Babiš acknowledged that the Czech Republic will not meet NATO’s 2% of GDP defense spending target
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš stated that the country will again fail to meet NATO’s target of 2% of GDP for defense spending in 2026.
This was reported by Radio Prague International.
According to the head of government, the Alliance estimates that the Czech Republic’s defense spending will amount to 1.78% of GDP.
Babiš also noted that the previous government failed to meet this commitment: in 2025, the Czech Republic declared 2.01% of GDP, but NATO counted only 1.85%.
For 2026, Prague is reporting 2.06%, but the Alliance estimates this figure to be lower.
The prime minister said he had discussed the situation with the defense minister and plans to negotiate with NATO regarding the methodology for calculating expenditures.
At the same time, he assured that the government intends to increase the share of the defense budget in the future.
During a visit to Brussels, the Speaker of the Czech Senate discussed support for Ukraine and European defense. Meetings were held with NATO and European Parliament leadership. The focus of the talks was on strengthening security and further assistance to Ukraine.
The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially summoned Russian Ambassador Alexander Zmievsky to deliver a strong note of protest. The diplomatic move was prompted by open threats from the Russian Ministry of Defense and Dmitry Medvedev against Czech companies.
