Prague Castle to express solidarity with Ukraine

Prague Castle has announced it will express solidarity with Ukraine next Monday by flying the Ukrainian flag during the changing of the guard. Castle spokesman Jiří Ovčáček said that guests at the planned state awards ceremony, which is set to take place on Monday, will be asked to donate money in order to financially support the Ukrainian people. The subsequent reception in the Castle’s Spanish Hall will be cancelled.

Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, President Miloš Zeman often voiced words of support for Vladimir Putin and criticised his own country’s intelligence agencies for warning against hostile Russian operations in the Czech Republic. He has since called the Russian invasion “a crime against peace”. The head of the president’s foreign department, Rudolf Jindrák, told daily Mladá fronta that the Czech president is “disappointed” with Vladimir Putin and feels cheated by him.