Czech president warns reduced defense spending could harm credibility

ISTANBUL

Czech President Petr Pavel warned Monday that cutting the country's defense spending could harm credibility among allies.

Pavel told Czech Television that they could lose credibility among allies due to the reduction in spending on defense, according to Radio Prague.

He noted that it was not possible to enjoy security at the expense of others.

The president's remarks came after the government reportedly planned not to increase defense spending beyond the planned 155 billion Czech koruna ($7 billion) for 2026—about 1.73% of gross domestic product—despite growing pressure from the US to boost military outlays.

Leaders of all three coalition parties confirmed the decision ahead of a final vote on the 2026 state budget scheduled for next Wednesday in the Czech parliament.

At a security conference on Thursday, US Ambassador to the Czech Republic Nicholas Merrick warned that the planned spending level would fall short of the country’s commitments made at last year’s NATO summit in The Hague and even below the alliance’s benchmark of 2% of GDP pledged at the 2014 NATO summit in Cardiff.

Despite the criticism, the government of Prime Minister Andrej Babis says it does not have the funds to increase defense spending, arguing that other budget priorities must be met.