PRAGUE – Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) rejected the statement by Russian Ambassador to Prague Anna Ponomarjova, who claimed that the Czech government had softened its anti-Russian rhetoric. Babiš made this statement at a pre-election rally of the ANO movement in Lipník nad Bečvou. Responding to a question from ČTK, he said that he knew nothing about such an assessment and that it was "certainly not true."
Ponomarjova stated in an interview with the Russian news agency RIA Novosti that Moscow had noticed a change in Czech rhetoric. She cited Babiš's February support for negotiations with Russia to end the war in Ukraine, as well as his January statement that funds from Czech citizens would not be directed towards the ammunition initiative for Ukraine.
Foreign Minister Petr Macinka (Motorists) reacted differently than the Prime Minister. He agreed with the Russian ambassador and stated that the current government had ended what he called the style of sharp public statements characteristic of the previous cabinet. Macinka also criticized diplomacy conducted through social media, arguing that concrete actions were more important than public pronouncements.
Radek Vondráček (ANO), chairman of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, expressed a similar view. According to him, the previous government had a strong foreign policy rhetoric but fewer concrete steps. The current cabinet, he said, does not want to present its positions primarily through social media. As an example, Vondráček cited the introduction of notification requirements for Russian diplomats. In September, the Czech Republic announced reciprocal measures against Russian diplomatic and technical personnel.
Babiš also addressed the topic of relations with Russia and the war in Ukraine directly at the rally. He said that European funds would be better used for post-war reconstruction of Ukraine than for continuing the war. At the same time, he emphasized the importance of negotiations between world leaders and stated that the goal should be to end the conflict as quickly as possible.
Opposition politicians interpret the developments differently. Former Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský described the Russian ambassador's assessment as a problem for the current government and criticized its approach to supporting Ukraine. The chairman of STAN, Vít Rakušan, emphasized that the government should not underestimate the security risks associated with Russia. Marek Ženíšek (TOP 09) called the current government policy pro-Russian. Pirate Party leader Zdeněk Hřib ironically stated that Ponomarjova could have praised Babiš's government even more strongly.
These differing statements highlight a dispute over the nature of Czech foreign policy, its relationship with Russia, and the extent of Czech support for Ukraine. While representatives of the government emphasize a change in style and the need for concrete diplomacy, the opposition primarily points to the security and foreign policy implications of this approach.
Jan Vojtěch, Editor-in-Chief of General News