Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said he supports peace talks on Ukraine, in which, in his view, Europe should take part. He also criticised the lack of direct contact between European leaders and Russia.
Babiš made the remarks to the Czech News Agency during a rally of his ANO party in Lipník nad Bečvou.
“I think that Europe, which has approved €377 billion for Ukraine, would be better off giving that money to Ukraine’s reconstruction rather than to the war. And unfortunately, here the United States, [US President Donald] Trump, is talking to [Russian dictator Vladimir] Putin. Europe is not talking, although some leaders are already saying that they should be talking, so I think nobody wants war.”
Andrej Babiš, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic
According to the European Council, since the start of Russia’s full-scale war, the European Union has mobilised €224.5 billion in support for Ukraine. This amount includes not only military aid, but also humanitarian assistance, support for refugees and other areas.
The €377 billion figure mentioned by Babiš differs from the data provided by the European Council. His comments did not specify what exactly this amount covers or the period for which it was calculated.
Rhetoric of the Czech authorities toward Russia
At the Babiš rally, he was also asked about a statement by Russian Ambassador to Prague Anna Ponomaryova. She claimed that the Czech government had allegedly softened its anti-Russian rhetoric. The Czech prime minister denied this.
Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka said that the government had abandoned the approach of the previous administration.
“We have indeed put an end to the style of hysterical outcries by ‘moral beacons’ that characterised the previous government. It never brought any benefit.”
Petr Macinka, Czech Foreign Minister
In the view of the Czech foreign minister, the country has no need for “megaphone diplomacy.”
Earlier, the Financial Times reported that the European Union had rejected Ukraine’s request to receive part of the financial support planned for 2027 ahead of schedule. The EU urged Kyiv to implement the promised reforms.
