New Czech defence chief turns down Ukraine trip as political signals change

The newly appointed Czech Minister of Defence, General Jaromír Zuna, has declined an invitation to visit Ukraine, according to Tomio Okamura, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech parliament and leader of the SPD movement.

Okamura made the statement at a press conference in Prague, as reported by Czech media.

Okamura said the invitation was extended to the head of the defence ministry shortly after Zuna’s appointment. However, the minister chose not to accept it. Zuna was present at the press conference but declined to comment and did not explain the reasons behind his decision.

Later, the parliamentary speaker emphasised that any support provided to Kyiv should be aimed at achieving peace rather than prolonging the conflict. Okamura also reiterated that his political movement opposes the procurement of weapons for the Armed Forces of Ukraine using funds from the Czech state budget. He added that the SPD insists on revisiting the country’s participation in initiatives related to military assistance to Ukraine.

In October, the ANO party (Action of Dissatisfied Citizens) won the elections to the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic, securing 34.51 per cent of the vote. As a result, Andrej Babiš became Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, returning to the post he previously held from 2017 to 2021.

Following the elections, European media outlets expressed concerns about the political situation in the Czech Republic, suggesting that the victory of Babiš’s party could lead to a weakening of Prague’s support for Ukraine.

On December 13, Babiš stated that the Czech Republic does not intend to assume guarantees for financing Ukraine, adding that the European Commission should seek alternative mechanisms to fund Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction.

At the same time, the Czech Republic has previously taken measures against Russian diplomacy, including banning the entry of Russian diplomats and officials.

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has also repeatedly stressed that Prague does not plan to take on financial guarantees for Ukraine. He has underscored that domestic priorities must come first and that state budget funds will not be directed toward providing assistance to Kyiv.