Putin's most powerful weapon rattling in the heart of the EU?

Putin's most powerful weapon rattling in the heart of the EU?

Mass protests against the center-right government have been taking place across the Czech Republic in recent months. Czech politicians, however, say they know who is behind the protests.

Let us remind you that at one of the largest gatherings in Prague on September 3, around 70.000 people gathered to demand the calling of early elections. It started with gas and electricity prices, but it went much further and the protesters demanded, among other things, that the Czech government stop sending weapons to Ukraine.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Czech Parliament, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, believes that Moscow had a big hand in those protests.

"Moscow helped fuel recent mass protests in Prague over rising inflation and potential energy shortages. The threat of riots has forced the government of the centre-right, EU and NATO member country to change plans and cap gas and electricity prices," she said to the British "Times".

Jutarnji list reports that out of fear of rising heating prices, protesters in Prague made numerous extremist demands. Thus, the protest leaders demanded that the Czech government stop sending weapons to Ukraine, that sanctions against Russia be lifted in order to enable negotiations with Moscow on the continuation of cheap energy supplies, and that the request to leave the EU and NATO be initiated.

They also demanded an end to support for the 350.000 Ukrainian refugees who have been admitted to the Czech Republic since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine. Czech officials warn that these are all the main narratives of Moscow.

Adamová says that Moscow has allies in the Czech opposition and among the protest organizers.

"Russia is actively working to cause civil unrest and undermine Czech democracy," she pointed out. Prime Minister Petr Fiala called the organizers "the Russian fifth column" and flatly rejected their demands. He also claims that the main culprit for the spread of pro-Russian narratives in the Czech Republic is disinformation.

Namely, the media that spread "alternative" claims and chain emails have become the main sources of information, especially for poorer and older Czechs, who are disillusioned with corrupt politicians and distrustful of the mainstream media, "The Times" assesses.

Russian propaganda machine has been active for a long time, but the Czech authorities warn that since the invasion of Ukraine, the activity on these "alternative" websites has significantly expanded, and news that reflects the Kremlin's views on the causes of the war and the energy crisis is published.

"Russia wants to destroy its enemy - us, NATO and the Western community," said Michal Koudelka, director of the Czech counterintelligence service BIS, adding that "Putin will use all possible means."

Disinformation is one of the Kremlin's most powerful weapons. Moscow is trying to convince Europeans that the sanctions are hurting them more than the Russians and that their governments are prioritizing Ukrainian refugees over their own people. "Russia not only creates problems in society, but tries to intensify the existing ones.

This mainly refers to the impact of energy and fuel prices and the related increase in the prices of consumer goods and rising inflation," Koudelka added. The Czech Republic is one of the countries that has been helping Ukraine the most since Russia started the war. However, it is also highly dependent on Russian energy sources.

Last year, almost all nine billion cubic meters of gas consumed by the Czech Republic was supplied by Russia.