PM admits Czech Republic may fail to meet NATO defence spending target

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has acknowledged that his country is likely to fall short of NATO’s 2% of GDP defence spending target this year, he told the Financial Times (FT).

According to the politician, the government is dealing with a budget deficit inherited from previous administrations. The draft defence budget for 2026 includes 2.1% of GDP, but part of the funds is allocated to highway construction, which is unlikely to be counted by NATO as military expenditure.

Babiš admitted that the Czech Republic will be among the few alliance members failing to meet the obligation. However, he emphasized that he has an “advantage” over other European leaders due to the support of US President Donald Trump.

Calling himself a “Trumpist,” the prime minister said he has met the US leader five times and faced criticism for it, but now expects a political benefit from that relationship.

By Jeyhun Aghazada