation is the most illustrative tip of the it worth examining for Georgia; and secondly, with iceberg of the malign influence projected by certain comparison to other European countries, the Czech authoritarian countries, it has not been properly Republic led with a major policy shift on the topic on acknowledged and addressed by the relevant Russian disinformation and thus provides some useful stakeholders. lessons. As malign disinformation capitalizes on the structural The paper analyzes the hostile disinformation in the vulnerabilities of the targeted societies, the countries Czech Republic and Georgia. The footprint of Russia’s with inherently more internal fractures offer more malign influence in both countries is examined in 3 cracks for exploitation. In that regard, countries like dimensions: political, media, and societal. The paper Georgia have long offered a fertile ground to the analyzes the countermeasures that are deployed in the Kremlin’s malign activities. Georgia has been a testing Czech Republic and provides recommendations for the ground for Russia and its disinformation machine has relevant stakeholders in Georgia. The methods propelled long before the issue formally became a part employed during the analysis are qualitative character. of Russia’s strategic documents or before the term The desk research and in-depth interviews with relevant advanced in the global lexis, facing a massive Czech stakeholders were used for data collection and propaganda campaign in 2005-2009 and particularly subsequent analysis. during the 2008 war in Georgia. Despite being exposed to the Kremlin’s malign disinformation for decades, 4 As malign disinformation capitalizes on the structural vulnerabilities of the targeted societies, the countries with inherently more internal fractures offer more cracks for l it ti 5 DISINFORMATION IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC The Czech Republic, along with other Central and Political dimension Eastern European countries, represents one of the In the Czech political system, the overall national priority targets of the Russian disinformation. Even consensus is pro-Western. However, this consensus is though the Kremlin’s malign activities have long gone challenged not only by the fringe groups but also some beyond the boundaries of its former allies, still these mainstream parties and politicians through an embrace countries remain in Moscow’s primary spotlight. In of anti-Western ideologies. There are currently nine Czech Republic or elsewhere, the “disinformers are akin political parties in the Chamber of Deputies of the to an evil doctor, making a precise diagnosis of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, one of which is the maladies afflicting their ‘patients’ – but then trying to explicitly Eurosceptic and far-right populist Freedom make their weaknesses and illnesses worse.”1The and Direct Democracy Party (SPD) with 22 seats in the ultimate goal of Russia’s disinformation, along with parliament. Another champion of these views is the other “active measures”, aspires to peel away the Czech Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia, (KSČM) Republic from the European and Euro-Atlantic bond which gained a real influence for the first time since and bring it back to its influence. In the short run, the 1989 after conducting a deal to that help the prime Kremlin perfectly understands enchanting the Czech minister win a confidence vote in 2018.3 The discontent public overnight is an illusory goal. However, confusing with the EU and NATO and anti-liberal populism are and instilling doubts about democratic rule of visible in the Czech Republic and extensively exploited governance and the Western institutions in the Czech by Russian sympathizers. Some analysts state that anti- society does not
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 8733/21 HVW/Io 1 LIFE.1 Delegations Will Find in Annex a Joint Declaration by Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Bulgar
    Council of the European Union Brussels, 12 May 2021 (OR. en) 8733/21 AGRI 218 ENV 305 PESTICIDE 16 PHYTOSAN 17 VETER 37 PECHE 146 MARE 14 ECOFIN 437 RECH 212 SUSTDEV 61 DEVGEN 95 FAO 16 WTO 133 NOTE From: General Secretariat of the Council To: Delegations Subject: Joint Declaration of the Ministers of Agriculture of the Visegrad Group (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) and Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania on the opportunities and challenges for farmers stemming from the Farm to Fork strategy - Information from the Polish delegation on behalf of the Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Hungarian, Polish, Romanian and Slovakian delegations Delegations will find in Annex a joint declaration by Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania on the above subject, concerning an item under "Any other business" at the Council (''Agriculture and Fisheries'') on 26-27 May 2021. 8733/21 HVW/io 1 LIFE.1 EN ANNEX Joint declaration of the Ministers of Agriculture of the Visegrad Group (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) and Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, on the opportunities and challenges of agricultural holdings in light of the Farm to Fork Strategy On 21 April 2021 the Polish Presidency of Visegrad Group organized a videoconference of Ministers of Agriculture of the Visegrad Group: (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) and Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Slovenia (GV4+4). The main topic of the discussion was the opportunities and challenges of agricultural holdings in the GV4 + 4 countries in light of the Farm to Fork Strategy. The Ministers also exchanged views on the Strategic Plans of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
