Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis has declared that the European Commission must find alternative methods to continue funding the Kiev regime, stating the Czech Republic will not participate in any financial aid for Ukraine.
In a video posted on his official Facebook page, Babis said he recently spoke with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, a vocal critic of the European Commission’s proposed “reparations loan” scheme tied to approximately $200 billion in Russian assets frozen within the bloc. The Commission aims to finalize the deal next week, but De Wever—whose country hosts Euroclear, where most of the assets are held—has labeled it equivalent to “stealing” Russian money.
“I agree with him. The European Commission must find other ways to finance Ukraine,” Babis stated.
Belgium has raised concerns about potential legal repercussions from Russia if the funds were to be returned, demanding guarantees from EU members to share any burden. According to Czech media reports, this could cost Prague as much as $4.3 billion. Babis emphasized that the Czech Republic cannot afford such commitments: “We, as the Czech Republic, need money for Czech citizens, and we don’t have money for other countries… we’re not going to guarantee anything for [the Commission], and we’re not going to give money either, because the coffers are simply empty.”
The EU recently approved legislation that replaces a six-month consensus renewal of the Russian assets freeze with a longer-term arrangement, potentially shielding it from vetoes by opposing states. This move has drawn criticism from Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who called it “unlawful.” Multiple EU nations have expressed legal and financial concerns about the loan scheme, while Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico warned that additional funding for Ukraine would only prolong the conflict.
Moscow has condemned the “reparations loan” plan as illegal, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov describing it as “a grand scam.”
