Czech Republic to continue supplying ammunition to Ukraine in 2026, unless elections interfere
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said his country is ready to extend the program of supplying heavy ammunition to Ukraine until 2026, provided that political support is maintained. This year's parliamentary elections could bring to power in the Czech Republic an opponent of military aid to Ukraine, Bloomberg reports .
Lipavsky said the Czech Republic's efforts to procure ammunition for Ukraine have "changed the rules of the game" on the battlefield. He said Ukrainian forces now have about one shell for every two Russian shelling, compared to a ratio of 1 to 10 at the start of the war in February 2022.
Lipavsky said the Czech Republic has secured funding for the purchase of ammunition for Ukraine for next year. But plans to continue the program depend on the results of key parliamentary elections scheduled for October.
"It is crucial to maintain political support for the ammunition initiative after the parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic," he said.
According to Bloomberg, polls show that billionaire and former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, who has spoken out against arming Ukraine and accommodating Ukrainian refugees, is leading in voter polls. The center-right government led by Czech Prime Minister Petr Fial is far behind.
- About 20 countries have financially joined the Czech Republic's initiative, including Germany, Canada, Great Britain, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, and others.
- On February 15, Czech President Pavel announced that the initiative to supply ammunition to Ukraine would continue, and 1.6 million shells had been delivered over the past year .
- In 2025, Ukraine has already received 400,000 large-caliber shells under the Czech initiative .
- In 2025, Ukraine may receive 1.8 million rounds of ammunition under the Czech initiative to purchase shells worldwide, Zelenskyy said .
