Czech calls for strict monitoring of Russians in the West

Czech President Pavel said that Russians living in Western countries should be closely monitored by security agencies, amid the war in Ukraine.

"When the war is going on, security measures regarding Russian citizens should be stricter than usual," Czech President Petr Pavel said in an interview broadcast on June 15. "All Russians living in Western countries should be monitored more closely than before because they are citizens of a country that is waging a war."

Pavel, a former military commander, said countries have done this in conflicts around the world. The Czech president cited the example of Japanese people living in the United States during World War II. In 1942, then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which authorized the incarceration of Japanese Americans after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. After the order, about 120,000 people were imprisoned in 10 facilities in the United States.

Russia has not yet responded to the Czech President's statement.

Czech President Petr Pavel at a press conference in Vienna, Austria on June 1. Photo: AFP — Czech President Petr Pavel at a press conference in Vienna, Austria on June 1. Photo: *AFP*

In the interview, Mr. Pavel also expressed his expectation that there will be strong voices calling for long-term support for Ukraine, when NATO meets at a summit in Vilnius, Lithuania next month.

The Czech Republic, a member of the European Union (EU) and NATO, has been one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters since the outbreak of the conflict and has taken in nearly half a million refugees from Ukraine. President Pavel said last month that supporting Ukraine’s entry into the EU and NATO should be a long-term goal, although it would take time.

"I believe that all leaders will understand that Ukraine's participation in NATO and the EU is perhaps the only guarantee of regional stability, and will make both NATO and the EU stronger," Pavel said.

Mr. Pavel, 61, was elected president of the Czech Republic in January. He served as chairman of the NATO Military Committee, the alliance’s second-highest position after the secretary general, until 2018. Commenting on Ukraine’s counteroffensive, Mr. Pavel said on May 12 that Kiev was likely to counterattack successfully, but could also suffer heavy casualties if Russia defended well.

Huyen Le (According to Reuters , Moscow Times )

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