Czech official's socks depicting burning Kremlin spark outrage in Russia
At a meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, Tomáš Kopečný, Czech Governmental Envoy for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, wore socks showing the Kremlin in flames, prompting sharp criticism from Russia.
As reported by Czech news portal TN.cz, President Zelenskyy visited Prague last week. At the meeting, Kopečný was wearing socks featuring an image of the Kremlin in flames. This prompted an outraged reaction from Andrey Klimov, Russia’s Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs.
"Now Kopečný wears socks or underwear, and tomorrow he’ll be in braces. Why do we look at these degenerates as if our lives depend on them? Sick people should go see a shrink," Klimov said.
Russian media also expressed indignation over Kopečný’s choice of socks.
"For four years, the Russians have been bombarding Ukrainian cities with missiles and killing innocent people," Kopečný commented to TN.cz. "That doesn’t bother them. But a pair of symbolic Ukrainian socks showing what it might look like if the same happened to their cities made them furious. I wish they had the same sensitivity toward the cities they’re destroying themselves."
This is not the first time Russian officials have made harsh remarks against Czechs who displease them. In April, Russian Security Council Chairman Dmitry Medvedev lashed out at former hockey legend Dominik Hašek and hinted that Russia might attempt to kill him.