Ambassador to Czechia not expecting change in Prague's support for Ukraine

He said this in an interview with Ukrinform.

"Regardless of who leads the new government, I see no grounds to speak of any radical changes of course, let alone an 'end to support for Ukraine. […] We need to work, and we are ready to cooperate with the new authorities that will emerge as a result of free democratic elections," Zvarych said.

He urged not to dramatize the situation and recalled that the Czech Republic remains a democratic country with stable European institutions, clear foreign policy priorities, and deep integration into the structures of the EU and NATO.

To those spreading "panic," the ambassador advised remembering that there is always a difference between political slogans and actual policy – and not to base their forecasts on claims that the winning party is "pro-Russian."

"Czech President Petr Pavel has publicly stated that the election winner, the ANO party, is not pro-Russian. And I can confirm that. The party's leader, Andrej Babis, is not a pro-Russian politician," the diplomat said.

He recalled that during his tenure as Czech prime minister (2017-2021), Babis visited Ukraine, held three meetings with President Volodymyr Zelensky, and established a relationship of trust with him. During a phone call in which Zelensky congratulated Babis on his election victory and invited him to visit Ukraine, the ANO leader reaffirmed his support for Ukraine, expressed hope for a swift end to the war, and agreed to visit Ukraine next year.

Zvarych also expressed confidence that the Czech Republic would not be among the countries blocking the start of EU accession talks or Ukraine's membership prospects.

"I believe we will continue working constructively. We are interested in pragmatic, mutually beneficial relations, and we see that this understanding remains in Prague, including among the politicians who won the parliamentary elections. Our relations have justifiably reached the level of a strategic partnership," the ambassador said.

In the October parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic, the ANO party, led by Andrej Babis, won the majority of votes.

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