Czech Party ANO, Winner of Elections, Will Not Cancel Initiative to Supply Ammunition to Ukraine

The Czech political party ANO, which won the elections to the Chamber of Deputies (the lower house of Parliament), does not plan to cancel the initiative to supply ammunition to Ukraine.

The Novinky media reported on this.

Andrej Babiš, the party leader, called the initiative “overall a good idea,” although, according to him, it requires greater transparency and possibly placing it under NATO control.

“The ammunition initiative was fundamentally a good idea, but solar panels were also seen as such before, and that cost us 800 billion. We will discuss it and demand more transparency and a review, possibly transferring it under NATO control,” he said.

Lubomír Metnar, the potential Minister of Defense from ANO, clarified that the movement is not considering halting the program. According to him, the party’s goal is not to weaken Ukraine but to ensure control and effective oversight of the funds’ use.

President Petr Pavel warned that abandoning the initiative would contradict the national interests of the Czech Republic and harm its international reputation.

In his opinion, the program is so effective that even Russia is forced to acknowledge its impact. Pavel emphasized that halting it would not only result in a loss of prestige but also lead to an increase in the number of victims of Russian terror.

Meanwhile, within the SPD party, which also entered Parliament, opinions are divided: some members support continuing military aid to Ukraine, while the leadership insists on revising the program.

Novinky notes that the future of the Czech initiative to supply ammunition could become the subject of political debate and review, which ANO is advocating for.

Thanks to this program, the Czech Republic has gained significant prestige among countries supporting Ukraine.

If the program is discontinued, another country could take over the initiative, and the Czech Republic risks suffering a considerable reputational loss.

It was recently revealed that this year, the Czech Republic’s export of military goods could reach a record CZK 100 billion ($4.87 billion).

The majority of the supplies consisted of large-caliber artillery shells, which, according to estimates, are directly or indirectly reaching Ukraine at a rate of 70-75%.