The President of the Czech Republic, Milos Zeman, has called on the international community to strengthen support for Ukraine – including the supply of arms – as he believes this will lead to the withdrawal of the Russian Armed Forces.
«I am convinced that the pressure of free countries will sooner or later force Russia to leave the territory of Ukraine,» said President Zeman during his customary Christmas speech.
Zeman acknowledged that he has always been in favor of maintaining good economic relations between the Czech Republic and Russia, especially because of Prague’s dependence on Russian energy supplies.
However, Zeman stressed that the current circumstances put at risk not only the Czech national security, but also worldwide, so that economic interests should take a back seat.
Until the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, initiated on February 24 on the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zeman was one of the main figures critical of the European Union’s sanctions against Moscow.
This position had brought him harsh criticism, and part of the European powers accused him of having a «pro-Russian» ideology.
This year’s Christmas speech was Zeman’s last as head of state. After two terms in office he can no longer stand for a third election, scheduled for mid-January.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
