Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky has confirmed that the Czech Republic’s permanent representative to the United Nations will not participate in the UN Security Council meeting requested by Russia regarding the Ukrainian shelling of the city of Belgorod.
In a statement published on the platform “X,” formerly known as Twitter, and reported by the Russian news agency TASS, Minister Lipavsky emphasized, “We refuse to be summoned by Moscow. When Russia wants to discuss the withdrawal of its forces at the Security Council, we will be happy to attend.”
Dmitry Polyanskiy, the First Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations, earlier announced that the Security Council would convene at 9 PM on Saturday, an hour later than Russia’s requested time, to discuss the Ukrainian shelling of Belgorod.
Polyanskiy noted that “UN officials were unable to organize the meeting earlier due to technical reasons,” and he provocatively invited the Czech Republic to “see if they have enough courage to join us – the meeting.”
Polyanskiy also called for the Czech permanent representative’s presence to “explain their country’s supply of weapons used to kill civilians.”
This development highlights the ongoing tensions and complex diplomatic relations between Russia, Ukraine, and other countries involved in the conflict. The Czech Republic’s stance reflects a broader international perspective on the current situation in Eastern Europe.
