Czech Republic is ready to respond to Russian attack on Baltic states, - Prime Minister Babiš
The Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Andrej Babiš, has given assurances that Prague is prepared to fulfil its obligations to NATO in the event of a Russian attack on one of the Baltic states.
He told the Reuters news agency this, according to Censor.NET.
Statement by a politician
When asked whether Prague was preparing for possible Russian action against NATO — a possibility that had been raised by the security services of some NATO members — Babiš replied that he was holding discussions on security challenges, in particular with President Petr Pavel.
"The fact that we are not talking about this and journalists are not being given material for their articles does not mean that we are not addressing this issue. Of course, we are preparing. If, God forbid, Russia were to attack one of the Baltic states, then under Article 5 (NATO members’ mutual defence obligations) we would have to deploy two of our mechanised brigades", the Prime Minister stated.
Governments and intelligence services in Western Europe are warning that there is a growing likelihood that Russia will step up hybrid attacks, such as acts of sabotage or even a limited military strike.
This month, Babiš, without going into detail, stated that Russia is waging a hybrid war against the Czech Republic, and that the intelligence services are giving this their full attention.
Babiš’s policies
- Babiš had previously stated on several occasions that European leaders needed to promote peace, and during the 2023 presidential campaign he came under criticism for saying that he would not send Czech soldiers to fight on behalf of allies.
- Babiš, whose government includes a pro-Russian, anti-immigration party, has suspended the Czech Republic’s participation in the provision of military aid to Ukraine and has also rejected funding and pledges of military aid to Kyiv from the EU and NATO.
