Czech official came to a meeting with Zelensky wearing socks with the Kremlin on fire: this caused a wave of indignation in Russia

Tomasz Kopechny, who holds the position of the Czech government commissioner for the reconstruction of Ukraine, attracted attention at a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Prague thanks to his socks with a picture of the Kremlin engulfed in flames.

After the image of Kopechny’s socks was published online, the reaction from Russian politicians was not long in coming. In particular, the deputy chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, Andrey Klimov, reacted harshly to this act:

“Now Kopechny is wearing socks and underwear, and tomorrow he will come in an orthosis. Why do we look at these people as if our lives depend on them? If they have problems, let them consult a psychiatrist,” Klimov commented.

Russian media also reacted to the Czech government official’s accessory choice, indignantly commenting on this symbolic gesture.

Kopechny himself did not remain without an answer to the criticism from Russia, emphasizing the meaning of his action:

“The Russians have been attacking Ukrainian cities for four years in a row, killing civilians. This horror does not cause them any emotions. But the Ukrainian socks, symbolizing what the same thing would look like in their cities, angered them. I would like them to show the same sensitivity to those cities where they commit violence.”

Background and previous reactions

This incident is not the first time Russian representatives have expressed their dissatisfaction with political gestures by Czech officials. For example, in April, the head of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, spoke harshly about Czech hockey legend Dominik Hasek, hinting at possible action against him for his anti-Russian stance.

Kopechny’s choice testifies to the support of Ukraine from Czech politicians and their condemnation of Russian aggression, which is causing alarm in the Kremlin.

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