Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga defended Ukraine’s ambassador to the Czech Republic, Vasyl Zvarych. The diplomat reacted to the harsh remarks made by the speaker of the Czech Chamber of Deputies, Tomio Okamura, regarding Ukraine and its leadership.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Ukraine’s Position on Okamura’s Statements
Sybiga emphasized that Zvarych’s actions were entirely justified and carried out in a diplomatic manner. The minister stressed the importance of protecting Ukraine’s dignity by all its representatives abroad. He also called on his new Czech colleague for constructive cooperation to strengthen the strategic partnership between Ukraine and the Czech Republic.
“The Ukrainian ambassador acted absolutely correctly in responding to the outrageous insults from Speaker Okamura directed at Ukraine and its leadership, and he did so diplomatically. All our ambassadors are tasked with defending Ukraine’s dignity. Therefore, I reject such admonitions and instead call on my new Czech colleague for constructive dialogue to strengthen the mutually beneficial Ukrainian-Czech strategic partnership,” Sybiga wrote on social media platform X after the ambassador faced criticism from Czech Foreign Minister Petr Matzinka.
Reaction from the Czech Republic and Political Situation
Prior to this, Czech Foreign Minister Petr Matzinka expressed disagreement with Zvarych’s comments regarding Okamura’s statements. He stated that he does not find it appropriate for an ambassador of another state to publicly evaluate the speeches of high-ranking officials in the Czech Republic.
In his New Year’s address, Tomio Okamura again spoke against providing weapons to Ukraine, calling the war “absolutely senseless,” and criticized Western support for Kyiv. He claimed that funds from this support are received by both Western companies and “Ukrainian thieves around Zelensky’s junta, who are building toilets out of gold.” Okamura also expressed opposition to Ukraine’s membership in the European Union.
In response to these statements, Vasyl Zvarych called Okamura’s words “disgraceful and absolutely unacceptable,” noting that they could be seen as the speaker’s personal position shaped by Russian propaganda.
Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk also reacted to Okamura’s speech, describing it as a manifestation of “ignorance, manipulation, and cynicism.” According to Stefanchuk, such statements primarily harm the reputation of the Czech Republic and its citizens, who stand on the side of justice.
In the Czech Republic, opposition political forces intend to initiate a parliamentary vote to dismiss Tomio Okamura from his position as speaker due to his remarks regarding Ukraine.
It is worth noting that immediately after being appointed as speaker of the parliament, Okamura ordered the removal of the Ukrainian flag from the building of the chamber. However, opposition parties responded by displaying three new flags of their parliamentary clubs.
In December, a new government was formed in the Czech Republic led by billionaire Andrej Babiš. It is expected that the new cabinet will pursue a less pro-Ukrainian policy compared to the previous government of Petr Fiala. Babiš’s party advocates for reducing support for Ukraine, including a refusal to supply weapons to Kyiv.