Kyiv condemned Saturday’s demonstrations in Prague and called them pro-Russian
Update: 05/09/2022 13:57
Issued by: 05/09/2022, 13:57
Kyiv – The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described Saturday’s demonstration on Wenceslas Square in Prague as pro-Russian. Ukrainian ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko on Facebook he wrote, that the participants of the event tried to insult the honor of Ukrainians who are defending freedom in Europe. According to him, the weekend event will not threaten the Czech Republic’s friendship with Ukraine.
“We condemn the efforts of participants in pro-Russian events to justify Russia’s war against Ukraine and to insult the honor and dignity of Ukrainians who are defending freedom in Europe at the cost of their lives,” said Nikolenko.
However, the spokesman of the Ukrainian ministry added that, according to him, Saturday’s rally does not reflect the real mood in the Czech Republic. “We do not doubt the solidarity of the absolute majority of… Czechs who provide temporary refuge to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians,” he wrote.
Along with Saturday’s demonstration in Prague, Nikolenko also criticized Sunday’s rally in Cologne, where about 2,000 members of the Russian community protested against sanctions imposed on Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine. Several dozen people protested against this demonstration on the same day and instead showed their support for the attacked country. The representative of the Ukrainian Ministry thanked the demonstrators in solidarity with Ukraine, as well as the residents of Prague, who took to the streets to protest against Saturday’s rally.
According to police estimates, about 70,000 people came to Saturday’s three-hour protest called Czech Republic in 1st place. Petr Fiala refused by stating that the protest was called by forces that claim a pro-Russian orientation, are close to extremists and are against Czech interests. Minister of Justice Pavel Blažek responded to Fial’s words by saying that the vast majority of participants in the event were people who fear the future, and not “fanatic Putinists”.