How change of government in Czechia might influence Ukraine aid - Expert weighs in
Photo: Andrej Babiš, leader of the ANO party (Getty Images)
The new Czech government will likely continue supporting Ukraine, but based on a pragmatic and selectively beneficial policy, said Rasto Kuzel, executive director of Memo 98 (Slovakia), an organization that monitors political processes in Europe, in a comment to RBC-Ukraine.
He noted that Andrej Babiš, the winner of the parliamentary elections in Czechia, is not an ideological ally of Moscow. It would not be in his interest to disrupt weapons supplies to Ukraine, since both his business interests and political orientation are tied to the West and the European Union.
"At the same time, he will try to minimize domestic political costs and will most likely shift the Ukrainian agenda to the EU level: less public leadership, more technocratic and economically beneficial decisions," the expert added.
According to him, the continuation of the ammunition initiative for Ukraine and other forms of assistance is also possible, but only if they offer profitable business for Babiš's circle.
Kuzel also believes that at the pan-European level, the politician may join the "blocking coalition" of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, if it benefits him.
What is known about Babiš
As reported earlier, the party of Czech oligarch and former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, ANO, won the parliamentary elections in Czechia.
Babiš said that he wants to stop any assistance to Ukraine funded by the Czech state budget.
He also wants to stop the ammunition initiative for Ukraine, under which artillery shells were purchased from third countries and provided to Ukrainian defenders.
