Czech Republic officially recalls its ambassador from Russia
The Czech Republic withdrew its ambassador from Russia, although he had been in Prague since 2022.
This was stated by Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky on TV NOVA, Censor.NET reports.
Lipavsky confirmed that the government had recalled Czech Ambassador to Russia Vitezslav Pivonka.
Pivonka will officially hold the post of ambassador until the end of May. He has been working in Moscow since 2018, but for the last 2 years he has actually been in Prague.
In addition, the Czech Republic does not intend to send a representative to Vladimir Putin's ‘inauguration’.
‘The current relations between the Czech Republic and Russia are not suitable for our chargé d'affaires Jan Ondrejka to take part in such a ceremony,’ the Foreign Minister stressed.
Explosions at an ammunition depot in the village of Vrbetice in 2014
As a reminder, in April 2021, the Czech authorities announced the expulsion of 18 Russian diplomats. This was Prague's response to Moscow's alleged involvement in the 2014 explosion at an ammunition depot in the village of Vrbetice.
According to the Czech authorities, Russian special services were involved in the explosion. At the same time, the Czech police put two Russian citizens, Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, on the wanted list, who were previously accused of the attack on the Skripals in Salisbury, UK.
The Russian Foreign Ministry protested to the Czech authorities and promised to respond to their actions. In particular, the Russian Foreign Ministry declared 20 Czech diplomats persona non grata. They had to leave the country by the end of 19 April.
The Czech Republic was supported in its actions by the West. Ukraine also said that it supported the Czech Republic's actions in response to Russia's confirmed involvement in the 2014 arms depot bombings that resulted in human casualties.
On 25 April 2021, Czech President Zeman said that the charges against Russian agents Mishkin and Cepiga, who could have been involved in the bombing of ammunition depots in Vrbetice, were not serious and that ‘there is no evidence of their guilt’.
