The Annual Freedom Lecture at the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, D.C.

“High Stakes Conflict: The Critical Importance of Victory in Ukraine”

AFoCR and Friends of Slovakia jointly sponsored, with the Czech and Slovak embassies, this year’s Freedom Lecture on Tuesday, November 15, 2022. The event was held at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, courtesy of Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) who is the co-chair of the congressional Czech Caucus. The featured speaker was Miloslav Stašek, Czech Ambassador to the United States. and his topic was the Czech Republic’s unflagging support of Ukraine during the current war instigated by Russia. From the very start of the conflict, the Czech Republic has offered critically important strategic support in the provision of tanks and armaments. The Czech Republic has also provided refuge to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian women and children forced to flee the conflict. Czech citizens have stepped up to host refugees in large numbers. The Czech government is determined to stay the course, even if the conflict appears to be lengthy in duration.

About the Freedom Lecture

The Czech and Slovak Freedom Lecture was established in 2000.  Intended to commemorate the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, the annual lecture is scheduled on a date close to the 17th of November.  Conceived as a joint activity of the Czech and Slovak Embassies, together with American Friends of the Czech Republic and Friends of Slovakia, the choice of speaker and topic alternates each year between the Czech and Slovak groups.