 | |
 Czech Republic |  Russia |
|---|---|
| Diplomatic mission | |
| Embassy of the Czech Republic,Moscow | Embassy of Russia, Prague |
Czech Republic–Russia relations are thebilateralforeign relations between theCzech Republic and theRussian Federation. Relations have substantially deteriorated in recent years due to events such as theRussian annexation of Crimea in 2014,Russian sabotage of Czech ammunition depot in Vrbětice in 2014,poisoning of Sergei Skripal in 2018 andRussian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Both countries are full members of theCouncil of Europe (though Russia's membership has been suspended[1]) and theOrganization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. The Czech Republic has an embassy inMoscow. The Russian Federation has anembassy in Prague.
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During the entiremedieval period andearly modern period, theCzech lands, in the form ofDuchy of Bohemia andKingdom of Bohemia, were aligned with the CatholicHoly Roman Empire and laterAustrian Empire.
Before the Soviet-led invasion in 1968, the Czechs were a predominantlyRussophile nation and viewed Russia positively, having seen it as a potentialSlavic ally and protector from the German threat since theCzech National Revival in the 19th century.[2][3]
Czechoslovakia recognized theSoviet Unionde jure and the countries established diplomatic relations in June 1934. On 16 May 1935, the Czechoslovak–Soviet Treaty of Mutual Assistance was signed between the two governments that followed the similartreaty between the USSR and France, which was Czechoslovakia's major ally.[4]
Following theGerman occupation of Czechoslovakia and the establishment of the pro-GermanSlovak state in March 1939, the Soviet Union promptly recognized the newstatus quo and terminated diplomatic relations with Czech representatives. Shortly after theMunich Agreement, many CzechoslovakCommunists gained asylum in the Soviet Union, however hundreds of non-communist refugees were sent tolabour camps.[5]
FollowingWorld War II pre-war Czechoslovakia was re-established, with the exception ofSubcarpathian Ruthenia, which was annexed by the Soviet Union. TheCzechoslovak parliamentary elections of 1946 were won by the pro-Soviet Czechoslovak communists. Thepro-Soviet coup d'état in February 1948 resulted in Czechoslovakia becoming part of the Soviet-ledEastern Bloc, and it was one of the founding members of theWarsaw Pact in May 1955. In August 1968, in response to thePrague Spring pro-democracy reforms of the Czech government, theSoviet-led invasion re-established the hardline Communist rule by force. 108 Czechs and Slovaks died and approximately 500 were wounded as a direct result of the invasion. This damaged relations between the two countries. In 1968–69, Czechoslovakia was turned into a federation of theCzech Socialist Republic andSlovak Socialist Republic. However, the centralised political control by the Czechoslovak Communist Party severely limited the effects of federalisation.
Following theVelvet Revolution of 1989, the dissolution of theSoviet Union in December 1991 and thedissolution of Czechoslovakia on 31 December 1992 into two countries, Russia immediately recognised the independent Czech Republic and the two states established diplomatic relations on 1 January 1993.[6] During an official visit by Russia′s presidentBoris Yeltsin to the Czech Republic in August 1993, the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation was signed by Yeltsin and Czech presidentVáclav Havel.[6]
The independent Czech Republic re-aligned its foreign policy and economic interests with Western allies throughout the 1990's, and joinedNATO in march 1999 and theEuropean Union in May 2004.
In December 2011, Russian presidentDmitry Medvedev visitedPrague, to sign economic contracts and cultural exchange. Both countries consider each other as an important economic partner.
As a response to theRussian military intervention in Ukraine from 2014, the Czech Republic has participated in enactingeconomic sanctions against Russia.
