Zeman questions Russia sanctions in Strasbourg speech

The Czech president, Miloš Zeman, has questioned the effectiveness of international sanctions against Russia over its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region. In an address to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg on Tuesday, Mr. Zeman compared the sanctions to Washington’s long-running embargo against Cuba, which failed to end the Castro regime.

The Czech head of state said that granting Kosovo independence was not a reasonable decision and that one standard applied to Kosovo and another to Crimea.

Mr. Zeman also told the European officials that his wife was in possession of a pistol and gun license, meaning he was not protected by his security detail alone but also by her.