    [Show full text]
  • Reflections on Contemporary Georgia – Vision from Czech Republic
    Reflections on Contemporary Georgia – Vision from Czech Republic Written by Bakar Berekashvili Note: This article is simultaneously published for the newspaper The Georgian Times on 15 October 2007 „There is no guarantee that the civil society is always benign. But we must take the risk. The civil society corresponds to the historical possibilities of man and history as a drama of good and evil. This is the dignity of man: the choice of good and evil.“ Merab Mamardashvili Brief Discourse on Georgia’s Desire to become European Democratic Country Georgia’s political and social aspirations are an open secret. These aspirations are based on country’s strong desire to build democracy and civil society in Georgia, to integrate into the European space of democratic and civic values and thus to confirm again for modern world that Georgia is a democratic European state. But definitely the task is not so simple, it is very challenging and still full with various obstacles. Georgia still has to pass a long way of democratization in order to achieve its democratic goals and finally to be formed not transitional democracy but real democracy in our own country. In Czech Republic, where I live now, it took approximately 10 years to become democratic country. Since 1989 when communism died in this country, Czech Republic started rapid consolidation of democratic values that was doubtlessly led by Václav Havel. Currently, Czech Republic returned to its hostorical roots and enjoys to be democratic European country. However, here I mean no way that there are no problems in Czech Republic and that here we have absolute democracy.
    [Show full text]
  • Double Taxation Treaty Between Ireland and Czech Republic
    Double Taxation Treaty between Ireland and Czech Republic Convention between Ireland and the Czech Republic for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and on capital Ireland and the Czech Republic, desiring to conclude a Convention for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and on capital, have agreed as follows: 1 Article 1 Personal Scope This Convention shall apply to persons who are residents of one or both of the Contracting States. 2 Article 2 Taxes Covered 1. This Convention shall apply to taxes on income and on capital imposed on behalf of a Contracting State or of its political subdivisions or local authorities, irrespective of the manner in which they are levied. 2. There shall be regarded as taxes on income and on capital all taxes imposed on total income, on total capital, or on elements of income or of capital, including taxes on gains from the alienation of movable or immovable property. 3. The existing taxes to which this Convention shall apply are: a. in Ireland: i. the income tax; ii. the corporation tax; and iii. the capital gains tax; (hereinafter referred to as "Irish tax"); b. in the Czech Republic: i. the tax on income of individuals (dan z prijmu fyzickych osob); ii. the tax on income of legal persons (dan z prijmu pravnickych osob); and iii. the tax on immovable property (dan z nemovitosti); (hereinafter referred to as "Czech tax"). iv. 4. The Convention shall apply also to any identical or substantially similar taxes which are imposed after the date of signature of the Convention in addition to, or in place of, the existing taxes.
    [Show full text]
  • The Czech Parliament and EU Affairs Martin Hrabálek, Masaryk University and Alexander Strelkov, Phd Student, Maastricht University
    OPAL Country Reports The Czech Parliament and EU Affairs Martin Hrabálek, Masaryk University and Alexander Strelkov, PhD Student, Maastricht University To cite this report: M. Hrabálek & A. Strelkov (2012), OPAL Country Reports: The Czech Parliament and EU Affairs, weblink September 2012 OPAL Country Report on the Czech Parliament, September 2012 OPAL Country Report on the Czech Parliament1 Martin Hrabálek, Masaryk University and Alexander Strelkov, PhD student, Maastricht University 1. General Position of Parliament in the Constitutional Balance of the Member State: Constitutional and institutional factors This section looks at the role of Parliament in the political system, to help us understand the relative power position of the legislature. What is the type of government in the political system of your member state? 1.1 (i.e. parliamentary or semi-presidential) The Czech state is a parliamentary republic. From 2013 direct elections of the president are to be introduced. This doesn’t affect the competences of the president, which stay mainly symbolic, but can arguably increase the legitimacy of the post. This argument might be underlined by the fact, that the post has been occupied by two very strong personalities since 1993 – Václav Havel and Václav Klaus, that both expanded the influence of the office beyond the institutional framework. An introduction of direct elections also required a constitutional amendment that has been adopted by the two chambers of the Czech republic in July 2012. None of the political parties seem to have defined their candidates for the presidential post before the amendment was adopted. The measure to introduce direct presidential elections was much contested by the members of the expert community.