Also in 2014, two significant explosions occurred at an ammunition depot inVrbětice, a village in theZlín District of eastern Moravia, Czech Republic.[7] The first explosion took place on 16 October, destroying Warehouse No.16 and resulting in the deaths of two employees. The second explosion occurred on 3 December leading to the evacuation of nearby residents. These incidents caused extensive damage and led to an ongoing cleanup operation that concluded in October 2020, costing approximately CZK 1 billion.[8] Investigations by Czech authorities revealed that the explosions were acts of sabotage carried out by operatives from theRussian military intelligence agency GRU, specificallyUnit 29155. The operatives involved includedAlexander Mishkin andAnatoliy Chepiga, who were also implicated in the2018 Salisbury poisoning in theUK. Their objective was to disrupt arms shipments, possibly destined forUkraine orSyria, by targeting the depot managed by the Imex Group.[9][10]
In March 2018, the Czech Republic expelled three Russian diplomats as areaction to the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in theUnited Kingdom.[11]
In March 2018, the Czech Republic arrested and extradited a Russian hacker into theUnited States on American request.[12]
In late 2010s, the controversy about thestatue of Ivan Konev in Prague has been one of the issues that caught public attention in this area.[13]
Miloš Zeman,president of the Czech Republic from March 2013, has been described byAmerican state broadcasterRadio Free Europe as "one of theEuropean Union's mostKremlin-friendly leaders".[14][15] Zeman has supported Russia on issues such as theRussian annexation of Crimea, thereby defying NATO′s and EU′s official policies.[16] In February 2022, Zeman condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and called for tough sanctions to isolate "the madman" Putin.[17]
On 17 April 2021, the Czech prime ministerAndrej Babiš announced that the Czech Republic was expelling 18 Russian diplomats it had identified asGRU andSVR spies — after the Czech intelligence agencies had concluded thatRussian military intelligence officers, namely members of Russian military intelligence GRU'sunit 29155, were involved in two massiveammunition depot explosions inVrbětice (part ofVlachovice), near the Czech-Slovak border, in October 2014.[18] Shortly after, the Czech Republic formally informed theNATO allies on the matter and requested a joint statement at the NATO level as well as a follow-upNorth Atlantic Council meeting "to discuss other possible coordinated steps".[19] In the wake of the expulsion,Bloomberg News commented that "in a rare act of unity, Zeman took the government’s side againstPutin".[20] The Russian government responded by expelling 20 Czech diplomats.[21]
Following Russia's own diplomatic response of expelling Czech diplomats, the newly appointed Czech foreign ministerJakub Kulhánek on 21 April gave the Russian government an ultimatum saying Russia had until 12 p.m. the next day to allow the return of all the Czech diplomats it had expelled from Moscow back to the Czech Embassy in Moscow and if that did not happen "he would cut the number of Russian Embassy staff in Prague so it would correspond to the current situation at the Czech Embassy in Moscow".[22] On 22 April, as Russia refused to abide with the Czech demands in returning Czech staff to the Embassy in Moscow, the Czech foreign ministry announced it was reducing and capping the number of staff at the Russian Embassy in Prague at the current number of their staff in Moscow; the Russian embassy staff were required to leave the Czech Republic by 31 May 2021.[23] The Czech government response was followed with support by a number of other EU countries expelling Russia′s diplomatic personnel.[24][25][26][27] The Russian government responded by setting the Czech Republic on its 'unfriendly countries list' along with the United States. As a result the Czech embassy in Moscow are allowed to only hire up to 19 Russian locals, while the U.S. embassy in Moscow are not allowed to hire any Russian locals.[28][29]
In November 2023 the Czech government froze all Russian State assets in their country, blocking the sale of land and buildings and bank accounts associated with the rental of such assets.[30]
In 2024, Czech Foreign MinisterJan Lipavský summoned Russia's ambassador in Prague following anattack on a children's hospital in Kyiv, saying those who carried out the strike were the "dregs of humanity".[31]
| Guest | Host | Place of visit | Date of visit |
|---|---|---|---|
 General SecretaryYuri Andropov |  PresidentGustáv Husák | Prague | 3–5 January 1983[32] |
| General SecretaryMikhail Gorbachev | PresidentGustáv Husák | Prague | 9–12 April 1987[33] |
 PresidentBoris Yeltsin | PresidentVáclav Havel | Prague | 1993[34] |
| PresidentVladimir Putin | PresidentVáclav Klaus | Prague | 1–2 March 2006 |
| PresidentDmitry Medvedev | PresidentVáclav Klaus | Prague | 7–8 April 2010[35] |
| PresidentDmitry Medvedev | PresidentVáclav Klaus | Prague | 7–8 December 2011[36] |
The value of trade between the Czech Republic and Russia is in billions of US dollars. Most imports from Russia into the Czech Republic areraw materials such as fuels and metals; exports from the Czech Republic to Russia are mostly manufactured products.[37]
However, Russia was a smaller trade partner for the Czech Republic in 2016 following itseconomic downturn in 2015, as it was the destination of only 1.7% for Czech exports in 2016.[38] The vast majority of exports from the Czech Republic go to other EU members[39] (84.1% in 2016)[38] while most imports into the Czech Republic come from other EU members (76,6% in 2013)[40] or from China (7,3% in 2016).[41] Despite that Czech-Russian trade was still higher than with US trade, reaching 9.21 billion US dollar for the Czech Republic in 2019. Czech exports to Russia grew 38.8% in 2016 to 2019.[42]
In 2021 Russian exports to Czechia were $6.14 billion with natural gas being the main product. Czechia exports were $4.25 billion with vehicle parts being the main trade item. Between 1995 and 2021 Russian exports rose by an average of 5.28% p.a. with imports rising by 7.69% p.a..[43]
Czech imports of Russian gas ceased in 2022 with crude oil continuing to be imported until theLitvinov refinery can be adapted to process sweeter grades from other sources.[44]
While economic relations were good prior to the 2014 sanctions, and the Czech Republic is a common tourist destination for Russians, the Czech people themselves tend to be distrustful of Russia due to theSoviet invasion of 1968, and tend to hold anegative opinion of Russians as a legacy of Soviet-era conflicts.[45] Among Czechs, Russia continuously remains one of the most negatively perceived countries in public opinion polls, and in 2016 only 26% of Czechs responded that they have either a "very favorable" or "favorable" opinion about Russia (versus 37% responding "unfavorable" or "very unfavorable"). For comparison, in the same poll, Czechs had similarly limited "very favorable" or "favorable" responses for other Eastern European countries (Ukraine 22%; Serbia 27%) and more "very favorable" or "favorable" responses for Western European countries (France 69%; U.K. 67%).[46]
The 2006 annual report by the Czech intelligence agency,Security Information Service (BIS), spoke of high levels of Russian espionage in the Czech Republic and highlighted "security risks including an increasing influence by organized crime in the state sector".[47] The report also stated that "intelligence services of the Russian Federation operating on Czech territory organize media campaigns and other activities supporting Russian interests" and that the Czech Republic has been targeted by Russia due to its membership in NATO and the EU reflecting Russia's interests to acquire information about the functioning of these institutions.[47] Russian influence has especially targeted Russian economic interests in the Czech Republic[48] (i.e. the energy sector),[47] but has also infiltrated into politics and media.[49] The Russian intelligence activity focused on pro-Russian propaganda and on political, scientific, technical and economic espionage.[49]
In 2009, two Russian diplomats were expelled from the Czech Republic due to espionage.[50] As of 2015, according to the Security Information Service, the most active foreign espionage in the Czech Republic originated from Russia, followed byChina.
