Babiš: Czechia will send troops to the Baltics if Russia attacks

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said in a Tuesday interview with Deník.cz that if Russia attacked one of the Baltic states, Czechia would send two mechanized brigades — from Prostějov and Tábor — under Article 5 of the NATO treaty. He said the country is ready to act quickly, but that he has no intention of disclosing secret details of the plan.

Commitments to the Baltics

“We spoke very specifically, and of course, God forbid, if Russia attacked one of the Baltic countries, then under Article 5 we would be obliged to send our two mechanized brigades there — from Prostějov and Tábor,” Babiš said, commenting on the possible activation of the North Atlantic Treaty's article in the event of a Russian military attack on the territory of a NATO member state.

“We would act quickly, we talk about that, but I see no reason to disclose information that is classified,” the prime minister added.

Already on Monday last week, responding to comments by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Babiš said that Czechia would, of course, honour Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty on collective defence. “As Czechia, we will of course honour Article 5 — I won't comment on Prime Minister Fico,” Babiš said at the time, adding that the country currently faces no immediate danger.

BIS assessment and the position on Poland

Michal Koudelka, head of the Security Information Service (BIS), said in an interview with The Guardian that a possible Russian attack, including a limited invasion of the territory of one of the alliance's member states, could happen within months rather than years. Babiš said he had not received such information from Koudelka through official channels.

“We also have no data suggesting that Czechia could be threatened by drones or missiles,” the prime minister said. According to him, Poland is in a different situation, since the war in Ukraine is being fought right along its borders: “If something happens, we will of course help Poland under Article 5,” Babiš added.

Notably, during the 2023 presidential election campaign, Babiš did not clearly say that he would send Czech troops in the event of an attack on Czechia's northern neighbour. Article 5 is the key provision of the NATO treaty: an attack on one member of the alliance is considered an attack on all of them, obliging the other member states to jointly take whatever action they deem necessary, including the use of armed force.

Meeting with the president

Babiš met with the head of state on Tuesday, right after the coronation jewels were returned to the Crown Chamber of St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle. According to presidential spokesman Vojtěch Šelig, the meeting focused on current security issues and the upcoming meeting of the State Security Council.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz