Czech PM says Prague to not provide direct financial aid to Ukraine UPDATED

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has said Europe and NATO should prioritise investing in a continental ballistic missile defence system rather than increasing financial assistance to Ukraine.

“I think that, instead of giving yet more money to Ukraine, Europe or NATO should use it to build its own ballistic missile defence system in Europe,” Babiš said in an interview with the Czech news portal iDNES.

“It is very important that we focus on [implementing] this project,” he added.

Babiš said he plans to raise the proposal at the next meeting of the European Council.

The prime minister also said the Czech Republic is unlikely to meet the NATO benchmark of allocating 2% of its gross domestic product to defence in 2026, but expects to reach the target in 2027.

According to Babiš, the country's defence budget will increase by 36 billion Czech crowns (approximately $1.6 billion) next year as Prague continues to boost military spending.

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The Czech Republic will not provide direct financial assistance to Ukraine, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said, reaffirming the government's position while pledging to continue support through an international ammunition procurement initiative.

“Our position [remains] that [we] will not give Ukraine any money. We continue to [support it through] the ammunition initiative, but we will not provide any money from the Czech budget,” Babiš said in an interview with the news portal iDNES.

The prime minister noted that NATO members agreed at the alliance's summit in Ankara on July 7–8 that each country would decide independently on the level and form of assistance provided to Ukraine.

According to Babiš, the Czech government is instead focused on increasing defense spending to 2% of gross domestic product, a target it expects to reach in 2027.

The Czech Republic launched an international initiative in 2024 to procure artillery ammunition for Ukraine from third countries using funding from Western partners. Although the government that took office in December 2025 no longer contributes financially to the initiative, it continues to coordinate the procurement of large-caliber ammunition for Ukraine.

By Sabina Mammadli