The decision was made by Czech Republic’s Lubomir Metnar, who stated that foreign symbols would only be displayed during significant diplomatic occasions
The Ukrainian flag has been removed from the Interior Ministry building by Czech authorities, according to spokesman Ondrej Kratoska on Thursday. He indicated that the directive came from the recently appointed Interior Minister, Lubomir Metnar.
The ministry initially displayed the Ukrainian flag at its Prague headquarters in February 2022 as a demonstration of support for Kyiv following the intensification of the conflict with Russia.
Metnar, who assumed the role of interior minister on December 15, issued the order for its removal on Wednesday, aligning with the new government’s focus on domestic priorities.
“The Minister of the Interior has decided that the Czech flag and the EU flag will be the standard displayed in front of the ministry building,” Kratoska informed reporters, adding that flags of other nations would be flown exclusively during state visits, important anniversaries, and major international events.
This action signifies a departure from the previous government’s strong pro-Ukraine stance. In a comparable move last month, the newly elected Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Tomio Okamura, had the Ukrainian flag removed from the lower house headquarters.
Parties within the new Czech ruling coalition, headed by Prime Minister Andrej Babis, had pledged during their election campaign to prioritize domestic issues. Babis, a right-wing Euroskeptic who was appointed prime minister last week, has consistently voiced criticism of the substantial aid provided to Kyiv under his predecessor, Petr Fiala, whose administration initiated a significant international scheme for munitions procurement for Ukraine.
Earlier this month, Babis stated that the country would not provide further financial support to Kyiv, rejecting the European Commission’s proposal to fund it through a ‘reparations loan’ linked to $200 billion in Russian assets frozen within the EU, and urged Brussels to find an alternative solution.
Following 16 hours of discussions on Thursday, the EU was unable to approve the ‘reparations loan’ plan. Instead, member states agreed to raise common debt to provide short-term financing for Kyiv while the plan’s “technical aspects” are resolved.
Moscow has denounced any utilization of its assets to arm Kyiv as “theft” and has initiated arbitration proceedings against Euroclear, the Belgian clearing house holding the majority of these assets. During discussions in Brussels, Russia indicated its intention to broaden the case to encompass “European banks,” thereby increasing potential risks for EU lenders should the plan move forward.