Over 475,000 Ukrainian refugees have sought asylum in the Czech Republic as of January 1, 2023 (Unhcr.org, January 1). With a population of 10.7 million, the Czech Republic continues to host the most Ukrainian refugees per capita in the European Union. Only Poland comes close on a per capita basis. Although large-scale immigration brings immense short-term costs (see Part One), the economic potential that the infusion of young, motivated people bring into the Czech Republic’s workforce cannot be discounted.

https://jamestown.org/program/costs-of-accommodating-the-most-ukrainian-refugees-per-capita-in-the-eu-the-czech-case-part-two/.

While those losing patience with supporting Ukrainian refugees are in the minority, they are well represented by parties that garnered significant percentages of the 2021 legislative vote to form the current parliamentary body. The “right” and “left” wings of the political spectrum converge on questions of immigration to form an ethno-socialist position that shuns immigration while advocating for more social spending for “working Czechs.”

https://jamestown.org/program/costs-of-accommodating-the-most-ukrainian-refugees-per-capita-in-the-eu-the-czech-case/

On June 24, the first contingent of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) multinational battlegroup set up to guard Slovakia’s eastern flank and commanded by Czech forces became operational (Mise.army.cz, June 26). Slovakia joins Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria as the newest recipients of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence (eFP), which, before the current Russian re-invasion of Ukraine, was only deployed in Poland and the Baltic States (Ministerstvo Obrany, May 4, 2022).

https://jamestown.org/program/threat-perceptions-of-russia-align-in-central-europe/

On May 20, Czechia (the Czech Republic) and Slovakia became two of the latest states to accept this alternate ruble payment arrangement. Despite both Central European countries ultimately conceding to Russia’s demands, their initial responses differed considerably due to divergent threat assessments of their dependence on Russian energy. From the inception of the dispute, Bratislava refused to follow other EU states in denouncing Russia’s rubles-for-gas payment decree because of Slovakia’s vulnerable position vis-à-vis Gazprom (Česká Televize 24, April 3). In fact, Slovak Economic Minister Richard Sulík publicly accepted the rubles-for-gas demand as early as April 3, preceding Orban’s offer (EurActiv, April 4).

https://jamestown.org/program/assessing-czech-and-slovak-dependence-on-russian-gas/

An in-depth review of Bill Hayton’s latest book, “Invention of China” stands out as an accessible and expertly crafted examination of the origin of modern Chinese political thought.

https://globalriskinsights.com/2022/07/opinion-a-review-of-bill-haytons-latest-book-invention-of-china/

The Russian invasion of Ukraine presents the greatest obstacle to Arctic governance since the Cold War. The boycott of the Arctic Council will permanently diminish its scope and leave Arctic security issues unresolved. While the Arctic Council is not directly involved in security issues, its collaboration on environmental and scientific matters has fostered cooperation that has led to amicable security arrangements, such as the 2010 Barents Sea delimitation agreement brokered between Oslo and Moscow.

https://www.cfr.org/blog/how-russia-ukraine-war-challenges-arctic-governance

The unique provisions of the Treaty of Svalbard, NATO ambiguity on the status of Svalbard, and mounting geopolitical tensions between Russia and Norway signify a realistic probability of outright violation of Norwegian sovereignty over Svalbard in the medium to long-term.

https://globalriskinsights.com/2022/02/risk-factors-for-svalbard-conflict-between-russia-and-norway/

As Brussels and DC continue to expand their sanctions package they risk hurting the Russian people more than the Russian state. To target the Russian state, the West must consider oil and gas export restrictions and stop insulating the Kremlin’s main source of income through SWIFT loopholes.

https://globalriskinsights.com/2022/03/opinion-an-effective-russian-sanctions-regime/

At its crux, Don’t Look Up is a story of controlling -- or in the case of Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) failing to control -- the media narrative. In a nuanced world filled with conflicting media narratives, the audience tends to absorb simple and often incomplete explanations which routinely ascribe motives to policy decisions.

https://www.whwg.com/writers-threads/dont-look-up

In a world where culture is closely tied with politics, companies can easily find themselves embroiled in politically sensitive and seemingly unforeseeable reputational risks. This is the case in the ongoing reputational damage that Swedish-based music streaming service Spotify incurs from hosting the Joe Rogan Experience podcast.

https://www.whwg.com/writers-threads/joe-rogan-and-spotify

From a communications perspective, Zelensky has done everything to motivate the Ukrainian people at home. Wars (especially defensive wars) are often a unifying moment when support for political leaders increases. But Zelensky has exceeded all expectations, nearly tripling his approval rating from 31 percent in late December to 90 percent in late February.

https://insidesources.com/zelenskys-pr-success-is-central-to-bolstering-ukrainian-resistance/