Czech Opposition Leader Babiš says “No State Funds for Arms to Ukraine” if he forms government

Czech opposition leader Andrej Babiš has announced that, if his party forms the next government, no state funds will be used to supply weapons to Ukraine. His comments were reported by the Czech news outlet České Noviny.

“If we’re in government, we’ll tell Czech arms manufacturers: you want to export weapons to Ukraine? No problem. But not with taxpayers’ money,” Babiš said, clarifying his stance on the European Union’s so-called “ammunition initiative” for Ukraine.

Babiš, whose party recently won the Czech parliamentary elections, also highlighted the country’s existing financial commitments to the EU. He noted that the Czech Republic contributes around 60 billion crowns annually to the EU budget, a portion of which is used to fund Brussels’ aid packages to Kyiv.

The remarks underscore a potential shift in Prague’s policy toward Ukraine should Babiš return to power, marking a more cautious approach to direct military support while maintaining the option for private arms exports.