PRAGUE — U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker criticized the Czech Republic's defense spending progress during a September 18, 2026, defense conference in Prague. He urged faster compliance with the Hague Defense Commitment while meeting with Prime Minister Andrej Babiš on the same day.

Whitaker delivered his assessment directly to Czech leadership. "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," he said. "Unfortunately, the Czech Republic is trending towards the bottom of the alliance when it comes to defense spending," Whitaker said.

He outlined strict expectations for member nations regarding their financial contributions to collective security. "All Allies must pull their weight and honor The Hague Defense Commitment. These numbers are not arbitrary. They are about meeting the moment — and the moment requires 5% as the standard. No excuses, no opt-outs," Whitaker said in a post on X.

The U.S. diplomat reaffirmed American dedication to the alliance while calling for reciprocal effort from European partners. "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 equalize with the United States."

President Petr Pavel urged an increase in the defense budget to meet NATO’s commitment. This domestic pressure contrasts with the fiscal plans enacted by the current government earlier in the year.

Lawmakers aligned with Andrej Babiš’s government approved a budget in March 2026 allocating less than 1.8% of gross domestic product for defense. This allocation falls short of the targets discussed at recent international summits.

Babiš stated that defense spending would reach 2% of GDP in 2027. This projection outlines a gradual increase rather than immediate compliance with higher benchmarks.

Finance Minister Alena Schillerová said she currently considers a 5% target to be “unrealistic.” Her assessment shows internal governmental skepticism regarding the ambitious standards proposed by U.S. officials.

The Freedom and Direct Democracy party wants to cut the defense budget for next year. This stance creates potential friction within the governing coalition regarding future military expenditures. The Freedom and Direct Democracy party is a member of the governing coalition. Its presence in the government influences the legislative agenda on defense and foreign policy.

The ANO movement formed a governing coalition with two small political groups whose agenda includes reducing support for Ukraine and rejecting some key European Union policies. These ideological positions shape the broader context of the country's defense debates.

Why It Matters

The disagreement over spending levels occurs against the backdrop of agreements made at the January 1, 2025, summit in The Hague. At that event, NATO members agreed to invest 3.5% of GDP on core defense requirements and an additional 1.5% on defense and security-related spending by 2035. The current Czech budget of less than 1.8% represents a gap between national allocations and these long-term alliance goals.

Political dynamics within the Czech Republic complicate the path to higher spending. Andrej Babiš returned to power after his ANO movement won a decisive victory in an October 2025 election. His coalition partners advocate for reduced defense budgets, while the Prime Minister projects a rise to 2% by 2027. This internal division intersects with external pressure from the United States for immediate increases to the 5% standard.

Timeline

NATO members agreed at a summit in The Hague to invest 3.5% of GDP on core defense requirements and an additional 1.5% on defense and security-related spending by 2035 on January 1, 2025. Andrej Babiš returned to power after his ANO movement won a decisive victory in an October election on October 1, 2025.

Lawmakers aligned with Andrej Babiš’s government approved a budget in March 2026 allocating less than 1.8% of gross domestic product for defense on March 1, 2026. Matthew Whitaker met with Prime Minister Andrej Babiš on September 18, 2026. On that same day, Whitaker stated, "Unfortunately, the Czech Republic is trending towards the bottom of the alliance when it comes to defense spending." He also said, "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." Andrej Babiš stated that defense spending would reach 2% of GDP in 2027 on September 18, 2026. He added, "It is disappointing to see that it has not made more progress towards meeting the Hague Defense Commitment" on September 18, 2026.