Commenting on the Russian attack, which was launched in the early hours of Thursday, the Czech leader, Miloš Zeman, said Moscow was committing “a crime against peace,” the rp.pl website reported.
Zeman has thus joined in the worldwide condemnation of the invasion, despite having favoured good relations with Russia, rp.pl said.
“It’s an act of unprovoked aggression that must be unequivocally condemned, not just in words, but in deeds, too,” the Czech president stated, as quoted by rp.pl.
Zeman added: “I like Russian culture, I respect the sacrifices borne by the Russian nation during the Second World War, but this doesn’t mean that I condone the incursion of a foreign army into the territory of a sovereign state without a declaration of war,” rp.pl reported.
“I admit I was wrong,” the Czech president said. “The irrational decision of the Russian leadership will cause Russia serious damage,” rp.pl quoted him as saying.
Zeman was referring to his remarks last week, when he ruled out a Russian attack on Ukraine, saying that the “Russians are not mad” and dismissing US intelligence reports that an invasion was imminent, rp.pl reported.
Time for 'much harsher sanctions against Moscow': Zeman
However, with Russia attacking and invading, the Czech president on Thursday called for “much harsher sanctions against Moscow than had been planned,” according to rp.pl.
“I mean here especially disconnecting Russia from the global SWIFT interbank system,” he added, as quoted by rp.pl.
Referring to Putin, the Czech head of state emphasised, according to rp.pl: "The madman must be isolated and defended against not just with words, but with concrete action."
At the same time, Zeman voiced his “full support” for the Ukrainian state, its leaders and citizens, rp.pl reported.
(pm/gs)
Source: rp.pl