And All for One? The Western Response to Russian Hybrid Actions

Abstract This article examines the relatively weak Western response to the Czech government’s announcement, in April 2021, that Russian military agents were responsible for the 2014 bombing of a weapons depot in the village of Vrbětice. While seeking to explain the reasons for this response, including the key role played by the Czech government’s mishandling of the announcement and ineffective diplomacy, it also draws lessons from the Vrbětice case that can inform the Western response to future hybrid actions in Europe by Russia and other hostile powers. Among these lessons is the link between effective action by the government of a targeted state and a strong and unified international response. The EU and nato also need to take steps to ensure a strong multilateral response to hybrid actions, including the enhanced functionality and operationality of collective solidarity and defence mechanisms that can be used to support targeted states and impose real costs on the perpetrators of such actions.