Czech PM Andrej Babiš confirms continued ammunition supplies to Ukraine

The new Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Andrej Babiš, has decided not to curtail the so-called Czech initiative to supply ammunition to Ukraine. He made the announcement following a meeting of the "coalition of the willing" in Paris on January 6.

"I still have a meeting of the National Security Council ahead of me, where I will receive additional details on the ammunition initiative. However, based on the results of the negotiations already held and in agreement with our coalition partners, I have decided not to curtail this initiative," Babiš wrote on social media platform X. "The project will continue, and the Czech Republic will remain its coordinator. At the same time, no funds from Czech taxpayers will be invested in the ammunition initiative."

The Czechoslovak Group (CSG) is the main supplier of artillery shells to Ukraine under the Czech initiative.

During the 2025 election campaign, Babiš sharply criticized CSG’s owner, Michal Strnad. The politician said he was uncomfortable with individuals earning excessive profits from the war and pledged to scrutinize specific procurement contracts.

• Overall, Ukraine has received around 3.7 million rounds of ammunition through the Czech initiative, of which 2.7 million were produced by CSG. The total value of the supplies is estimated at between €4 billion and €4.5 billion.
• Jan Hamáček, Director of External Relations at CSG, told LIGA.net that the Czech ammunition initiative benefits not only Ukraine but also the Czech Republic.