Prague, Jan 12 (CTK) – Czech President Milos Zeman should more analyse possible threats to prevent his country from ending up like Ukraine, which was surprised when Russia annexed Crimea and triggered war in Donbass, Ukrainian lawmaker Nadiya Savchenko told a press conference on Thursday.
“As the head of state, the president should analyse the situation in a better way to understand where there is danger for his country,” she said.
She said she contributed to the recent release of three Ukrainians in a swap for 15 separatists.
Kiev and the West blame Russia for support for the separatists in eastern Ukraine who have rebelled against the pro-Western government since 2014. Moscow dismisses this. About 10,000 died in the fighting.
Savchenko, 35, was a military pilot who fought the pro-Russian rebels. She was captured in 2014 and sentenced for allegedly murdering two Russian journalists. She went on hunger strike in protest against her arrest and unjust trial. Last spring, she was swapped for two Russians convicted in Ukraine.
After her return home, Savchenko started her involvement in politics. In her effort to have further prisoners of war released, she recently met commanders of pro-Russian separatists to reach this, which provoked criticism in Ukraine. She had to leave the party of former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko because of it.
Zeman is known for his good relations with the Kremlin, opposition to the Western sanctions against Russia and challenging the Russian support for the Ukrainian separatists. He said previously he cannot know whether Savchenko was guilty or not.
Savchenko said on Thursday it was sad Zeman seemed to believe that a just trial was possible in Russia.
If she had an opportunity to meet Zeman, she would explain to him why he is mistaken, she said.
When she was in prison, Savchenko received a letter from Czechs who apologised to her for Zeman, she said.
Savchenko said she is ready to again meet the Donbass separatist leaders, Oleksandr Zakharchenko and Igor Plotnitsky, if there is a chance to release other captives.
She rejected the criticism of her release of the lists of captives, saying the lists should remind the Ukrainian state that it is bound to take care of its captured and missing citizens and the families of the victims.
The critics said she violated the law on the protection of personal data and caused that the separatists now blackmail the relatives of the captives.
Savchenko said the captives or their relatives asked for her aid and she heard no criticism from them.
She said the political system in Ukraine was irreparably corrupt and needed to be changed.
