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    A US military convoy arrives at the Czech army barracks in Prague. File photo

    'Deadly Threat': Czech Republic Risks Becoming NATO's 'Firing Range'

    © AFP 2019 / MICHAL CIZEK
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    Czech Peace Forum chairwoman Vladimira Vitova told Sputnik that the Czech Republic's membership in NATO puts it at risk of being dragged into a US-initiated conflict with Russia.

    In an interview with Sputnik Czech Republic, Vladimira Vitova, chairwoman of the Czech Peace Forum, an NGO, described Prague's NATO membership as a deadly threat to the country rather than something that maintains its security.

    This weekend, another American convoy of 550 servicemen and 125 military equipment units is due to travel from Germany to Poland via Czech territory as part of NATO's program to strengthen its military presence in Eastern Europe.

    Commenting on this, Vitova warned of the far-reaching consequences of NATO's current deployment.

    "It is all about preparing the population for an armed conflict and a strike on Russia. The presence of foreign troops in the Baltic States is touted as NATO's 'peaceful activity'. By installing elements of the US missile shield in Romania and Poland and creating a fleet in Ukraine, Washington and now de facto Germany let the whole world know that they have completely surrounded Russia," she said.

    She added that the Czech Republic’s membership in NATO poses a deadly threat to the country instead of boosting its security, as many uninformed people believe.

    "If we want to change something, during the country's elections we should only vote for those parties which will unequivocally demand the Czech Republic's immediate withdrawal from NATO," Vitova said, adding that such parties have yet to emerge.

    She recalled that some Czech legislators had proposed an amendment to the country's constitution that she said stipulates the Czech Republic actually becoming a firing range for NATO troops.

    "It seems that neither the government nor the president [of the Czech Republic] is concerned about the fact that the country will lose its sovereignty. How else can we show the whole world that we are renouncing our sovereignty?" Vitova said, referring to "foreign troops' transit through our territory."

    When asked about whether she expects any protest rallies against the US military convoy in the Czech Republic, she said that the protests will hardly prove effective.

    "Protests are a trifle because it is an expression of opinion. But most people [in the Czech Republic] no longer consider demonstrations effective.Their saying 'no' never gets in the mainstream media and is sometimes even ridiculed by the media outlets, right in line with the 'How to destroy an opponent' instructions," she said.

    "For the Czech establishment and the media, the opponents are all those who do not agree with the arrival of the US Army. This is why the mainstream media keeps mum on any political party that supports the Czech Republic's withdrawal from NATO," she concluded.

    Last month, Czech Defense Minister Martin Stropnicky announced that Prague aims to join the NATO multinational battalions in the Baltics, in order to enhance the eastern flank of the bloc.

    He added that Czech forces would like to participate in the drills along with the US forces deployed in Europe. The Czech Republic has been a NATO member since 1999, when it joined the organization along with Hungary and Poland.



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