As of 2017, there were 140 Russian nationals accredited in the Czech Republic as diplomats, a disproportionately large number compared to other countries, and also compared to only 65 Czech diplomats in Russia.[51] Senior representatives of the 40,000-strong ethnic Russian community in the Czech Republic has accused the Russian Embassy of attempting to recruit the community′s members as agents of influence, setting up the Coordinating Council of the Russian Compatriots in the Czech Republic.[52]
In December 2018, the BIS revealed that it prevented the activity of dozens of Russian spies during the previous five years, and earlier that year it uncovered and broke up a network of Russian intelligence informants.[53][54]
According to a 2016 study by the CzechMasaryk University inBrno, pro-Russian websitesSputnik andParlamentní listy are major pro-Russian in the Czech Republic; the latter of which is described by the report as a particular source ofdisinformation along with several other publications.[55] Russian information war focuses on spreading misinformation about the EU and NATO, trying to change public perception of Russia and bribing local politicians.[51] Czech officials estimate that the Russian government is behind approximately 40 Czech-language websites presenting radical views,conspiracy theories and inaccurate reports.[56] According toTomáš Prouza, the "key goal of Russian propaganda in the Czech Republic is to sow doubts into the minds of the people thatdemocracy is the best system to organize a country, to build negative images of the European Union and NATO, and [to] discourage people from participation in the democratic processes".[56]
In 2017, a special unit, theCentre Against Terrorism and Hybrid Threats, was founded under theMinistry of the Interior to counter the threats from Russia among other issues.[56] Czechinvestigative journalists publish an up-to date list of pro-Russian publications.[57]
There is an immigrant minority of 33 970 Russian citizens with a residence permit in the Czech Republic for a period of 12 months or more, as of 2016. It is the fourth largest immigrant group afterSlovaks,Ukrainians andVietnamese, followed byGermans.[58] Russians have the largest proportion of university educated individuals among other immigrant groups.[59] Most incoming Russians are members of the middle or upper classes and their reasons for migration into the Czech Republic are desire for a life in the European Union, betterhealthcare in the Czech Republic, high levels ofcorruption in Russia and also political reasons. Russian immigrants have large proportion of business people in comparison with other immigrant groups.[60]
In 2024, the Czech political partySTAN, which is part of theCabinet of Petr Fiala, launched a campaign against the Russian minority in the Czech Republic with the slogan, "We don't need Putin's matryoshka dolls in the Czech Republic!"[61] On 6 February 2025, Czech PresidentPetr Pavel signed a bill prohibiting Russians from obtaining Czech citizenship,[62] even if they have lived in the Czech Republic for many years. Critics say the law isdiscriminatory, contrary toEuropean values, and will affectRussian opponents of Putin's regime rather than Russian spies, who can enter the country with a foreign passport.[63]
The Czech Republic is a popular destination for Russian tourists. In 2017, over 550,000 Russians visited the country.[64]
Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has requested theextradition of journalist Farida Kurbangaleeva from the Czech Republic. Kurbangaleeva, a former anchor for Russia's state-controlledRossiya 1 TV channel, left Russia in 2014 following the annexation ofCrimea and the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The extradition request, which Kurbangaleeva shared onFacebook, does not specify charges, but she believes it relates to previous allegations of "justifying terrorism" anddisseminating "false information" about the Russian military. In June of the previous year, she was placed on Russia's wanted list, labeled a "foreign agent," andcharged in absentia. Since relocating to Prague, Kurbangaleeva has worked with the Russian-language TV channelCurrent Time and currently collaborates with the exiled news outlet Govorit NeMoskva, in addition to managing her ownYouTube channel. She has dismissed the charges as fabricated and expressed confidence that Czech authorities will not comply with the extradition request.[65]
On 22 May 2025 Czechia's Prague Municipal Court has ruled against her extradition, the court accepted the argument presented by state prosecutor Kateřina Štěpánková, deeming the extradition inadmissible.[66]
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| Diplomatic missions | ||
see also:Foreign relations of Czechoslovakia | ||
