Czechia may fall short of NATO defense spending target

Czechia is unlikely to be able to raise its defense spending to NATO's target of 2% of GDP this year, Prime Minister Andrej Babis told the Financial Times, Report informs.

According to him, the government will "do everything possible" to meet the commitment, but is facing a budget deficit. Babis linked the shortfall to overspending by the previous cabinet.

Czech President Petr Pavel had earlier criticized the government's plans to cut defense spending in the 2026 budget. He warned that such spending did not correspond to growing security threats or the country's commitments to NATO.

Babis, however, said Prague remained committed to NATO's new target of 3.5% of GDP by 2035. In his view, allies should pay more attention to actual military capabilities, rather than only formal spending targets.