Instead of normalisation and acceptance of Putin’s brutality, the EU should look into different ways to elevate all relevant voices critical towards the regime both inside and outside of Russia. In this context, the experience of Czechia and Poland in engaging with Russian civil society highlights both opportunities and pitfalls that the EU should consider in developing its own policy.
Finally, it is essential to look for outside the box ideas, new ways and techniques on how to do more together and pressure the Russian regime both from the inside and outside. It is the Russian civil society that holds the key to promoting a different kind of mindset both inside and outside of Russia, as well as allowing any possibility of a change inside of the country in the future.
The project was supported by funds from the grant programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic ‘Priorities of Czech Foreign Policy and International Relations’. This publication was possible thanks to the support of Civil Society Forum and the European Union.
