Babiš: Let Big NATO Countries Pay for Further Ukraine Aid, Czech Republic Won't

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is heading to the NATO summit in Ankara with a clear agenda: to reject Germany's proposal for a 70 billion euro aid package to Ukraine for the upcoming year. Babiš announced that the Czech Republic will not provide further financial assistance to Ukraine, stating that the money is needed domestically to reach the country's defense spending target of 2% of GDP.

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We will not give money to Ukraine, because we need it to reach the two percent of GDP spending. The big countries will pay for that.

"We will not give money to Ukraine, because we need it to reach the two percent of GDP spending. The big countries will pay for that," Babiš told reporters before departing for the summit. He noted that the European Union has already approved approximately 370 billion euros, expressing hope for a swift end to the war and that these funds would be directed towards Ukraine's reconstruction.

Babiš also questioned whether the summit would solely focus on defense spending demands or address the path to peace and ending the conflict. He referenced U.S. President Donald Trump's stated intention to resolve the war, expressing a shared desire for peace. However, Babiš expressed uncertainty about meeting Trump, despite months of anticipation for such a meeting, and suggested that Trump's focus might be elsewhere, citing his relationships with the Turkish president and a dispute with the Italian prime minister.

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I think we all want peace. We will see if the summit will be only about percentages or how to end this war that has been going on for four years.

Furthermore, Babiš confirmed that even if a ceasefire or peace agreement is reached, the Czech Republic will not send its soldiers to participate in any potential peacekeeping forces in Ukraine. He previously defended the Czech Republic's lower defense spending by citing the need for funds for its citizens, but now acknowledges the difficulty in meeting Trump's expectations, especially regarding the 3.5% defense spending target with an additional 1.5% for dual-use investments.

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I don't know if I will reach Trump. The whole summit revolves around how he will behave. He always comes last.