Russian Ambassador Alexander Zmeevsky left the Czech Foreign Ministry, where he was summoned in connection with the mutual expulsion of Russian and Czech diplomats. It was reported on the evening of April 21 by RIA Novosti.
The diplomat stayed in the Foreign Ministry building for about 10 minutes. When leaving, he refused to communicate with journalists.
Zmeevsky’s summons was explained by the situation in connection with the expulsion of 18 Russian diplomats from Prague and the return expulsion from Moscow of 20 employees of the Czech embassy. The Russian ambassador did not answer the questions of the journalists present.
On the same day, the new head of the Czech Foreign Ministry, Jakub Kulganek, said at a press conference about “an extremely difficult stage” in relations with Russia. At the conference, he also spoke about the upcoming meeting with the Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Prague. As noted earlier, the meeting will focus on the reaction of the Russian side to the expulsion of 18 Russian diplomats from the Czech Republic.
Relations between Russia and the Czech Republic have become strained after the Prime Minister of the country Andrei Babis announced on April 17 that the Russian special services were suspected of being involved in an explosion at an ammunition depot in Vrbetica in 2014.
On the same day, the Czech Republic decided to expel 18 Russian diplomats. The European Union supported the accusations of the Czech Republic, calling Prague’s suspicions justified.
Moscow, in response, declared 20 employees of the Czech embassy in the Russian Federation persona non grata. The accusations in Russia were categorically denied, and the fact that Prague does not publish a report on the explosion, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova called evidence of a lie.