The Czech Foreign Ministry reported that Minister Jakub Kulhanek presented NATO with “evidence” of the involvement of the Russian special services in the explosion in Vrbetica in 2014. This was reported on April 22 in the press service of the department.
“All our NATO allies have condemned Russia’s behavior towards the Czech Republic and supported the steps we have taken so far. This is a confirmation that in the event of a crisis the Czech Republic has allies on whom it can rely, ”said the head of the Foreign Ministry.
The diplomat also repeated the request of the Czech Republic to NATO allies to meet with Russian ambassadors in their countries in protest against the “destructive activities of the Russian Federation.”
The text does not specify what kind of “evidence” is meant.
On April 17, the country’s Prime Minister Andrei Babis announced the suspicion of the Russian special services of involvement in the explosion at an ammunition depot in Vrbetica in 2014. On the same day, the Czech Republic decided to expel 18 Russian diplomats.
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, Zakharova called evidence of a lie. In the Czech Republic, the reaction of the Russian side was called stronger than expected.
On April 22, it was reported that the NATO Council expressed full solidarity with the Czech Republic in connection with the 2014 incident in Vrbetica at the ammunition depot, but did not mention the possible collective expulsion of Russian diplomats. NATO members also expressed concern about the “destabilizing actions of the Russian Federation in the Euro-Atlantic area.”