Visegrad 4 and resurgent Russia

Abstract

In the immediate aftermath of the systemic collapse of the Soviet Union, distancing from Russia and integrating with European political and Euro-Atlantic security structures was the primary goal of the Central and Eastern European countries. In this context, the Visegrad 4 as a group emerged in 1991 bringing together four Central European countries—Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic or Czechia) and Slovakia. The leaders met in Visegrad, Hungary, to set a course for mutual prosperity. Vaáclav Havel, president of Czechoslovakia, Lech Walesa, president of Poland and the Hungarian Prime Minister Joázsef Antall agreed upon and signed a declaration of future cooperation on the path to European integration. The primary objectives of aligning with NATO and Europe were achieved in 1999 and 2004, respectively. Thereafter, their divergent positions on relations with Russia emerged. This chapter focuses on how V4-Russia relations have developed over time and how they impact the European Union (EU). The chapter argues that while the V4 countries’ different approach vis-à-vis Russia does not prevent them from at times coming together to deal with the Brussels-led EU, it complicates the EU’s ability to develop a common position on Russia.