Russia blamed a drone attack on the Kremlin yesterday on Ukraine and reserved the right to retaliate. This doesn’t necessarily mean, though, that if Russia does indeed retaliate, it will announce that it has done so. In this same light, the situation regarding Petr Pavel’s trip to Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine late last week is still unclear. A measured (and accurate) comment by Pavel for Politico about how China benefits from the war in Ukraine elicited a dismissive response from Russian Foreign Min. Sergei Lavrov, which then prompted Czech Foreign Min. Jan Lipavský to call Lavrov a clown. Lipavský then told Czech TV that he doesn’t fear that Russia will immediately retaliate any time the CR is critical of it. A few hours later, the biggest Russian bombing in two months began. Pavel told ČT later on Fri. (at 26m) that he doesn’t want to think that Russia’s bombing was because of him. Russia is keeping Czechs guessing as to whether Pavel’s remarks, or perhaps Lipavský’s, are getting to it.

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