Czech Ammo Initiative for Ukraine Faces Domestic Criticism Ahead of Elections

A debate has erupted in the Czech Republic over the supply of ammunition to Ukraine, which the populist party calls excessive.

The Gaze reports on it, referring to Politico.

The Czech initiative to supply ammunition to Ukraine, which has already delivered more than a million shells this year, is facing criticism within the country. 

The leader of the populist ANO party and former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said that the cost of this program is too high for taxpayers. He called the initiative “rotten” and promised to cancel it if he returns to power. 

At the same time, Prime Minister Petr Fiala's government defends the initiative, and Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský warned that "any halt to the initiative would be a real gift to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. Those who talk about it are gambling with Europe's security."  

Ammunition supplies began in 2024 due to US delivery delays and helped Ukraine reduce Russia's initial tenfold advantage in artillery ammunition to a 2:1 ratio in Moscow's favor. The initiative coordinates both purchases on the global market and Western donations, easing the burden on other countries.

Last year, the Czech Republic coordinated the delivery of 1.5 million rounds of ammunition with the support of 14 countries, and this year it plans to deliver 1.8 million. 

At the same time, ANO's skepticism finds support among some Czech voters. For example, according to a June poll, 49% believe that aid to Ukraine is too much, 29% believe it is optimal, and only 6% believe it is too little.

However, Aleš Vytečka, Director of the Intergovernmental Defense Cooperation Agency (AMOS) within the Czech Ministry of Defence, said he was optimistic that the Czechs are willing to continue contributing to supporting Ukraine. 

"One of the largest pillars of our support is crowdfunding. I am astonished by how helpful the Czech people are when I see contributions, for example to howitzers or helicopters,” he said.

As The Gaze informed earlier, the Czech civic initiative "A Gift for Putin" raised 60 million CZK (2.4 million euros) to purchase six howitzers for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.