The war between Russia and Ukraine has been going on for almost a year, and the conflict between the two sides has been escalating, causing a large number of human and property losses. In this war, in addition to the support of Western countries such as the United States and the European Union for Ukraine, there is another national role that has caused strong dissatisfaction in Russia, and that is the Czech Republic.
The Czech Republic is a Central European country that was once an ally of the former Soviet Union and an important partner of Russia. However, in the Russian-Ukrainian war, the Czech Republic sided with Ukraine, not only providing Ukraine with a large amount of ** ammunition, but also sending military advisers and volunteers to Ukraine. These actions of the Czech Republic have infuriated Russia, which accuses the Czech Republic of being the first of Ukraine and the main culprit of the killing of civilians by Ukraine with the Czech-made **.
At a recent press conference, Russian spokeswoman Zakharova publicly questioned the Czech Republic, demanding that the Czech Republic explain its behavior of providing ** to Ukraine and stop interfering in the Russian-Ukrainian war. Zakharova said that Russia has conclusive evidence that the Ukrainian army has used Czech-made **, including wheeled self-propelled guns, infantry fighting vehicles, tanks, rocket artillery, etc., to carry out indiscriminate attacks on civilians in Russia and the Donbas region, causing a large number of **. Zakharova also said that the Czech Republic has not only provided ** to Ukraine, but also provided military training and intelligence support to Ukraine, and even Czech military personnel were involved in Ukraine's provocative actions against Russia. Zakharova said that Russia is extremely indignant at these actions of the Czech Republic, believing that the Czech Republic is one of the sinners of the Russian-Ukrainian war and must be held accountable for it.
The Czech side ignored Russia's accusations, refused to respond to Russian questions, and did not stop plans to supply Ukraine with **. In an interview, Czech Zeman said that the Czech Republic's provision of ** to Ukraine is legal, it is the sovereign right of the Czech Republic, and there is no need to explain it to any country. Zeman also said that the Czech Republic supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, opposes Russian aggression and interference, and considers Russia to be the aggressor of Ukraine and the killer of Ukrainian civilians. Zeman also called on the European Union and NATO to increase support for Ukraine and put more pressure on Russia to maintain security and stability in Europe.
Why is the Czech Republic so hostile to Russia and why is it so supportive of Ukraine?There are deep historical and practical reasons behind this. Historically, the Czech Republic has not had friendly relations with Russia, which was once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, later occupied by Nazi Germany, and became a satellite of the Soviet Union after World War II 2023 Flip Bar country. Under the rule of the Soviet Union, the Czech Republic experienced many political repressions and economic difficulties, and the Czech people deeply hated the oppression and exploitation of the Soviet Union. In 1968, the famous "Prague Spring" movement took place in the Czech Republic, which tried to implement socialist reforms, but was met with armed intervention by the Soviet Union, and the Czech dream of reform was brutally shattered. In 1989, the Czech Republic was freed from Soviet control and became an independent country. These historical experiences of the Czech Republic have made the Czech people deeply hostile and distrustful of Russia, believing that Russia is the oppressor and enemy of the Czech Republic.
In reality, relations between the Czech Republic and Russia have not improved, but more friction and conflict have emerged. The Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999 and became a member of the Western camp, which has divergent and opposing interests and positions with Russia. The Czech Republic has also deployed the US missile defense system on its territory, which has caused strong opposition from Russia and **. The Czech Republic has also repeatedly accused Russia of interfering in its internal affairs, even expelling 18 Russian diplomats in 2020 on suspicion of espionage.