PRAGUE, Sept 29 (Reuters) – The Czech Republic would be ready to honour its NATO commitments in the event of a Russian attack on a Baltic country, Prime Minister Andrej Babis told a Czech news website on Tuesday.
Babis, whose government includes a pro-Russian anti-immigrant party, has halted Czech contributions to military aid for Ukraine and also opted out of EU and NATO financing and military aid pledges for Kyiv.
He has repeatedly spoken about the need for European leaders to promote peace, and was criticised in a presidential campaign in 2023 for saying he would not send Czech soldiers to fight for allies.
Asked by if Prague was preparing for the eventuality of Russian action against NATO, a possibility raised by some NATO members’ secret services, Babis said he was having discussions on security challenges, including with President Petr Pavel.
“The fact we do not talk about it and journalists don’t get fodder for their articles does not mean we don’t address it,” Babis said in the video interview.
“Of course we are preparing. If, God forbid, Russia were to attack a Baltic state, then, under Article 5 (NATO members’ mutual defence commitment), we have to send two of our mechanised brigades,” he said.
“Of course we would be active and we talk about it, but I don’t see a reason to share classified information.”
Western European governments and intelligence services have said there is a growing likelihood of Russia stepping up hybrid attacks such as sabotage or even launching a limited military attack.
Babis said this month, without giving details, that Russia was waging a hybrid war against the Czech Republic, and that intelligence services were giving it maximum attention.
Moscow has repeatedly denied plotting any confrontation, or involvement in hybrid warfare or the increasingly frequent sabotage operations plaguing European NATO countries.
(Reporting by Jan Lopatka; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
