Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis has sharply criticized European leaders for their approach to the war in Ukraine, saying Europe is not doing enough to find a peaceful solution.
“I will fight to end this disgusting war. It is unbelievable. Europe's impotence is simply terrible“, Babis said in his regular Sunday video address on social media.
The Czech prime minister appeared wearing a T-shirt with the words “No war“ („No to war“) in the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag.
Babiš said that in his opinion, European politicians talk too much about the continuation of the war and not enough about the possibilities of ending it.
„Europe does not want to negotiate for peace. It does not want to. Everyone only talks about war“, said the prime minister.
He stressed that his position did not mean a refusal to strengthen the defense capabilities of the Czech Republic and Europe. According to Babis, countries should be prepared for possible threats, but in parallel with this, work should be done for a diplomatic solution to the war.
Just a day earlier, during the NATO Days in Ostrava, Babis said that strengthening air defense remained a priority for the Czech government. The Czech Republic has officially accepted four batteries of the Israeli Spyder air defense system.
Babiš's latest statements also come against the backdrop of a dispute with the United States over defense spending. The US ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, criticized Prague for insufficient progress in fulfilling its military spending commitments. Babis responded that his government is being realistic about the capabilities of the state budget.
The Czech prime minister said that the country is spending as much as possible on defense and is striving to reach a level of 2% of gross domestic product.