Okamura's anti-Ukrainian statements: Foreign Ministry summons Czech diplomat in response to Zvarych's call
This was announced by Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi to journalists, according to a Ukrinform correspondent.
“This step mirrors the summoning of the Ukrainian ambassador in Prague,” the spokesman said.
He stressed that Ukraine values its strategic partnership with the Czech Republic and is grateful to the Czech people for their unwavering solidarity since the first days of Russia's full-scale invasion.
“We are convinced that the shameful statements of individual politicians should not harm our fruitful bilateral cooperation, which strengthens both countries, against the backdrop of extraordinary security challenges for Ukraine, the Czech Republic, and the rest of Europe,” Tykhyi stressed.
As reported, in his New Year's speech, Okamura sharply criticized Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky, and also expressed his wish that Ukraine never become a member of the EU. The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Czech Republic, Vasyl Zvarych, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, responded to this.
In particular, the Ukrainian ambassador said that “we regard Tomio Okamura's offensive and hateful statements about Ukraine and Ukrainians... as his personal position, obviously formed under the influence of Russian propaganda.”
On January 4, Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka decided to invite Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Zvarych to explain his reaction to the New Year's speech by the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Tomio Okamura.
In the Czech Republic, opposition factions in the Chamber of Deputies have begun collecting signatures to dismiss Okamura, the leader of the nationalist Freedom and Direct Democracy party.
