Czech PM Says Country Will Send Two Brigades to Defend Baltics if Russia Attacks

Czechia would send two military brigades to help defend the Baltic states in the event of a Russian attack, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said, according to Anadolu Agency.

Babiš stressed his country's commitment to NATO's Article 5 mutual defense clause, under which an attack on one member of the alliance is treated as an attack on all members, obligating others to come to its defense.

Context

The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, all NATO members bordering Russia, have been a focus of alliance planning given their geographic proximity to Russia and, in Lithuania's case, to Russia's Kaliningrad exclave and Belarus. NATO members have periodically reaffirmed and detailed their defense commitments to the region amid heightened tensions with Moscow since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Anadolu Agency's report did not specify the size of the two brigades Babiš referenced, the timeline under which they would be deployed, or whether the commitment reflects an existing NATO defense plan or a new pledge from the Czech government.

Czechia, a NATO member since 1999, has supported Ukraine militarily since the start of Russia's invasion, including through ammunition procurement initiatives coordinated with other allies.

No immediate reaction from Russia, NATO, or other regional governments to Babiš's remarks was included in the available report.