Ending the so-called Czech initiative to provide ammunition to Ukraine would be detrimental to both the Czech Republic and Kiev in its battle to defend itself from the Russian invasion. This was said by Czech President Petr Pavel after the parliamentary elections in his country, won by a winner who filed a petition to close the program, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
"If we reduce or even eliminate this support, we will harm ourselves first of all, but it will also negatively affect Ukraine if it leads to the loss of many more lives," Pavel said after consultations with the political parties represented in parliament.
On Saturday, Czech election authorities declared the populist centrist party "Action of Dissatisfied Citizens" (ANO) of former Prime Minister Andrej Babis the clear winner of the parliamentary elections with 34.5% of the vote. In second place, with 23.3%, is the center-right and pro-European coalition "Together" of current Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Reuters notes.
Babiš, who has one term as prime minister from 2017 to 2021, has promised to reduce support for Ukraine in order to put the Czechs first, Agence France-Presse reports. He said he would review the Czech initiative to supply artillery shells to Ukraine and that, if necessary, he would discuss the issue with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
However, Babis assured Ukrainian television that Prague would not completely stop its support for Kiev. "We will help Ukraine through the EU, which helps Ukraine, and this is the way we will continue to help", Babis said, recalling that he had already met with Volodymyr Zelensky three times.
The return of the ANO to power is likely to lead to a warming of relations with Hungary and Slovakia. The first indications of this are already there, the agencies note.
The Ammunition Initiative, which brings together traders and defense officials from around the world and aims to find and purchase millions of artillery shells for Kiev, was the most iconic program of support for Ukraine of the previous Fiala government.
Pavel, who is a former high-ranking NATO official, is an ardent supporter of the initiative. It also enjoys the support of Zelensky.
"I am convinced that none of us, neither Andrej Babis, nor representatives of other parties, will neglect the interests of the Czech Republic, our allies or our partners like Ukraine. I believe that we will not harm ourselves in this way," the Czech president said.
The Czech government expects the number of ammunition provided to increase this year, after last year it reached 1.5 million shells, including 500,000 155 mm caliber shells.