Putin’s allies abandon him over Ukraine invasion
Several of Russia's closest allies and former Soviet satellite states have sharply rebuked President Vladimir Putin over his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.Why it matters: As the Western world seeks to make Putin an international pariah, even his closest allies are resisting showing support for his assault on Ukraine.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeDriving the news: Czech President Milos Zeman and Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor
news.yahoo.comBy invading Ukraine, Putin loses allies in eastern Europe
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shocked the former Soviet satellite states of Central and Eastern Europe, drawing strong condemnation even from the region’s most pro-Kremlin politicians. Two until now major pro-Russian voices in the European Union, Czech President Milos Zeman and Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, didn't mince their words in criticizing Moscow’s most aggressive action since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.
news.yahoo.comCzechs protest pro-Russian president, accuse him of treason
Thousands of Czechs rallied Thursday in the capital against President Milos Zeman, accusing the pro-Russian leader of treason over the alleged participation of Russian spies in a huge 2014 ammunition explosion in the Czech Republic. The protesters, who wore face masks and followed social distancing rules, spread out through central Wenceslas Square in Prague.
news.yahoo.comCzechs send 30,000 police, soldiers to enforce travel limits
Police officers check cars on a road between the towns, Ceske Budejovice and Cesky Krumlov, near Kosov, Czech Republic, Monday, March 1, 2021. Limits for free movement of people are set in place in the Czech Republic. As of Monday, people in the Czech Republic who go out for exercise should not leave their municipality. Babis said 1 million vaccine shots were expected to arrive through an EU program in March and another 2.6 million in April. In a sign of solidarity, three states in neighboring Germany have sent the Czech Republic 15,000 dozes of the AstraZeneca vaccine to try to control contagion at the border.
Central Europe presidents mark 30 years of Visegrad Group
The group, also known as V4, often works out joint positions in international ties, especially within the European Union. Opening the ceremonial meeting, Duda said the V4 group has had a positive role in European and trans-Atlantic ties. “The group is an important, if not the key catalyst of the regional cooperation in all of Central Europe and contributes significantly to the cooperation and political processes regarding the EU and NATO," Duda said. Poland currently holds the group's 12-month rotating presidency, which it will hand over to Hungary on July 1. ___A previous version of this story corrected the spelling of the Slovakia president’s name to Zuzana Caputova, not Zuzanna Czaputova.
Czechs replace health minister amid record infection surge
Prymula will be the new Czech Health Minister, replacing Adam Vojtech (for ANO), who announced his resignation on Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. (AP Photo via CTK/Ondrej Deml)PRAGUE – The Czech government moved Monday to appoint an epidemiologist as the new health minister as the country struggles with a surge of new coronavirus infections. The outgoing minister, Adam Vojtech, resigned from his post on Monday, saying his departure was meant to create space for a possible different approach to the pandemic. As deputy health minister, Prymula led the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic for a time in the spring. Babis said he was sorry about Vojtech's resignation, calling the outgoing minister “the best” the country ever had.
Defying China's wrath, Czech senator delivers Taiwan speech
The Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil cheers before delivering a speech at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, Taiwan, Tuesday, Sept. 1. Threats are not a part of that.Wang defended Chinas response, saying that the Czech delegation was mixing in Chinas internal affairs.China must react adequately, he said through a translator. Vystrcil's visit follows a spat last year between Beijing and Prague, the Czech Republic's capital. The visit is also in direct opposition to Czech President Milos Zeman, who has taken strongly pro-China views. Following his speech, Vystrcil told reporters that his visit was consistent with Prague's interpretation of the one-China policy" and wasn't intended as an affront to Beijing.
Pompeo opens anti-China, anti-Russia tour in Czech Republic
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrives at the airport in Prague, Czech Republic, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in Czech Republic at the start of a four-nation tour of Europe. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, Pool)PRAGUE U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in the Czech Republic at the start of a four-nation tour of central and eastern Europe expected to focus on threats to the region posed by Russia and China. Two of Pompeo's other three destinations the Czech Republic and Austria also share a border with Germany, while Slovakia borders Austria, the Czech Republic and Poland. In Warsaw, Poland, Pompeo plans talks with President Andrzej Duda, who recently won a narrow reelection after a bitter campaign that concerned human rights advocates and others.
Central, Eastern Europe on Pompeo's itinerary for next trip
WASHINGTON Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to central and Eastern Europe next week to discuss efforts to counter Russian and Chinese influence in the region and talk about U.S. troop deployments on the continent. The State Department said Thursday that Pompeo will visit the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Austria and Poland on a weeklong trip that is only his third overseas since the coronavirus outbreak. The shift has raised significant concerns in Europe and elsewhere as the Trump administration has given conflicting reasons for it, ranging from antipathy toward Germany's leadership to strategic planning. In Vienna, Pompeo will meet Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz to review trade relations and regional security. In Warsaw, Poland, Pompeo plans talks with President Andrzej Duda, who recently won a narrow reelection after a bitter campaign that concerned human rights advocates and others.
Czech Senate speaker plans to visit Taiwan, angering China
PRAGUE The speaker of the Czech Republic's Senate announced Tuesday he will visit Taiwan despite warnings from China and a recommendation from his own government that he not take the trip. Vystrcils predecessor in the post, Jaroslav Kubera, was planning to travel to Taiwan before he died in January. The Czech Republic has established informal relations with Taiwan but recognizes the one-China principle the notion that Taiwan belongs to Communist Party-ruled China. He said the Czech Republic will benefit from his trip. Taiwan is an important business partner for the Czech Republic and has invested more in the Czech economy than mainland China.