Babiš: No State Funds for Weapons to Ukraine, But Exports Allowed
Andrej Babiš says his party would halt Czech state funding for arms to Ukraine while allowing domestic manufacturers to continue exports — a softer tone from earlier pledges to cancel Prague’s ammunition initiative.
PRAGUE — Czech opposition leader Andrej Babiš has reiterated that his party will not allocate money from the Czech state budget for weapons deliveries to Ukraine if it comes to power, but added that he would not restrict domestic arms producers from exporting to Kyiv.
Speaking at a press conference on October 8, the leader of the populist ANO movement said his government would maintain an open stance toward private weapons exports while halting public funding for military aid.
“If we are in government, we will ask Czech arms manufacturers: do you want to export weapons to Ukraine? We don’t have a problem with that,” Babiš said, according to the ČTK news agency.
Babiš argued that Prague is already contributing enough to European support mechanisms for Kyiv.
“We will not give a single koruna from the state budget to Ukraine for weapons. We have no money for Czechia. We have already helped Ukraine directly, and now assistance will continue through the EU,” he said.
EU Contributions and Domestic Priorities
Babiš, who served as prime minister from 2017 to 2021, emphasized that Czechia already contributes roughly 60 billion koruna annually to the European Union budget, portions of which support Ukraine. He insisted that further direct state financing of arms deliveries is unnecessary given the country’s economic situation.
His remarks come amid rising domestic debate over the sustainability of Prague’s defense commitments. The current Czech government, led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala, has spearheaded an international ammunition initiative that pools European funds to secure artillery shells for Ukraine — a project widely praised by NATO allies.
Shifting Tone
While Babiš previously vowed to cancel the ammunition initiative entirely, his recent statements signal a softer stance. He now suggests that such efforts should be coordinated through NATO rather than directly by Prague, distancing himself from earlier anti-aid rhetoric.
Warning from the President
Czech President Petr Pavel, a former NATO general, warned that withdrawing from the ammunition-supply program would ultimately hurt Czechia itself by undermining its reputation as a reliable partner.
“Ending support for Ukraine through this initiative would weaken both our credibility and the Czech defense industry,” Pavel said earlier this month.
The debate over Prague’s role in supporting Kyiv is expected to intensify ahead of the next parliamentary elections, where security, defense spending, and the economy are poised to dominate the political agenda.
