Prague to review military aid to Ukraine after right-wing populists’ victory in Czech elections

The ANO movement of former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, which won the country’s parliamentary elections on Oct. 3–4, has submitted a proposal to parliament that calls for a review of ammunition supplies to Ukraine, Novinky.cz reported. After meeting with President Petr Pavel, Babiš emphasized that the new powers in Prague are not aiming to cancel the Czech initiative that supplies ammunition to Ukraine, but rather to ensure oversight of these expenditures. Babiš notes:

“The Czech initiative was, in principle, a good idea, but we are calling for greater transparency and reassessment, and possibly for placing it under NATO’s control.”

Lubomír Metnar, a Babiš-aligned member of parliament who is seen as a potential future defense minister, echoed the ANO party leader, stressing that the goal is not to weaken Ukraine but to ensure oversight and transparency in the use of funds. President Pavel warned that canceling the initiative would go against the interests of the Czech Republic and could damage the country’s international reputation, especially given that even Russia acknowledged the program’s effectiveness.

However, the future of the initiative may become a subject of political debate during the formation of the new government. The Motorists Party supports continuing the project as long as Russia’s invasion persists, while the SPD opposes further arming of Ukraine, arguing that priority should be given to peace talks and diplomacy.

The Czech parliamentary elections ended in the victory of former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s right-wing populist party Action of Dissatisfied Citizens (ANO), which got 34.6 percent of the vote. The ruling Together (Spolu) party of current Prime Minister Petr Fiala lost its majority, receiving only 23.3 percent.