Czech PM Andrej Babis reiterates importance of NATO for his country but rejects calls to increase defense spending

The Czech Republic "must remain committed to increasing defense spending," Matthew Whitaker, the US envoy to NATO , demanded in Prague last week. "We ⁠expect our allies to step up," he said. The call is nothing new. As warnings about the threat emanating from Russia increase, and Washington demands European allies take greater responsibility for security, NATO has raised its target for defense spending from 2% to 3.5% of GDP, and pressure on those lagging is rising. Czechia, alongside Slovenia and Albania , has yet to meet the old target. But Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis , whose government cut the defense budget for 2026 to around 1.7% of GDP when it took office late last year, pushed back against the latest barb from Washington.