    [Show full text]
  • En Irak 07.Qxd
    THE CZECH REPUBLIC AND THE IRAQ CRISIS: SHAPING THE CZECH STANCE David Kr·l, Luk·ö Pachta Europeum Institute for European Policy, January 2005 Table of contens Executive Summary. 5 1. Introduction . 7 2. The President 1. Constitutional framework . 11 2. Havel versus Klaus . 13 3. The Presidentís position on the Iraq crisis . 15 3. The Government 1. Constitutional framework . 21 2. Governmental resolution: articulation of the Czech position. 22 3. Continuity of foreign policy ñ the Czech Republic and the ëcoalition of the willingí. 23 4. Political constellation within government . 26 5. Proposal of the Foreign Ministry . 27 6. Acceptance of the governmental position . 29 7. The power of personalities . 30 4. The Parliament 1. General framework. 35 2. Debate and role of the Parliament before the initiation of the Iraqi operation . 36 3. The Chamber of Deputies ñ critique by the opposition . 38 4. The Senate debate ñ lower influence of the political parties, higher influence of personalities . 39 5. Parliamentary discussion during the Iraq crisis. 42 6. Discussion on the dispatching of a field hospital to Basra . 43 5. The Political Parties 1. Czech Social Democratic Party (»SSD): Ambivalent workhorse of the Czech government . 50 2. Antiwar resolution of the »SSD Congress: A blow for the »SSD in government. 51 3. Smaller coalition parties: pro-American but constructive and loyal . 54 4. Civic Democratic Party (ODS): Clear position, weak critique of the government and conflict with Klaus . 55 5. Communist party (KS»M): Weak in influence but strong in rhetoric . 57 6. Conclusion . 59 7. Annexes. (in Czech version only) 3 Executive Summary EXECUTIVE SUMMARY David Kr·l has been the chairman of EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy since ■ The Czech government expressed political support for the general objectives of 2000 where he also serves as the director of EU policies programme.
    [Show full text]
  • Exploring the Link Between Power Concentration and Ethnic Minorities’ Mobilization in Post Soviet Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine
    Exploring the Link between Power Concentration and Ethnic Minorities’ Mobilization in Post Soviet Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine by Stela Garaz Department of Political Science, Central European University A Doctoral Dissertation submitted to the Central European University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Date of submission: April 30, 2012 Supervisor: Dr. Zsolt Enyedi Budapest, Hungary 2012 I hereby declare that this thesis contains no materials accepted for any other degrees in any other institutions. I hereby declare that this thesis contains no materials previously written and/or published by any other person, except where appropriate acknowledgment is made in the form of bibliographical reference. Stela Garaz Budapest April 30, 2012. ii Abstract In political science literature, power concentration is dominantly viewed as a negative phenomenon that encourages strategies of confrontation and causes protest. The regimes with concentrated power are believed to be particularly dangerous for the states with deep ethnic cleavages. This latter concern is a question of great importance for the post-Soviet region, because since the collapse of the Soviet Union some of the multi-ethnic post-Soviet states had the experience of both ethnic conflicts and concentration of power. Consequently, the main goal of this research is to determine whether power concentration encourages the escalation of ethnic conflicts. For this, I explore three mechanisms that may link the degree of power concentration with ethnic minorities’ mobilization against the state: identity-related state policies, electoral rules, and centralization. The empirical investigation is built on the analysis of three post-Soviet cases – Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine – based on the structured focused comparison technique.
