Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš assured NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that the country is working to increase its defense spending.
Source: Censor.NET
The Czech government has faced criticism because defense spending in this year’s state budget is below 2% of GDP. Meanwhile, NATO allies agreed at the 2025 Hague summit to aim for a level of 5%.
Babiš emphasized that Prague considers defense capability and fulfilling allied commitments a priority, while acknowledging differences in approach.
“It is important that we understand each other’s expectations and our own capabilities,” he said.
According to the prime minister, the sides plan to exchange data and continue discussions ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara in July.
Babiš also stressed that Czech defense spending has quadrupled in recent years due to economic growth, although this is not always reflected as a percentage of GDP.
“I understand that the rules are based on percentages of GDP. We will do everything to meet our obligations,” he added.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, for his part, stated that the Czech Republic remains a reliable ally and intends to strengthen its contribution to collective security.
He emphasized that increasing defense spending is a necessary condition for ensuring citizens’ security and the stability of the Alliance.