Foreign Minister Lipavsky Says Babis Damaged Czechia's Reputation With NATO Remarks

Czechia's Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky accused former Prime Minister and presidential candidate Andrej Babis of damaging the country's reputation abroad with his statement that he would not deploy Czech troops in defence of allies if Poland or the Baltic states came under attack.

• Babis made the remark during a televised debate ahead of the upcoming presidential run-off. Although he later walked back on these comments, noting that he would comply with Czechia's obligations toward its NATO allies, they caused international backlash.
• In an interview with Seznam Zpravy published today, Czechia's chief diplomat condemned Babis' comments and called Babis "an undignified, pro-Russian chauvinist," adding that he would reassure his Baltic and Polish counterparts that Czechia will honour its security commitments.
• Babis' reply to a question about a hypothetical scenario whereby NATO allies come under attack likely stemmed from his attempts to position himself as a "candidate of peace" in contrast with his rival, retired general and NATO official Petr Pavel. Babis had earlier spoken against continued supply of weapons to Ukraine.