Russia at present poses no threat, Klaus says in the interview in which he expressed his views on the invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Warsaw Pact armies in August 1968. Klaus gave his interview to Kommersant before the recent entry of the Russian army to Georgia's pro-Russian province of South Ossetia. "For me Russians were also victims of the brutal communist totalitarian regime and I personally feel no hatred to Czech Foreign Minister to receive his Kosovo counterpart ...
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radar treaties under consideration-Klaus ... them," Klaus said, adding that a similar position gradually prevailed in the entire Czech Republic. Klaus said he did not think that Russians and Czechs were now on the different sides of the barricade. He expressed the view that "it is rather that someone is constantly pushing us on these different sides of the barricade" and "it is our task to prevent this." Klaus refused to talk on behalf of all Czech citizens but said that he personally did not feel any danger from Russia. "Yes, Russia is different than we are. We have a different political system, a different measure of political pluralism and a different level of democracy," Klaus said. But it is something different to be afraid of Russia, he said. Asked whether the possible stationing of a U.S. radar base on Czech soil could provoke a gap in relations between Moscow and Prague, Klaus said that the American missile defence base is a military installation similar to dozens located around the world. "It is not directed against Russia and no one should interpret it so," Klaus said.
(Ceske Noviny)
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