Prague: In a recent interview with the news portal Denik, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babi‚¬¦¡ declared that the Czech Republic will refrain from allocating state budget funds to Ukraine, APA reports. Babi‚¬¦¡ emphasized that the country’s financial resources are limited, stating, “We can no longer give Ukraine money from the state budget because we don’t even have enough for school cooks.” While the Czech Republic supports Ukraine, it remains firm in its decision not to back further large EU loans with guarantees.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Babi‚¬¦¡ elaborated on the financial implications, saying, “The guarantee is effectively a debt, because it’s clear Ukraine will never be able to repay this money.” He highlighted that Ukraine has already benefited significantly, receiving pound 187 billion, with an additional pound 100 billion from the new multiannual financial plan, and another pound 90 billion as a loan, totaling pound 377 billion. The Czech Republic, contributing between 60 and 62 billion crowns (approximately pound 2.4 billion – pound 2.5 billion) to the EU budget annually, indirectly aids Ukraine through these contributions.
Furthermore, Babi‚¬¦¡ mentioned an upcoming meeting of the State Security Council scheduled for January 7. During this meeting, the council will discuss the initiative to supply ammunition to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, purchased from third countries at Western expense. This initiative, proposed by the Czech Republic in early 2023, will be scrutinized for transparency and potential corruption as part of an analysis by Czech authorities.