23.07.2026, Prague.
Several Czech officials sharply reacted to Kiev’s glorification of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (organization banned in Russia), but President Petr Pavel and Prime Minister Andrej Babiš prefer to remain silent, Rossa Primavera News Agency’s Europe Desk notes.
A particularly notable development was a statement by the President of the Chamber of Deputies and leader of the Freedom and Direct Democracy party (SPD), Tomio Okamura, who on July 21 published a post on his Facebook page (organization whose activities are prohibited Russia) with harsh criticism of the actions of the Ukrainian regime.
Okamura stated that Kiev officially declares its connection with German Nazi collaborators who killed Czechs, Poles, and Jews. He emphasized that Czechia refuses to finance a state that supports German Nazi collaborators and categorically opposed Ukraine’s admission to the EU and NATO.
“We do not want such a state to join the EU and NATO!” the politician declared. He also expressed his outrage that the Ukrainians take offense, when someone objects to the fact that the Ukrainian president officially supports Ukrainian thugs who committed genocide.
In his post, he recalled that the UPA (organization banned in Russia) is responsible for the mass murder of up to 100,000 Poles, Jews, Czechs, and Ukrainians during World War II. The politician also expressed bewilderment at the lack of reaction to this situation from Czech President Petr Pavel.
This statement was preceded by an initiative of Czech parliamentarians from the SPD party to strip Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky of the country’s highest state award – the Order of the White Lion. Deputy Jindřich Rajchl explained that this proposal is connected to the similar decision by Polish President Karol Nawrocki. As Rajchl emphasized, “we cannot remain silent when a person who names military units after Nazi monsters wears our highest state award.”
This proposal drew sharp reactions from the parties that were in power under the previous government of Petr Fiala, which held a strongly pro-Ukrainian position. They accused the SPD of ties to Moscow and general inadequacy.
In turn, the Czech president’s press secretary, commenting on the SPD party’s proposal, explained that “a state award conferred or granted by the president of the republic can be revoked only on the basis of a final court decision that imposes a penalty of deprivation of honorary titles and awards.” According to Czech law, such a penalty may be imposed upon conviction to unconditional imprisonment for a term of at least two years for an intentional crime committed on particularly reprehensible grounds.
President Petr Pavel himself did not express condemnation regarding Kiev’s glorification of the UPA (organization banned in Russia). This is not surprising, since he is known for his pro-Ukrainian position. At the same time, in early July, the president, commenting on the tensions between Ukraine and Poland arising from this issue, stated that the situation is “not as dramatic as it is portrayed.” At the same time, he expressed understanding of the Polish position, noting that there are historical topics that Poles cannot ignore due to their high sensitivity.
As for Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, who is inclined to support Ukraine to a significantly lesser degree than President Pavel, he chose to remain silent. On the one hand, Babiš does not in any way oppose the sharp statements directed at the Ukrainian authorities from the SPD party, which is part of the ruling coalition. But on the other hand, he himself does not make any statements clarifying his attitude toward Kiev’s glorification of the UPA (organization banned in Russia). Probably, for now, he has decided to take an extremely cautious and waiting position, allowing him to avoid both tension in relations with Ukraine and tension in Czechia’s domestic political arena.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
