Ukrainian diplomats do not interfere in internal affairs of Czech Republic, says ambassador
This was how Vasyl Zvarych, Ukraine's ambassador to the Czech Republic, commented on the situation to Ukrinform.
He stressed that his comments did not concern internal political processes in the Czech Republic.
“I do not interfere in internal affairs, I only responded to the offensive and rude public statements made by a high-ranking Czech official about Ukraine and the democratically elected Ukrainian government,” Zvarych said, adding that it is now up to the Czechs themselves to decide how to respond to the speaker's words.
The ambassador's reaction came after a Facebook post by Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka, who in turn commented on a statement by Zvarych, who had earlier called the New Year's speech by the speaker of the lower house of the Czech parliament, Tomio Okamura, unacceptable.
Foreign Minister Macinka wrote: "I do not consider it appropriate for a foreign ambassador to publicly assess the statements of one of the highest constitutional officials of the Czech Republic. If any diplomatic mission has reservations or questions, there are standard diplomatic channels for this. However, Czech politics is a matter for Czech citizens and their democratically elected representatives."
Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha defended his ambassador. "The Ukrainian ambassador was absolutely right to respond to Speaker Okamura's outrageous insults against Ukraine and its leadership — and he did so diplomatically. All our ambassadors are instructed to defend Ukraine's dignity. Therefore, I reject such lectures — and instead call on my new Czech colleague to engage in constructive dialogue to strengthen the mutually beneficial Ukrainian-Czech strategic partnership," the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry wrote on social media X.
As reported, in his New Year's speech, Okamura sharply criticized Ukraine and its leader Volodymyr Zelensky, and also expressed his wish that the country never become a member of the EU.
The Ukrainian ambassador, in turn, wrote: “We regard Tomio Okamura's offensive and hateful statements about Ukraine and Ukrainians, voiced today in his New Year's speech, as his personal position, obviously formed under the influence of Russian propaganda.” He called the speaker's words “unworthy and completely unacceptable,” saying they “contradict the principles of a democratic society and the values on which the Czech Republic is based as an integral part of the European community.”
The New Year's speech by the speaker of the lower house of the Czech Republic's parliament sparked outrage not only from the Ukrainian side, but also from local politicians, with the opposition calling for his dismissal.
