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Czech PM Babis says Prague would send troops if Russia attacked Baltic state

Andrej Babis said the Czech Republic would send two mechanised brigades under NATO's Article 5 if Russia attacked a Baltic state.

Update ·

Updated with new reports from our sources.

By ECTV Crisis DeskEditor-in-chief: Erik FerdinandPublished Updated 4 independent sources · 87% confidence
Location: Czechia. Open the live Europe Crisis Map

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said on Tuesday that the Czech Republic would honour its NATO commitments and send troops if Russia attacked a Baltic state, in an interview with Czech news site Denik.cz reported by Reuters. "Of course we are preparing," Babis said.

Babis said that under NATO's Article 5 mutual-defence clause, Prague would have to send two of its mechanised brigades if Russia attacked a Baltic country. He said the Czech Republic would be active in such a scenario and was already discussing the issue, though he saw no reason to disclose classified information.

Babis said that just because journalists had not been covering the topic did not mean his government was ignoring it, according to Reuters. Asked whether Prague was preparing for a possible Russian move against NATO, a scenario flagged by intelligence services in some member states, he said he was holding discussions on security challenges, including with Czech President Petr Pavel.

Babis said earlier this month, without giving details, that Russia was waging a hybrid war against the Czech Republic and that intelligence services were giving the issue their fullest attention. Moscow has repeatedly denied plotting any confrontation or being involved in hybrid warfare or sabotage operations affecting NATO countries in Europe.

Babis's government, which includes a pro-Russian, anti-immigration party, has suspended Czech contributions to military aid for Ukraine and opted out of EU and NATO commitments to fund and arm Kyiv. He has repeatedly said European leaders should work for peace, and was criticised during the 2023 presidential campaign for saying he would not send Czech soldiers to fight for allies.

What we know

  • Czech PM Andrej Babis said Prague would honour NATO's Article 5 commitments and send troops if Russia attacked a Baltic state.
  • Babis said the Czech Republic would send two mechanised brigades under Article 5 in that scenario.
  • He said he was discussing security challenges with President Petr Pavel.
  • Babis's government has suspended Czech military aid to Ukraine and opted out of EU and NATO funding for Kyiv.
  • Moscow has denied plotting any confrontation or hybrid-war operations against NATO countries.

Why it matters for Europe

Western European governments and intelligence services say there is a growing likelihood that Russia will escalate hybrid attacks, such as sabotage, or even launch a limited military attack, according to Reuters.

Babis's government has cut Czech military aid to Ukraine and stayed out of EU and NATO funding schemes for Kyiv, a position that sets Prague apart from many fellow NATO members even as Babis says the Czech Republic would still meet its Baltic defence obligations under Article 5.

Live updates

  1. ·

    Updated with new reports from our sources.

  2. First published.

Sources

Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 3 countries.

Intelligence file

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Questions and answers

What did Czech PM Andrej Babis say about defending the Baltics?
Babis said the Czech Republic would honour its NATO Article 5 commitments and send two mechanised brigades if Russia attacked a Baltic state.
Has the Czech Republic cut aid to Ukraine?
Yes, Babis's government has suspended Czech military aid to Ukraine and opted out of EU and NATO funding for Kyiv.
How has Russia responded to hybrid-war accusations?
Moscow has repeatedly denied plotting any confrontation or being involved in hybrid warfare or sabotage against NATO countries.

This article was written with AI assistance from 4 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.

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