On the edge of Nato and Russia

Czech PM Bohuslav Sobotka got into trouble last week for declaring that the CR will not be among the countries calling for a strengthening of Nato forces in Europe. He repeated this almost verbatim in Právo on Sat., with one key difference. Instead of speaking as the PM on behalf of his country, he spoke as the chairman of ČSSD on behalf of his party. "ČSSD does not call for an increase in the presence of Nato or U.S. forces in Europe," he said. In effect, he attempted to defuse the situation by reducing it from a national-security issue to a party matter. When Hynek Kmoníček of the Castle was asked by Czech TV last week where Ukraine belongs, in the West or in the East, he said it belongs on the edge of Nato and Russia, without being part of either. When ČSSD holds its internal party referendum in the coming weeks, it should ask its members how many of them now want this same arrangement for their own country.