Czech Republic would be ready to respond if Russia attacks Baltic countries, Czech PM Babis says

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis affirmed on Tuesday that the Czech Republic would fulfill its NATO obligations if Russia were to attack a Baltic country. This statement comes amidst growing concerns among Western European governments and intelligence services about the heightened possibility of Russia escalating hybrid attacks, including sabotage or limited military actions against NATO members.

Babis, who leads a government with a pro-Russian anti-immigrant party, has ceased Czech contributions to military aid for Ukraine and declined to participate in EU and NATO financing and military aid pledges for Kyiv. Despite his past criticism for not wanting to send Czech soldiers to fight for allies, Babis stated that his government is actively preparing for potential security challenges, including discussions with Czech President Petr Pavel.

He emphasized that the lack of public discourse on these matters does not imply a lack of preparation, as per Article 5 of the NATO mutual defense commitment, which would require the Czech Republic to deploy two of its mechanized brigades should Russia attack a Baltic state. Babis hinted at ongoing Russian hybrid warfare against the Czech Republic, a claim denied by Moscow, but noted that intelligence services are paying close attention to these developments.