Czech Defense Minister Secretly Met with Ukraine's Ambassador — But Doesn't Dare Visit Kyiv

Czech Defense Minister Jaroslav Zuna of the SPD movement has met several times with Ukraine's ambassador to Czechia, Vasyl Zvarych, yet the Czech Defense Ministry has never once reported on these contacts — unlike its meetings with other ambassadors and ministers, which the ministry typically covers with press releases and photos. The ambassador himself confirmed the meetings to the outlet Novinky.

"The meetings do take place, and we cooperate in the shared interests of Ukraine and Czechia," Zvarych said, confirming he had met with Zuna on multiple occasions.

Silence Amid Other Ministers' Openness

Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry regularly publishes reports on Zuna's talks with foreign diplomats. On April 9, for instance, the ministry issued a roundup covering five separate meetings at once — with the ambassadors of Italy, Israel, Germany, Britain and France — complete with discussion topics and photographs. Contacts with foreign defense ministers are reported even more frequently, including meetings with counterparts from Moldova, Germany, Poland, Estonia and Azerbaijan.

By contrast, Zuna's cabinet colleagues make no secret of their meetings with the Ukrainian ambassador. Foreign Minister Petr Mačinka (Motoristé), Labor and Social Affairs Minister Aleš Juchelka (ANO), and Health Minister Adam Vojtěch (ANO) have all spoken openly about such contacts. The Ukrainian embassy also pointed to Zvarych's meetings with Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Finance Minister Alena Schillerová (both ANO). The ambassador himself confirmed talks with Industry and Trade Minister Karel Havlíček.

The Czech military doesn't hide such contacts either: the new Chief of the General Staff, Miroslav Hlaváč, met with Zvarych right after taking office in July. The newsroom repeatedly asked the Defense Ministry whether Zuna had met with the Ukrainian ambassador during his time in office, but received no response. The SPD movement also did not reply to inquiries.

An Invitation to Kyiv He Had to Turn Down

The one person Zuna has yet to meet in person is his own counterpart, Ukraine's defense minister. Still, as early as December 18, 2025 — just days after taking office — he held a phone call with then-head of Ukraine's defense ministry, Denys Shmyhal. Shmyhal praised the contribution of the Czech-led ammunition initiative supplying Ukrainian artillery and invited Zuna on an official visit.

The next day, Zuna confirmed the invitation, saying he had spoken by phone with his Slovak and Ukrainian counterparts and received invitations to visit both countries soon, starting with Slovakia. "A visit to Ukraine is planned to follow," the minister said at the time.

Three days later, however, SPD leadership barred Zuna from traveling to Ukraine, under pressure from party voters angered by the minister's remarks. After a parliamentary faction meeting lasting more than three hours, SPD leader and Chamber of Deputies Speaker Tomio Okamura announced: "The Defense Minister has not accepted the invitation he received to visit Ukraine" — while the minister himself stood silently beside him. SPD representatives later refused to answer journalists' questions, and Zuna did not say a word at the press conference.

Source: novinky.cz