The Czech government has approved a new national defense strategy that identifies Russia as the main threat to itself and NATO partner countries.

This was reported by the information portal about the North Atlantic Alliance natoaktual.cz.

The document defines Russia as a threat to the security of the Czech Republic and its allies. In fact, it is a response to the fundamental deterioration of the security environment after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Russia will pose the most serious threat to the security of the Czech Republic and its allies in the long term,” the strategy says.

According to the document, the probability of a military attack on the Czech Republic or one of the other NATO and EU countries is the highest since the end of the Cold War.

The document also mentions the potential threat from China, which seeks to impose its ideas of global order, instability in Europe, and international terrorism.

The main aim of Czech defense policy is to prepare for a long-term, high-intensity defensive war with a technologically advanced enemy equipped with nuclear weapons. The primary task, according to the new strategy, is to deter the attacker.

“Our aim is not to fight the aggressor, but to deter it from attacking. For this to work, we need powerful defense capabilities and the determination to use them in case of an attack,” Defense Minister Jana Černochová said after the government meeting.

The strategic document states that it is necessary to create well-armed, equipped, trained and combat-ready armed forces that can be deployed in collective defense operations. And, according to Černochová, this is linked to the modernization of the army.

“Another task of the strategy is to comprehensively prepare the territory of the Czech Republic and ensure the reception, redeployment and support of a potentially large number of allied forces,” she said.

Non-nuclear status

According to the new strategy, the Czech Republic will not seek to acquire nuclear weapons in accordance with its obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. At the same time, the document states that the country is actively involved in NATO’s nuclear planning and contributes to the alliance’s nuclear deterrent.

“Although the use of nuclear weapons against the territory of the Czech Republic is unlikely, Russia’s aggressive nuclear rhetoric against NATO and EU member states is very risky,” the document says.