Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The US ambassador to NATO on Friday renewed criticism of the Czech Republic over its defence spending, saying the country had not made enough progress towards meeting the alliance’s commitments. Speaking at a defence conference in Prague, Matthew Whitaker said the Czech Republic was slipping towards the bottom of NATO members on defence spending.
Whitaker’s remarks came as pressure continued on alliance members to raise military spending. Prime Minister Andrej Babis responded by saying the Czech Republic would raise defence spending to 2 per cent of GDP next year, even as divisions remain within his coalition over the scale of military expenditure.
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“It is disappointing to see that it has not made more progress towards meeting the Hague Defence Commitment,” Whitaker said. “Unfortunately, the Czech Republic is trending towards the bottom of the alliance when it comes to defence spending.” He added that he had conveyed the message directly during meetings in the country. “There have been small successes, but more certainly needs to be done, and this has been a message I delivered yesterday and today in person to our friends here in the Czech Republic,” Whitaker said after meeting Babis on Friday.
Lawmakers aligned with Babis’ government approved a budget in March that sets defence spending at less than 1.8 per cent of GDP this year. The move came despite President Petr Pavel, a retired army general, calling for a higher allocation to meet NATO’s commitment. At the time, Whitaker wrote on X: “All Allies must pull their weight and honour The Hague Defence Commitment. These numbers are not arbitrary. They are about meeting the moment — and the moment requires 5 per cent as the standard. No excuses, no opt-outs.”
On Friday, Babis said defence spending would rise to 2 per cent of GDP next year. NATO members had agreed in 2014 to spend at least 2 per cent of GDP on defence, and the alliance expected all members, including the Czech Republic, to meet that target last year. At a summit in The Hague last year, NATO members, under pressure from the Trump administration, agreed to invest 3.5 per cent of GDP on core defence needs and another 1.5 per cent on defence and security-related spending by 2035.
Babis returned to power after his ANO, or YES, movement won a decisive victory in an October election. It later formed a coalition with two smaller political groups whose agenda includes reducing support for Ukraine and rejecting some key European Union policies. The Freedom and Direct Democracy party, which is anti-immigrant and part of the coalition, wants the defence budget for next year to be cut. Finance Minister Alena Schillerova has also said she currently sees the 5 per cent target as “unrealistic”.
Whitaker said the United States remained firmly committed to the alliance, but stressed that other members must increase their contribution. “The United States remains committed to NATO and defending every inch of allied territory, and the United States is not stepping back,” he said. “But we expect our allies to step up and join us and equalise with the United States.” The exchange underlined continuing pressure on the Czech Republic to raise defence spending in line with NATO goals.
With PTI Inputs
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
