U.S. ambassador banned from Prague Castle by Czech president

Czech President Milos Zeman has banned U.S. Ambassador Andrew Schapiro from his official residence, Prague Castle, after Schapiro made a comment about Zeman attending a World War II commemoration in Moscow.

Other EU leaders are boycotting the May event due to Russia's involvement in Ukraine, Reuters reports, and earlier in the week Schapiro said it would be "awkward" if Zeman were the only representative from the EU at the ceremony. "I can't imagine the Czech ambassador in Washington would give advice to the American president where to travel," Zeman told the news portal Parlamentni Listy. "I won't let any ambassador have a say about my foreign travels."

The presidency is primarily a ceremonial role, but Zeman, a former prime minister, is known for making his opinions known regarding domestic and foreign policy, Reuters reports.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up