Czech Republic will fulfill its obligations to NATO, - Babiš
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš assured NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that the country is working to increase its defense spending.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by České Noviny.
The Czech government has faced criticism because this year’s budget allocates less than 2% of GDP to defense spending. Meanwhile, NATO allies agreed at the 2025 summit in The Hague to aim for a level of 5%.
Different approaches to calculations
Babiš told Rutte that Prague considers defense capabilities and alliance commitments a priority, but that there are differences in assessment between the two sides.
"It is important that we understand each other's expectations and our capabilities," Babiš emphasized.
According to him, the parties will exchange data and discuss it ahead of the summit in Ankara in July.
The prime minister explained that the Czech Republic’s defense spending has quadrupled in recent years thanks to economic growth, although this is not always reflected in the percentage of GDP.
"I understand that the rules are based on a percentage of GDP. I once explained this to President Trump at NATO, noting that we all have different GDPs. But we will do everything we can to simply fulfill all our obligations," Babiš said.
NATO's Position
The Secretary General of the Alliance emphasized that the Czech Republic remains a reliable ally and intends to strengthen its contribution to collective security.
"Increasing defense spending is essential to ensure that we have the strength, resources, and capabilities to protect our citizens. We know—and this applies to all allies—that making budget decisions and increasing defense spending is not easy. However, ultimately, security is the foundation of prosperity," Rutte said.
