Euro MPs, former ministers, call on government to take principled stand on Russia

Euro MPs for TOP 09 Luděk Niedermayer and Jaromír Štětina, along with former ministers for human rights and the environment, Michal Kocab and Martin Bursík, have called on the Czech Republic to block visas for Russian citizens supporting the Putin regime. In a written statement, the four appealed to the Czech government to take a principled stand on Russia in light of the most recent developments in Ukraine, referring to a new invasion by Russian forces, reported on Thursday. Along with visa bans, the four made clear that, in their view, the Czech government needed to offer Ukraine material and military help. Social Democrat Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, also reacting to developments in Ukraine, told news website iDnes that the Czech Republic would back a greater NATO military presence at the alliance’s eastern borders.

Author: Jan Velinger