Spending 3% Of GDP On Defence ‘Realistic’: Czech PM

Text size

Technical refile

The Czech premier said Wednesday that aiming to spend three percent of GDP on defence was “realistic”, a day after US President-Elect Donald Trump urged NATO members to raise spending.

Petr Fiala told reporters he was open to a debate about the correct level of such spending.

Trump on Tuesday pushed NATO members to boost defence spending to five percent of GDP, underlining his long-standing claim that they are underpaying for US protection.

Most of the alliance’s 32 members are set to reach the target of two percent of gross domestic product in 2024, but some including Italy and Spain are still struggling.

The Czech defence ministry said earlier this week the EU and NATO member of 10.9 million people had met the goal for last year, although the relevant data have yet to be published.

Prague boosted defence spending after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It is seeking to replace older equipment it shipped to Kyiv.

“It is realistic to talk about three percent in several years,” Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala told reporters, adding the increase would be gradual.

“Let’s look for the correct level… we are open to a debate,” he added.

The Czech defence ministry said Monday that Prague spent 166.8 billion koruna ($6.8 billion) on defence in 2024.

This is 2.09 percent of GDP projected for last year by the finance ministry in its latest forecast.

The Czech parliament passed a law in 2023 setting the minimum defence spending at two percent of GDP from 2024.

Trump has long been sceptical of NATO, the cornerstone of security in Europe since World War II. Last month he reiterated a familiar threat to leave the alliance if its members did not step up spending.

The defence ministry told AFP it had donated helicopters, tanks, armoured vehicles, howitzers, rocket launchers, firearms and ammunition worth 7.3 billion koruna ($300 million) to Ukraine since 2022.

Prague is also leading a drive to buy ammunition for Ukraine outside Europe, seeking to ship 500,000 artillery shells to Kyiv in 2024.

“Since the beginning of the war, the Czech Republic has donated, coordinated or organised military material supplies (to Ukraine) worth over $3 billion,” defence ministry spokeswoman Simona Cigankova told AFP.

She declined to comment on the ammunition initiative though.

Prague has received German-made Leopard 2A4 tanks in compensation for its aid.

It is due to buy up to 77 Leopard 2A8 tanks, as well as 24 US-made F-35 fighter jets, 48 Israeli air-to-air missiles and 210 CV 90 combat vehicles from Sweden.

frj/jza/jj