The Czech Senate called the 2014 explosions in Vrbetica an act of state terrorism against one EU member state, and therefore against the entire EU. As many as 67 out of 72 members of the Czech Senate voted for the relevant resolution, the Czech News Agency reports. The Czech authorities accuse Russia s GRU (The Main Intelligence Directorate) of those explosions.
The Czech senators also called on the government of the country to terminate the agreement on friendly relations and cooperation with Russia and reduce the number of employees of the Russian embassy in Prague to only one person. They believe that the incident in Vrbetica should be discussed at the level of the UN Security Council and the governing bodies of NATO and the EU. They also demanded Russia should pay the Czech Republic a compensation for those explosions and offered to exclude Russia from tenders for the construction of nuclear power plants and other critical infrastructure.
UAWire
Thursday, April 22, 2021 1:00:00 PM
Lithuanian authorities are currently discussing with NATO allies the possibility of expelling Russian diplomats from the embassy in Vilnius in solidarity with the Czech Republic, Political Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Asta Skaisgiryte said on LRT radio. We are currently discussing this with our allies, she said.
According to her, the Lithuanian authorities support this idea. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda fully supports the Czech Republic s efforts to reduce the presence of foreign military intelligence on NATO territory, and expresses solidarity with the Czech government, Skaisgiryte said.
She explained that Lithuania is now discussing through diplomatic channels with the Czech side how Vilnius will support Prague.
Czech Republic wants no escalation in relations with Russia
Prague alleges Moscowâs involvement in the 2014 explosions at arms depots in Vrbetice; in turn, Russian Foreign Ministry expressed its decisive protest
PRAGUE, April 22. /TASS/. Czech authorities are interested in correct relations with Russia and do not wish for an escalation, Prime Minister Andrej Babis said in the wake of the announcement of staff reduction of the Russian Embassy in Prague. We do not want an escalation. Czechia is interested in correct relations with the Russian Federation. We hoped that Russia would have recognized the inadequacy of its reaction [to the initial expulsion of 18 Russian diplomats], but our proposal on how to pacify the situation was left without response, Babis said.
Czechs expel more Russian diplomats amid spying row
Dozens of staff at the Russian Embassy in Prague will have to leave by the end of next month. Moscow has vowed to respond swiftly to what it calls unbridled Russophobia.
The Russian Embassy is by far the largest foreign mission in Prague
The Czech government on Thursday ordered Russia to remove most of its diplomatic staff from Prague.
Czech Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhanek said Moscow would have until the end of May to withdraw 63 embassy employees, a move he said aimed to bring staff numbers in line with those at the Czech Embassy in Russia.