The Czech prime minister promised to send two brigades in the event of a Russian attack on the Baltic states
Kyiv • UNN
The Czech prime minister stated that he was ready to fulfill the obligations under Article 5 of NATO. Prague is preparing for possible Russian attacks.
On Tuesday, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš told a Czech news portal that his country was ready to fulfill its obligations to NATO in the event of a Russian attack on one of the Baltic states, UNN reports, citing Reuters.
The publication notes that Babiš, whose government includes a pro-Russian and anti-immigrant party, has suspended the provision of Czech military aid to Ukraine and also refused to participate in EU and NATO funding and commitments regarding military aid to Kyiv.
He has repeatedly emphasized the need for European leaders to promote the establishment of peace; he also faced criticism during the 2023 presidential campaign for saying that he would not send Czech troops to fight for allies.
Responding to a question from Denik.cz about whether Prague was preparing for possible Russian actions against NATO, the possibility of which is being discussed by the intelligence services of some Alliance countries, Babiš said that he discusses security challenges, in particular, with President Petr Pavel.
"The fact that we do not talk about this publicly and journalists do not receive material for their articles does not mean that we are not dealing with this issue," Babiš said in a video interview.
"Of course, we are preparing. If, God forbid, Russia attacks a Baltic state, then under Article 5 (on the mutual defense of NATO members) we will have to send our two mechanized brigades," he said.
"Of course, we will act actively and discuss this, but I see no reason to disclose classified information."
It should be added
The governments and intelligence services of Western European countries say that the likelihood of Russia intensifying hybrid attacks, such as sabotage, or even launching a limited military attack is increasing.
This month, Babiš said—without going into detail—that Russia was waging a hybrid war against the Czech Republic and that the intelligence services were paying maximum attention to the issue.
Moscow has repeatedly denied plans for any confrontation, as well as its involvement in hybrid warfare or the increasingly frequent sabotage operations taking place in European countries that are members of NATO.