Russian ambassador summoned to Foreign Ministry over Ukraine situation

The Russian ambassador to Prague, Alexander Zmeyevskiy, has been summoned to the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday morning to explain the current situation in eastern Ukraine. A deputy minister of foreign affairs, Martin Dvořák, said after a meeting of the ministry’s Crisis Staff had been called to see a deputy minister.

Officials said after the meeting that the Czech Embassy in Kyiv is to remain open, though visa applications will have to be limited for some time. By the end of this week three staff members from the embassy will be redeployed to the Czech Consulate in Lviv. There are currently 22 employees at the embassy and 36 at the consulate.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Prague is to be lit up in Ukraine's blue and yellow colours on Tuesday evening as a gesture of support to the country.