Former Czech minister jokes Kaliningrad should be Czech, commenting on Russia's demands to Finland

Former Czech foreign minister Jan Lipavsky suggested that European countries should push back against Moscow's pressure in a humorous manner. In a post on the X network, he joked that Kaliningrad should belong to the Czech Republic.

Context of the statement

The discussion was initiated by a publication from the German newspaper Bild on 13 November. According to the newspaper, during negotiations in Abu Dhabi, Russia put forward a series of demands not only to Ukraine but also to other European states. Specifically, the Kremlin allegedly demands that Finland leaves the North Atlantic Alliance, and that military bases of NATO in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are dismantled.

Regarding Ukraine, according to the publication, Russia demands the transfer of the entire Donbas region under its control, the acquisition of non-aligned status, and the cessation of the use of the ports of Odesa and Mykolaiv as naval bases.

Helsinki's reaction

Finland's defence minister Antti Hakkanen called such demands outrageous. He emphasised that the country's withdrawal from NATO cannot be a subject of negotiations: “Ми чітко бачимо, щ…” (We clearly see, wh…) — the quote is cut off in the source.

The meme about Kralovec

Lipavsky's joke refers to a viral meme that spread in autumn 2022 after Russia incorporated Ukrainian territories into its constitution. At that time, Czech internet users humorously “annexed” Kaliningrad, reminding that the city of Königsberg was founded in 1255 and named after the Czech king Premysl Ottokar II.

On social media at the time, people suggested calling Kaliningrad “Kralovec”, discussed the prospects of the Czech Republic gaining access to the sea, and even the placement of the aircraft carrier “Karel Gott” there.