On 3 October 2026, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) rejected the Russian ambassador's claim that the Czech government had softened its anti-Russian rhetoric.[1][2][3][4][5] At the same event, he said that Europe should rather spend the money earmarked for Ukraine on its reconstruction than on the war, adding that it is mainly arms manufacturers, banks and energy producers that profit from the war.[1] Asked about this by ČTK at an ANO pre-election rally in Lipník nad Bečvou, Babiš said it was "certainly not true."[1] Ambassador Anna Ponomaryova made the claim in an interview for the Russian agency RIA Novosti, citing Babiš's earlier statement in support of talks with Russia on ending the war in Ukraine, as well as his announcement that no Czech taxpayers' money would go into the munitions initiative for Ukraine.[1] The opposition responded to the claim by urging the government not to underestimate the threats posed by Russia.[1][2][3] STAN Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Barbora Urbanová said the government should signal that the Czech Republic is ready to meet its NATO commitments and contribute to the security of its allies.[2] STAN leader Vít Rakušan asked Babiš to convene a meeting on the security situation with the participation of the opposition, while TOP 09 deputy Marek Ženíšek described the current government as pro-Russian.[2] Former Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský (ODS) called the ambassador's remarks an embarrassment for the government and said that halting military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine serves Russia's interests.[2] Foreign Minister Petr Macinka (Motoristé), on the other hand, agreed with the ambassador, saying the government had put an end to the "hysterical shouting" style of the previous cabinet, which in his view had brought no benefit.[5]
Related articles: Petr Pavel, Vláda České republiky
Chronology
- — Prime Minister Andrej Babiš rejected the Russian ambassador's statement that the Czech government had softened its anti-Russian rhetoric, and the opposition responded by urging the government not to underestimate Russian threats. ČTK / České noviny iDNES.cz
- — Prime Minister Andrej Babiš met President Petr Pavel to discuss a response to a possible Russian attack in the Baltic states and the agenda of the next meeting of the National Security Council. iROZHLAS Seznam Zprávy
Sources
- ČTK / České noviny — 3 October 2026
- iDNES.cz — 3 October 2026
- Lidovky.cz — 3 October 2026
- ČT24 — 3 October 2026
- Novinky.cz — 3 October 2026