Czechia should join NATO’s nuclear sharing program within the next ten years to align its security and defense policy with the changing environment of ongoing war in Ukraine and deteriorating relationship with Russia. The relations between Prague and Moscow are at an all-time low and NATO-Russia cooperation must be re-established.

Czechia is already a significant contributor to NATO’s conventional security guarantees, and it is time to enhance its contribution to include the nuclear level. The foreign, security, and defense policy of Czechia has become more assertive and principled in recent years, moving away from pragmatic relations with non-democratic countries like Russia and China.

The shift is partly due to the election of a new president, retired General Petr Pavel, and the recent transformation of the Western approach towards non-democratic regimes like Russia and China. The war in Ukraine has prompted security and defense policy adaptations across Europe, and Czechia must adapt as well.

The Czech military has shown a willingness to invest in its own defense capabilities and help its partners, including Ukraine, with various military purchases and deployments. To align its security and defense policy, Czechia should join NATO’s nuclear sharing program.

Article by Prague Forum