Czech parliament speaker lashes out at Ukraine's partners and Zelenskyy - Foreign ministry responds
Photo: Speaker of the Czech Chamber of Deputies Tomio Okamura (Getty Images)
The speaker of the Czech parliament, Tomio Okamura, said that Prague should not provide weapons to Ukraine and accused the entourage of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of corruption, referring to it as a "junta," according to the Czech outlet České noviny.
In his New Year's address, Tomio Okamura said that Czech state funds should be directed toward supporting pensioners, people with disabilities, and families with children, rather than purchasing weapons and backing military operations abroad.
The speaker of the Czech Chamber of Deputies also sharply criticized the West for supporting Kyiv, arguing that Ukraine’s partners profit from producing and selling weapons on credit.
Okamura did not spare Ukraine’s leadership either. He made inflammatory remarks about Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his entourage, calling them a "junta" and questioning the legitimacy of Ukraine’s authorities.
"Money is flowing in all directions, and everyone is getting something out of this business. Western companies and governments, as well as Ukrainian thieves around Zelenskyy’s junta, are building gold toilets. Let them steal, but not from the Czech Republic, and let such a country not be in the European Union," the Czech official said.
Toward the end of his speech, the politician expressed the view that the Czech Republic "should get off the Brussels train," which he claimed is "heading toward World War III," despite warnings from the United States.
Okamura also touched on climate policy, pandemics, and energy, stating in particular that imports of Russian gas do not pose a threat to the Czech Republic.
Response from Ukraine's Foreign Ministry
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not ignore the controversial statements. Ukraine’s ambassador to the Czech Republic, Vasyl Zvarych, wrote on Facebook that Tomio Okamura’s remarks about Ukraine reflect his personal position, seemingly shaped by Russian propaganda.
"The words he allowed himself regarding my compatriots and Ukraine, particularly about the democratically elected leadership of the Ukrainian state, are unworthy and absolutely unacceptable. They run counter to the principles of a democratic society and the values on which the Czech Republic is founded as an integral part of the European community," the ambassador said.
The diplomat also urged Czech authorities and society to assess the statements and their compatibility with the high public office Okamura holds.
Background
In November, on his first day as speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Okamura removed the Ukrainian flag from the Czech parliament building. Angered lawmakers later hung three new flags in their place.
On November 5, businessman and politician of Japanese origin Tomio Okamura became head of the lower house of the Czech parliament.
Okamura leads the right-wing populist party Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD), which advocates banning migration and is broadly anti-EU and anti-Ukraine. Some Czech media outlets have described the party as "fascist."
