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The GIUK's gap Geopolitical Importance
Prášil, Matěj ; Riegl, Martin (advisor)
The following thesis is focusing on the geopolitical as well as geostrategic significance of the GIUK Gap. In addition to an overview of the realist theories of international relations used in the analysis as such, the thesis includes a section devoted to the historical development of the geopolitical and geostrategic significance of the GIUK Gap, but above all an analysis of the current geopolitical and geostrategic significance of the once mentioned specific North Atlantic region. The analysis of the current geopolitical situation is written with an emphasis on the increasing importance of the area for NATO and the Russian Federation, whose interests have increasingly clashed in recent years, not only in this region. The aim of the paper is to demonstrate a causal relationship between the generally deteriorating relations between NATO and the Russian Federation following the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the growing importance of the GIUK Gap.
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The Ukraine crisis, Russia and the West: clashing strategic visions
Stan, Mihai-Sebastian ; Kazharski, Aliaksei (advisor) ; Solovyeva, Anzhelika (referee)
This thesis looks at the 2014 Ukraine crisis through the lenses of strategic culture by analyzing both the Russian Federation and the European Union's strategic cultures. Over the last eight years, the annexation of Crimea and intervention in Donbass have received a great deal of attention as it was the first geopolitical power struggle in Europe between East and West since the Cold War. Since most of the scholarly work dealing with the 2014 Ukraine crisis have taken a realist approach, this thesis is taking a constructivist approach in order to cover this gap. The paper will cover the Russian strategic culture - the institutional influence of the intelligence services and agencies, foreign political rhetoric, security-related texts, the influence of the leading institutions and the role of 'active measures' - as well as the one of the EU - the influence of the German strategic culture, multilateralism and military restraint. Overall, the thesis will try to shed new light on the 2014 Ukraine crisis so that we can garner more insight on this event. Key words: Ukraine crisis; strategic culture; the Russian Federation; the European Union; Germany; Crimea
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Pledge fulfillment in NATO: free-riding of "new members"
Slánský, Jan ; Kučera, Tomáš (advisor) ; Rosendorf, Ondřej (referee)
The diploma thesis focuses on the causes of the phenomenon of free-riding and the approach to fulfilling commitments towards NATO and burden-sharing in general in the cases of "new" NATO members. The timeframe of 2015-2019 and the qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) method combined with three case studies (Lithuania, Hungary, Romania) were chosen for the research. The QCA focused on four independent variables - economic situation, perceived level of threat, strategic culture (Atlantism/Europeanism) and ideological orientation of the government (left/right). The perceived level of threat proved to be a necessary and potentially sufficient variable. However, among the investigated cases, there was none empirically confirming the sufficiency. The simplest combination of variables that led to fulfilling the commitments and was supported by an existing case was a combination of an intensely perceived level of threat and the strategic culture characteristic of Atlanticism. Because already existing research on free-riding indicates that it is a multi-causal phenomenon, the author is inclined to the opinion that the mentioned combination of variables is the simplest sufficient combination. The economic situation proved to be without significant influence. The QCA results also indicate the ideological...
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NATO and the EU's strategic communication's cohesion from the perspective of the ritual model
Dušková, Lenka ; Karásek, Tomáš (advisor) ; Kučera, Tomáš (referee)
At the core of this master thesis lies the cohesion of NATO and the EU's strategic communication. The cohesion is researched in the context of both institutions' reactions to hybrid threats from quantitative and qualitative points of view. The thesis observes communication's cohesion within the realm of NATO and the EU's responses to the annexation of Crimea and subsequent war in Ukraine, the Skripals' poisoning, and the instrumentalization of migration by the Belarusian regime. What precedes the empirical part is a summary of current academic debates about the concept of strategic communication and also the description of NATO and the EU's communication systems. The analysis then builds on the extensive dataset of NATO and the EU's event-related messages. The intrainstitutional and interinstitutional cohesion is assessed based on the frequencies and timing of the messages in the above- mentioned cases. The subsequent qualitative analysis draws on Carey's proposed ritual view of communication. It further analyzes whether the content of NATO and the EU's strategic communication reflects their core values, threat perception, narratives about expected appropriate behavior, visioning, and whether it refers to the common historical experience, stimulates a shared view of reality, and explicitly...
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Evolution of the Idea of the "Russian Threat" to the Security of the European Union and NATO
Peleshenko, Anastasiia ; Ditrych, Ondřej (advisor) ; Martinková, Viera (referee)
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014, the illegal annexation of Crimea, and the Russian proxy-war in the Donbas region of Ukraine, the idea of the Russian threat to the West has emerged in the academia and political discourse. While generally accepted as a serious concern among both Western democracies and international organizations, its conceptual complexity increased with time, to the point that the understanding of which Russian capabilities and foreign activities had to be considered threatening became multifaceted and convoluted. In order to understand how the idea of the Russian threat has evolved over the years, a discourse analysis of the texts from the EU and NATO was conducted, examining how the factors of context, identity, and goals have affected the articulation of the discourse. Research has shown that even though Russia gained a status of an ideological Other to the West, it was not always considered a threat. Additionally, while the awareness and understanding of the threats it posed to Western democracies grew over time, the organization(s) could not always articulate a clear discourse of the Russian threat. The changing contexts, the identities of the organizations and the values they are based on, as well as the EU and NATO's goals pertaining to Russia, have both...
