Czech President Milos Zeman, who has long sympathized with Moscow, said yesterday that he would award the highest state honor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for his bravery and courage in dealing with the Russian invasion.
Zeman has backed closer ties with Russia since taking office in 2013, but described Russian President Vladimir Putin as “crazy” at the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
Russia faces harsh Western sanctions in retaliation for what Moscow has called a “special military operation” to disarm Ukraine.
On Monday, in a belated state awards ceremony – which had been postponed for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic – Zeman expressed his support for Ukraine and its people as the “war breaks out”, arguing that war was provoked by Russian aggression.
He said a member of parliament had nominated Zelensky for the Czech Republic’s highest honor, “and I have decided to comply with that proposal,” Zeman said.
“This is because the Ukrainian president showed courage and bravery, and although the United States offered him an escape, he remained in his country’s capital, from which he leads Ukraine’s defense.”
The CTK news agency quoted Zeman’s spokesman as saying that Zelensky would be honored at the end of October, when the awards ceremony usually takes place.
Zeman has been criticized for pushing for closer ties with Russia or China in the line of duty.
However, the Czech Republic’s relations with Moscow deteriorated following an espionage case last year, when some of Zeman’s investment plans with Beijing failed to materialize in the Czech Republic.
The CTK reported that some of the guests refused to attend yesterday’s ceremony, due to Zelensky’s previous positive attitude towards Russia.
SOURCE: AMPE
Source: Capital
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