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Czech President Milos Zeman has stirred criticism within his Prague leadership, divided the European Union, made isolated Russians gleeful and led to the U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic being banned from Prague Castle.

The uproar, in a country once dominated by the Soviet Union, stems from Zeman's plans to attend a May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow.

Most Western leaders have sent their regrets to Russian President Vladimir Putin's invitations for celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Allied defeat of Nazi Germany. Their responses amounted to a unified reprimand of Russia's seizure of Crimea last year and its support for separatist rebels occupying eastern Ukraine.

Almost unified.

Zeman, whose post is supposed to be ceremonial and removed from foreign policy decisions, has bolted from the Western pack and announced that he will attend the Red Square parade to honor the memory of Soviet soldiers who liberated Czechoslovakia from the Nazis.

That decision prompted U.S. Ambassador Andrew Schapiro to observe via Twitter that Zeman's presence at the parade might prove "awkward," as he will be the only head of state from the 28-nation European Union in attendance. He will be in the company of the leaders of China, North Korea, Serbia and other states not yet emerging from communist rule.

Zeman reacted to Schapiro's tweet with fury.

"I cant imagine the Czech ambassador in Washington would give advice to the American president where to travel," Zeman told the online news site Parlamentni Listy. "I wont let any ambassador have a say about my foreign travels. ... I am afraid that after the statement, Schapiro's door to the Prague Castle is closed."

Czech government leaders, who have stood with their European Union allies on sanctions against Russia and refrained from high-level visits to Moscow, were quick to distance themselves from the president. Business New Europe, an online Eastern European news site, chastised the Prague cabinet officials for being too mild-mannered in their attempt "to take ownership of the country's foreign policy from the loose cannon that is President Milos Zeman."

Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka told Ceska Televize on Monday that it was "unsuitable" for Zeman to bar Schapiro from the historic castle, and said he wished the president's attitude toward foreign policy would be "a bit more professional."

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Czech president breaks with allies over Russia parade, blasts U.S. envoy