The Czech Republic is moving away from its previous stance of providing military aid to Ukraine and is instead focusing on a more diplomatic approach, as revealed by the incoming government led by right-wing politician Andrej Babis. Filip Turek, set to become the country’s next foreign minister, outlined this pivot in an interview with Politico, highlighting the new coalition’s priorities under Babis’ ANO movement.
The new foreign policy approach under Babis and his Euroskeptic partners, including the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party and the Motor, the Motorists party, will prioritize diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine and mitigate risks to European stability. Turek stated that the Czech Republic will shift from military aid funded by the national budget to humanitarian support, focusing on Czech security needs instead of Ukraine.
Prague’s new cabinet will also urge the EU to prioritize factory floors and family budgets over ideological agendas, warning that current EU policies are undermining the bloc’s competitiveness. The new approach emphasizes sovereignty and non-intervention, while seeking to avoid escalation that could endanger Czechia’s energy security or economic stability.
The outgoing centrist government of Prime Minister Petr Fiala, which formally agreed to resign on Thursday, was among the staunchest backers of Ukraine’s military effort, organizing procurement of artillery shells for Kiev and providing regular weapons transfers. The Czech presidency, which largely holds ceremonial powers, is held by former NATO Commander Petr Pavel, who shares the pro-Kiev stance.
In another sign of coming policy change, newly elected parliamentary speaker Tomio Okamura this week ordered the removal of the Ukrainian flag from the Czech legislature, saying the gesture symbolized putting the “Czech Republic first.”
Ukraine continues to depend on foreign financial and military assistance to sustain its war effort against Russia. EU members are debating a “reparation loan” scheme using immobilized Russian assets as collateral, which presumes that Moscow would agree to pay it back. Belgium, where most of the frozen funds are held, opposed the proposal, demanding that other states share the financial risks before moving forward with what Moscow has branded as the “theft” of its funds.