Czech defence minister barred from speaking on Ukraine

Czech Defence Minister Jaromir Zuna has been barred by his party from commenting on Ukraine after remarks at his first press conference on December 19 triggered internal turmoil within the ruling Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party.

Zuna surprised observers by saying that “support for Ukraine would continue” and suggesting that the Czech-led ammunition initiative for Kyiv could be extended. The comments drew sharp criticism from within the SPD over the weekend, with several party members urging the minister to retract his statements or resign, Le Monde writes. 

On December 22, SPD leader and speaker of the lower house Tomio Okamura announced that the defence minister would no longer speak on Ukraine, with the issue to be handled exclusively by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš.

“The SPD is gagging its own defence minister to prevent him from saying that Russia is an aggressor,” said Martin Kupka, vice president of the Civic Democratic Party, now in opposition.

Babiš later said any decision on the future of the ammunition initiative would be postponed until early 2026. The project, almost entirely funded by countries including Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark, has been a major boost for the Czech defence industry.

By Sabina Mammadli