    [Show full text]
  • Czech Development Cooperation in Bosnia and Herzegovina Icons Icons 48
    CZECH DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA ICONS ICONS 48 17 ICONS: COLOUR VERSION ICONS 48 ICONS NO ZERO GOOD HEALTH QUALITY GENDER CLEAN WATER POVERTY HUNGER AND WELL-BEING EDUCATION EQUALITY AND SANITATION CZECH DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA 17 ICONS: COLOUR VERSION NO ZEROAFFORDABLE AND GOODDECENT HEALTH WORK AND QUALITYINDUSTRY, INNOVATION GENDERREDUCED CLEANSUSTAINABLE WATER CITIES RESPONSIBLE POVERTY HUNGERCLEAN ENERGY ANDECONOMIC WELL-BEING GROWTH EDUCATIONAND INFRASTRUCTURE EQUALITYINEQUALITIES ANDAND SANITATION COMMUNITIES CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the Czech Republic’s Thematic priorities and SDGs: Sustainable development goals most important development cooperation partners. AFFORDABLE AND DECENTCLIMATE WORK AND INDUSTRY,LIFE INNOVATION REDUCEDLIFE SUSTAINABLEPEACE, JUSTICE CITIES RESPONSIBLEPARTNERSHIPS Over the past 20 years, the nature of cooperation has CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMICACTION GROWTH AND INFRASTRUCTUREBELOW WATER INEQUALITIESON LAND ANDAND COMMUNITIES STRONG CONSUMPTIONFOR THE GOALS evolved from humanitarian assistance from the Czech INSTITUTIONS AND PRODUCTION Republic through post-war reconstruction to the current scheme to support the stability and successful ICONS 48 ICONS 48 integrationICONS of Bosnia and Herzegovina into the CLIMATE LIFE LIFE PEACE, JUSTICE PARTNERSHIPS EconomicACTION When an icongrowth is onBELOW a square, WATER thatwith square mustONemphasis LAND be proportional 1 x 1. ANDon STRONG energyFOR THEfrom GOALS ICONS INSTITUTIONS European
    [Show full text]
  • Czech Republic
    National Action Plan for Business and Human Rights 2017-2022 CZECH REPUBLIC 1 Contents Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 4 UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights ....................................................................... 5 National Action Plan – production and objectives .............................................................................. 6 Corporate interest ............................................................................................................................... 7 Plan format and choice of themes ...................................................................................................... 7 Existing plans, initiatives and strategies .............................................................................................. 8 Pillar I – state duty to protect human rights ........................................................................................... 9 Publication and dissemination of existing documents, education and awareness-raising................. 9 Criminal liability of legal persons in the field of human rights .......................................................... 11 Disqualification of a member of a body ............................................................................................ 13 Protection of social service clients ...................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Troublesome Concept of Sovereignty – the Czech Debate on European Unity 1 MATS BRAUN
    722L The Troublesome Concept of Sovereignty – the Czech debate on European Unity 1 MATS BRAUN Abstract: How the European Union is conceptualised in the national and public polit- ical debates restricts the European policy options available to that state. It is therefore of interest to see which conceptions of the EU dominate in a country, and to understand how these can be identified and interpreted. This paper outlines a framework for discourse analysis and then applies it to the Czech public discourse on the European Union. I de- scribe how the debate can be analysed according to three different ideal types of legitima- tion, based on 1) an instrumental rationalisation, 2) a “we feeling”, 3) a “good argument”. I argue that any single actor will likely use arguments drawing upon all three levels, and I conclude that the Eurosceptics (Euro-realists) associated with the Civic Democratic Par- ty came to see EU membership as a “marriage of convenience”, a necessary evil, because their arguments went in two incompatible directions. According to the third ideal type, they had to favour membership as good for the national interest, in economic terms. Si- multaneously, this conflicted with the other two levels due to their belief that the EU is a threat to national sovereignty, and their conception of the nation state as the only legiti- mate arena for democratic decision-making. Advocates of membership, such as Prime Minister Špidla, had a more inclusive conception of the EU, enabling the argument that the EU strengthens nation states in globalising times. Key words: discourse analysis, legitimacy, European integration, the Czech Republic INTRODUCTION In this article I approach the question of how to identify and interpret con- testing conceptions of the European Union in political and public discourses.