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Citizens on Development of Situation in Afghanistan - September/October 2021
Červenka, Jan
In a survey conducted in September and early October 2021, the Public Opinion Research Centre asked all respondents several questions concerning the development of the situation in Afghanistan in connection with the withdrawal of the United States Armed Forces and other allies within the NATO mission from the country. More than a third (36%) of the Czech public were interested in the development of the situation in Afghanistan. Seven out of ten Czech citizens assess the situation in Afghanistan as a threat to world peace, and two thirds perceive it as a threat to European security. About half of the Czech public sees this situation as a threat to the security of the Czech Republic. 45% of Czech citizens consider the decision to withdraw the armed forces and to end the NATO mission in Afghanistan to be the right one, 31% think the opposite. Less than a quarter (24%) consider NATO's mission in Afghanistan to be a success, with about half (51%) finding it a failure. 56% of Czech citizens consider the decision to evacuate Afghan collaborators of Czech mission and their families to the Czech Republic to be the right, and 29% think the opposite.
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Trust in European and international institutions – July 2020
Spurný, Martin
In July 2020 Public Opinion Research Centre included a block of questions connected to confidence in European Union and international institutions. Questions focused mainly on trust in European Union in general and its concrete authorities. In connection to international institutions respondents evaluated their trust in United Nations and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
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The GIUK's gap Geopolitical Importance
Prášil, Matěj ; Riegl, Martin (advisor) ; Romancov, Michael (referee)
The following thesis is focusing on the geopolitical as well as geostrategic significance of the GIUK Gap. In addition to an overview of the realist theories of international relations used in the analysis as such, the thesis includes a section devoted to the historical development of the geopolitical and geostrategic significance of the GIUK Gap, but above all an analysis of the current geopolitical and geostrategic significance of the once mentioned specific North Atlantic region. The analysis of the current geopolitical situation is written with an emphasis on the increasing importance of the area for NATO and the Russian Federation, whose interests have increasingly clashed in recent years, not only in this region. The aim of the paper is to demonstrate a causal relationship between the generally deteriorating relations between NATO and the Russian Federation following the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the growing importance of the GIUK Gap.
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Strategic goals of the Russian Federation supported by the spread of disinformation and propaganda in NATO member states
Nižníková, Martina ; Střítecký, Vít (advisor) ; Karásek, Tomáš (referee)
The diploma thesis deals with the spread of disinformation and propaganda by the Russian- supported media operating in Europe. It includes narratives that misrepresent reality and cause chaos in societies. Different contradictory interpretations of reality undermine the security, stability and credibility of European democratic institutions. In connection with the aim of the work, emphasis is placed not only on the reasons for the operation of fake news, but also on the determining factors impacting the formulation of disinformation narratives that are being misused in individual states. In connection with the research form, the theory of constructivism is applied, which deals with the interpretation of national identity and national interests. The regional security complex theory is also partially included in the research. This multiple case study consists of five groups of European countries based on the relationship with the Russian Federation. Individual selected countries are examined in accordance with historical context of building relations with Russia. These relations are a prerequisite for a careful selection of disinformation and propaganda narratives. After examining the specific types of narratives, the similarity between individual groups of states will be discussed.
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The Link between Foreign Interventions in Oil-Exporting States and Maintaining the Petrodollar Hegemony: A Plausibility Probe of the Libyan Intervention
Kruyshaar, Claire ; Ludvík, Jan (advisor) ; Aslan, Emil (referee)
03 May 2022 64360058 Charles University MISS - Thesis Abstract English Claire Kruyshaar Abstract This thesis examines the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's (NATO) military intervention in Libya during the Arab Spring revolution in 2011. Using a plausibility probe of the Libyan case study it seeks to uncover the likelihood that the intervention was linked to a threat to the petrodollar hegemony. Although it examines four of the main NATO intervenors, the focus is on the relationship between Libya and the United States. It is significant to uncover the intentions behind interventions to inform policy for future interventions and add to the scarce academic literature on the intervention-petrodollar link. The main narrative of the Libyan intervention was that of humanitarianism under the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine. However, with evidence from Wikileaks, reports, government records as well as journal articles, this thesis questions this narrative. The research did not find substantial evidence linking the intervention to the petrodollar system. However, it does propose that strategic interests rivalled the humanitarian motivation.
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