The number of participants in the Czech initiative to supply shells to Ukraine has halved
The Financial Times reports that the number of countries participating in the Czech initiative to procure ammunition for Ukraine has almost halved since Prime Minister Andrej Babiš returned to power in December.
Czech President Petr Pavel told the publication that only nine countries are currently providing financial support for the initiative, compared with up to 18 last year.
According to Pavel, this raises concerns about burden-sharing among partners and the future of the project, which was launched by the previous pro-European Czech government.
“The initiative is still running, but the new problem is that only around nine member states are making financial contributions,” Pavel said.
He emphasised that this initiative provided up to 50% of all large-calibre ammunition received by Ukraine, so it cannot be replaced quickly.
Since 2024, Prague has coordinated the supply of over four million large-calibre artillery shells to Ukraine.
Petr Pavel stated that the future of the initiative is set to be one of the topics at the NATO summit in Ankara in July.
At the same time, the Czech President’s Office declined to name the countries that have recently withdrawn from the project.
One Western military official reported that Germany and several Scandinavian countries remain among the participants.
According to him, some states find it strange to fund an initiative that lacks proper support from the leadership of the organising country.
Andrej Babiš separately stated that his government is prioritising spending on Czech citizens rather than funding aid to Ukraine.
He said Czech households are facing high energy costs following the conflict over Iran.
“We don’t have the money, so we receive funds from other countries and then supply [ammunition],” said Babiš.
During last year’s election campaign, he threatened to halt the initiative entirely, citing alleged lack of transparency in the use of funds.
Babiš also criticised the government’s cooperation with the Czechoslovak Group.
The Czechoslovak Group is one of Europe’s largest ammunition manufacturers and has been the Czech government’s main partner in sourcing and refurbishing artillery shells from non-NATO countries for Ukraine.
The company’s owner and CEO, Michal Strnad, stated that following the arrival of the new government, the initiative had been in limbo for several months due to legal issues.
According to him, it is too early to say whether Ukraine will receive fewer shells this year, as some countries may have switched to alternative supply mechanisms.
“Some donor countries have effectively said they are no longer interested in funding this initiative, so they are buying directly from us or from other suppliers,” Strnad said.
He added that the project is “not dead”, but is progressing more slowly.
