The Czech Republic’s new right-wing populist Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said on Wednesday that he would not end a munitions initiative with Ukraine, despite his campaign promises to do so.
“The project will continue, and the Czech Republic will be in the role of coordinator,” Babiš, 71, announced. But he said Czech taxpayers’ money would no longer be invested in the venture.
That is a bit of a moot point, since the main donors have included countries such as Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands, with Prague providing only a fraction of the funds. Babiš said the project must be transparent and free of corruption.
The billionaire and leader of the right-wing populist ANO party had sharply criticized the project during his election campaign and demanded its end, as had his two far-right coalition partners.
The National Security Council met in Prague to discuss the next steps. Alongside army and intelligence chiefs, President Petr Pavel was also expected.
Pavel, a former NATO general, had initiated the munitions initiative for Ukraine, under which more than 1.8 million rounds of large-calibre ammunition were delivered to Ukraine last year, according to official figures.
Since the start of the venture, more than 4 million rounds have been supplied. The shells come from third countries, though it is confidential which countries participate.
Ukraine has a persistently high need for artillery ammunition to defend itself against Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion nearly four years ago.