Czech president bans US official

President Milos Zeman has “closed the door” of Prague Castle to the US ambassador following comments perceived as critical of the Czech’s decision to attend a Second World War commemoration in Moscow, according to local media reports.

EU leaders are boycotting the ceremony in May over Russia’s role in the Ukraine conflict but Zeman has said he would attend.

“I can’t imagine the Czech ambassador in Washington would give advice to the American president where to travel,” Zeman told news portal Parlamentni Listy. “I won’t let any ambassador have a say about my foreign travels. Ambassador [Andrew] Schapiro has the door to the castle closed.”