Is the Czech Republic Shifting Toward the West?

The Czech Republic has traditionally balanced between Russia and the West, but the crisis in Ukraine has shifted the country's foreign policy to strengthen relations with its Western allies. Prague's evolving position is important because of the country's place in Europe's borderlands and its status as a member of NATO and the European Union. In the context of the Ukraine crisis, the country appears to have changed its stance from opposing EU sanctions on Russia and resisting an increased NATO presence in Europe to being more open to greater defense cooperation with the United States.