Czechia’s 25 years in NATO – together with Türkiye

"It is our common purpose, over time, to do for Europe's east what NATO has already helped to do for Europe's west. Steadily and systematically, we will continue erasing the line drawn in Europe by Stalin's bloody boot", said the then-Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright twenty-five years ago while welcoming the first new NATO members since the Cold War's end.

Regrettably, there is a new line being drawn in Europe today - by a dictator of a different name who is not shy, however, of committing the same heinous crimes as the previous one.

A lesson from the past

Twenty-five years ago on March 12th, Czechia, Poland, and Hungary became the first countries from the former "Eastern Bloc" to join NATO. This event changed the course of history for both Czechia and NATO.

The successful integration of these three countries into NATO's policies and structures helped open the door to other countries in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. As early as 2002, Prague hosted a NATO Summit where a decision was made on another wave of enlargement.

NATO's expansion into Central and Eastern Europe was of greater significance and urgency than its architects could have imagined. What would Europe look like today if the leaders of the West at that time took 10 years to think it over? If Czechia, led by Václav Havel, did not make use of its newly acquired freedom, political capital, and determination to join the West? Perhaps NATO would never have found the courage to commit to the defense of Central Europe. Perhaps today we would fear that Western fatigue with Central Europe would prevail and that, in the interest of peace, the West would accept Russian influence or control of Riga, Warsaw, even Prague?

We demonstrate our...