30 Global News Post 1

This article written by Global Voices Central & Eastern Europe and published to GlobalVoices on March 8th, 2022 describes the reaction of the Czech Republic to the Russia-Ukraine War. The Czech Republic has previously developed strong oppositional feelings towards the Russians in conflicts such as when the Warsaw Pact troops invaded Prague 1968 and when the Russians annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014. The most recent rise of Russophobia has gone a step further, beyond criticizing the Russian nation and sharing support for Ukraine, and is now imposing sanctions on Russian individuals.

The article highlights countless incidents of Russophobia that have been documented and shared on social media. In Prague, Russian students have been discriminated against by both peers and professors through the concept of “personal sanctions”. Within Europe, including the Czech Republic, a group of hotels have declared a boycott excluding Russian and Belarusian passport holders. In response to these moments of discrimination many have commented for those committing acts of Russophobia to draw distinctions between Russians who support or oppose the actions of the Russian government. The article also importantly notes that these incidents of Russian discrimination have been recycled and amplified by pro-Russian groups in the Czech Republic as a justification for their nation’s actions.

Xenophobic behavior in all forms should be taken seriously, but it is also important to recognize sensationalism in journalism. Because most of the examples included throughout the article felt vague and hard to pinpoint for accuracy, the article’s awareness of pro-Russian groups amplifying these incidents of Russophobia adds a level of neutrality to the reporting, balancing pro-Czech and pro-Russian perspectives. No additional author information was provided for Global Voices Central & Eastern Europe, but its affiliation with GlobalVoices and regional title create a sense of geographically unbiased reporting.

Global Voices Central & Eastern Europe. (2022, March 8). In the Czech Republic, ‘private sanctions’ increase Russophobia. GlobalVoices. https://www.globalvoices.org/2022/03/08/in-the-czech-republic-private-sanctions-increase-russophobia/

Johnston, R. (2022). [Photograph of Ruská street in Prague was taped over with a Ukrainian flag]. Expats CZ. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/national-geographic-magazine-50-years-of-covers/#/ngm-1985-jun-714.jpg