According to the statement of self-declared “Donetsk People’s Republic”, its “consulate” will be opened on 1st September in Ostrava, third biggest city in the Czech Republic. It is supposed to be “the first official representation in the EU” and Ms. Nela Lisková, a member of so-called “National Militia” leadership, should be “the consul”.
At the occasion of this act we are publishing a statement of Jakub Janda, Deputy Director of the European Values Think-Tank and Head of our Kremlin Watch Program:
This “consulate” is not a real consulate. It is an effort of group of extremists controlled by Kremlin who occupy part of Ukraine and try to legitimize the aggressive moves of the Russian Federation towards a neighbouring state. The self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic is Russia’s puppet occupation regime, not a legitimate state. That is why this self-proclaimed “consulate” has the same legal and diplomatic legitimacy as if a private person from the Czech Republic opened a consulate of ISIS. It is worth pointing out that the Czech Government does not recognize it.
The connection to Czech extremist scene worth noticing. Ms. Nela Lisková is a member of “National Militia” leadership and in the past she went to the occupied Donbas for a “study trip”. “National Militia is an incubator of potential terrorist cells hostile to the Czech democratic regime. In fact, the group is connected to the extremist “National Democracy” party which does not hide its admiration for Putin’s Russia.
You can find an official position of the Czech Government on this case in Ukrainian here.
For comments, contact Jakub Janda, Deputy Director of the European Values Think-Tank and Head of Kremlin Watch Program, via e-mail janda(at)evropskehodnoty.cz.
