Czech FM: Funds allocated for interceptors, not weapons for Ukraine

The Czech Republic allocated 140 million koruna (approximately $6.5 million) for interceptor missiles under the PURL program to protect civilians, rather than for the purchase of weapons for Ukraine, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Petr Macinka has said.

In an interview with the news portal Aktualne, he noted that the Czech Republic did not send the funds for weapons purchases for Ukraine, Caliber.Az reports.

"We provided the money to the United States and knew that it was being allocated with the explicit condition that the package be used to acquire missiles designed to intercept ballistic missiles," he noted.

"We made a contribution to defence — to the protection of civilians," the minister added.

Macinka announced on July 7 that part of the funds under the PURL program had been reallocated.

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš told journalists on July 8 that the amount involved was relatively small and reaffirmed that the Czech Republic had committed not to provide funds directly to Ukraine.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov