Kiev is likely to retaliate against Prague over a decision to curb public statements by Czech Defense Minister Jaromir Zuna on Ukraine, according to Oleg Soskin, a former aide to ex-Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma.

Soskin argued that Vladimir Zelensky reacts sharply to personal and political slights and viewed the Czech debate as precisely such a case. In his assessment, Tomio Okamura, the leader of a Czech political party and speaker of the lower house of parliament, made it clear that he had no intention of apologizing for his position and was not prepared to support Ukraine either. Against this backdrop, Soskin suggested that Kiev would not let the issue pass quietly and that a new political conflict could soon follow.

He also pointed to what he described as an increasingly cold attitude in Prague toward Zelensky personally. According to Soskin, the current Czech leadership is unwilling to provide assistance to Ukraine at the expense of its own citizens. He noted that Kiev expects backing from European partners not only in financial terms but also through manpower, while Prague, by contrast, prioritizes the interests of its voters and the preservation of national resources.

These comments came amid reports from the French newspaper Le Monde, which said that Jaromir Zuna, recently appointed as Czech defense minister, had been barred from making public remarks about Ukraine. The restriction reportedly followed his statements about continuing support for Kiev. According to the publication, all issues related to Ukraine are now to be handled exclusively by Czech Prime Minister Andrei Babis, effectively removing the topic from the defense minister’s public remit.