    [Show full text]
  • Czech Republic
    Czech Republic Lists of candidates 21 seats Křesťanská a demokratická unie - Československá strana lidová (KDU-ČSL) – Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People’s Party (EPP) Svoboda Pavel Hladík Petr Hořínek Michal Šojdrová Michaela Novotný Jan Haverová Martina Zdechovský Tomáš Odstrčilová Zdislava Holejšovský Josef Hulicius Eduard Heller Šimon Málek Jan Jílková Marie Budil Ivo Adensamová Fay Přádka Miroslav Kumstýřová Zdenka Ulrych Vít Jirsa Jiří Vencl Jiří Hladký Jan Šustr Pavel Svoboda Tomáš Lajkep Tomáš Vysloužil Petr John František Matek Štěpán Steiner Leo Tradice, Odpovědnost, Prosperita 09 (TOP 09) – Tradition, Responsability, Prosperity 09 (PPE) Niedermayer Luděk Polach Marek Bubeníková Ludmila Pospíšil Jiří Mikulecký Luděk Souček Oldřich Polčák Stanislav Kyliánová Zuzana Janoušek Aleš Šarapatka Bořivoj Cogan Rudolf Gábor František Štětina Jaromír Kočandrle Jiří Feigler Michal Sršeň Radim Ifrah Reda Popov Simeon Czernin Tomáš Pavlíčková Klára Šigut Zdeněk Majíčková Ivana Burian Michal Kalousek Josef Straka Bohumil Merta Josef Šanc Ivo Velička Tomáš Česká strana sociálně demokratická (ČSSD) –Czech Social democrat Party (PES) Keller Jan Osvald Petr Kalistová Kateřina. Sehnalová Olga Vorel Lukáš Drobek Aleš Poc Pavel Zemánek Jiří Bocianová Kateřina Poche Miroslav Kaucký Lukáš Hermannová Monika Seidl Zdeněk Technik Radim Andělová Alena Falbr Richard Šáda Petr Kolman Petr Brzobohatá Zuzana Váhalová Dana. Vodsloň Zuzana Mynář Vojtěch Scherfer Radek Tomková Ivana Rouček Libor Balabán Miloš Straka Jan Občanská demokratická strana (ODS) – Civic Democrate Party (AECR) Zahradil Jan MEP Tošenovský Evžen MEP Zamrazilová Eva Vlasák Oldřich MEP Hejtmánek Pavel Nguyen Cong Hung Musil Aleš Stárek Jakub Kropáčová Marcela Trylčová Radka Šulc Jan Seitz Václav Kollmann Marcel Šindelář Petr Vítek Lukáš Hynek Josef Kulhánek Rudolf Kovačíková Darina.
    [Show full text]
  • Flags of Asia
    Flags of Asia Item Type Book Authors McGiverin, Rolland Publisher Indiana State University Download date 27/09/2021 04:44:49 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10484/12198 FLAGS OF ASIA A Bibliography MAY 2, 2017 ROLLAND MCGIVERIN Indiana State University 1 Territory ............................................................... 10 Contents Ethnic ................................................................... 11 Afghanistan ............................................................ 1 Brunei .................................................................. 11 Country .................................................................. 1 Country ................................................................ 11 Ethnic ..................................................................... 2 Cambodia ............................................................. 12 Political .................................................................. 3 Country ................................................................ 12 Armenia .................................................................. 3 Ethnic ................................................................... 13 Country .................................................................. 3 Government ......................................................... 13 Ethnic ..................................................................... 5 China .................................................................... 13 Region ..................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Putin's Frozen Conflicts and the Conflict in Ukraine
    Antagonizing the Neighborhood: Putin’s Frozen Conflicts and the Conflict in Ukraine Testimony before Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, Energy, and the Environment Committee on Foreign Relations United States House of Representatives March 11, 2020 Stephen B. Nix, Esq. Eurasia Regional Director International Republican Institute A nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing democracy worldwide Stephen B. Nix, Esq. Congressional Testimony House Committee on Foreign Affairs March 11, 2020 Chairman Keating, Ranking Member Kinzinger, Members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. The conflicts imposed upon Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova by Vladimir Putin have created military, political and policy challenges in all these countries. In addition to providing factual and political analysis in all the countries, we hope to provide the subcommittee with policy recommendations as to how the U.S. might engage in all these situations. Ukraine – Crimea and Donbas Since assuming office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dramatically enhanced his government’s efforts to resolve the crisis posed by the Russian-occupied territories of Donbas and Crimea. In a few short months, the Ukrainian government has increased its level of engagement with Ukrainian citizens still residing in these territories, improved the quality of critical public services to address needs created by the conflict, and re-invigorated diplomatic efforts to increase international pressure on the Kremlin to allow for the reintegration of these territories. It is crucial that the United States does all it can to support the Ukrainian government in achieving these aims. Challenges The conflict has created a humanitarian crisis in Donbas as vital public infrastructure, such as airports, bridges, highways, apartment buildings, and power and water lines have been destroyed or severely damaged.
    [Show full text]