The Czech Republic’s successful effort to deliver more than a million artillery shells to Ukraine has drawn criticism from the populist party leading in the polls, according to Politico.
Andrej Babiš, a former prime minister and leader of the ANO party, has said that the initiative, which has already helped deliver more than a million shells this year, is costing taxpayers too much and would be better spent domestically. Babiš has vowed to halt the ammunition supplies if elected. Karel Havlíček, the party’s deputy chairman, told Politico that the quality of the ammunition is poor and that dubious manufacturers are involved, so it would be better to do it at the NATO level.
The Czech government, led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala, has defended the arms supply. Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský warned in August that ending the initiative would be a gift to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
Prague began delivering the ammunition in 2024 after U.S. support was delayed. It weakened Ukrainian forces while Russia received support from North Korea and began to gain the upper hand in the fighting. Czech President Petr Pavel has said the initiative has significantly reduced Russia’s military superiority. The Czechs pool Western donations and also buy their own ammunition on the international market, then ship it all to Ukraine. That adds to the burden on other countries, and organizers of the initiative say the growing volume of donations is a sign of success.
Last year,
the Czech Republic led the delivery of 1.5 million large-caliber shells, with 14 countries contributing financially.
The initiative has now come under fire for its lack of transparency. Pavel has called it an attempt to disrupt the supply of ammunition. However, skepticism has also affected voters. A poll conducted in June showed that 49% of respondents believe that the support provided to Ukraine is too great. Aleš Vytečka, head of the Intergovernmental Agency for Defense Cooperation, noted that the government is trying to be as transparent as possible, but there are nuances that cannot be made public, such as the price, type, destination or delivery time of the ammunition. He added that donations are reported every week.
Martin Vokálek, head of the Czech think tank Europeum, noted that Prague has scored political bonus points by organizing the initiative.
However, despite the support of Brussels and Kyiv for the project, Czechs are becoming increasingly skeptical. Vokálek said that Babiš and his party are using the change in mood to attack the government initiative. According to polls, the UN currently has 32% support among voters. If Babis manages to stop the initiative, other Ukrainian partners will have to invest more. Pavel also said that he cannot promise the continuity of the initiative, and that it depends on the outcome of the elections scheduled for October.
Meanwhile, Vitečka said he was optimistic about the Czechs’ willingness to continue supporting Ukraine.
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