It is possible to create a new format — the Czech Republic-Poland-Ukraine triangle

David Stulik

The Russian invasion of Ukraine contributed to the creation or, on the contrary, to the destruction of certain alliances. Newssky asked David Stulik, a senior policy analyst at the European Center for Security Policy in Prague, to share his view on the state of the Visegrád Group and the likely change in the format of this association.

In response to your question about the Visegrád Group, it should be said that de facto it no longer exists. It was divided into two groups: the Czech Republic and Poland are the first, and the second is Hungary, which will probably be supported by Slovakia later. Hungary has long been pro-Russian, and Slovakia may become so after the parliamentary elections. For the first time in history, Poland, and the Czech Republic have created a strong strategic alliance, when the foreign policy priorities of both countries coincide almost completely. In view of this, there are many opportunities for interaction between the Czech Republic and Poland, as well as Ukraine. And as a result, it is possible to create a triangle Czech Republic-Poland-Ukraine, where there are many common interests in energy, in the defense-industrial complex, in the development of infrastructure and trade.

Unfortunately, the Visegrád format is blocked for the moment. No one is going to eliminate it. But it will not be active, there will be much fewer meetings, probably even summits will continue, but there will no longer be joint progress. Really, Russian aggression has influenced the fact that such the format of Central European cooperation ceased to exist.

In Ukrainian

Maryna Kovalchuk, Newssky’s own correspondent (Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland), head of the V5 Media project, spoke.