‘We are not at war’ – NATO state questions bloc’s Ukraine strategy

"The Czech Republic remains skeptical about NATO’s strategy of continued military support

for Ukraine, to which it does not contribute financially, Prime Minister Andrej Babis said as he left the bloc leaders’ summit in Ankara, Türkiye on Wednesday.
Babis’ party won last year’s election on a nationalist platform that included reversing the Ukraine aid policy championed by his predecessor, Petr Fiala, and urging a diplomatic resolution of the conflict with Russia instead.
”We are not at war. Ukraine is at war,” Babis told reporters on Wednesday, when asked whether NATO’s increasing spending would pressure Moscow to negotiate, adding, “I don’t know, time will tell.” The prime minister said discussions during the summit focused on weapons rather than peace." RT

Anti-Israel group sets fire at Czech defense plant producing drones for Ukraine

"Czech firefighters said they responded to a blaze at a warehouse in the city of Pardubice,

about 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of Prague.
Local media later reported that a protest group opposing Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip claimed responsibility. The group said it had set fire to a “key production center” of Israeli weapons in Pardubice.”
Czech defense company LPP Holding, whose facility was damaged in the fire." msn

Czech PM has ruled out L-159 aircraft sale to Ukraine: issue closed

"Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has definitively ruled out the issue of selling L-159 aircraft to Ukraine, describing the matter as "closed".
Defense Minister Jaromír Zůna also said that the aircraft are needed by Czech forces – a point the government used to justify its refusal to sell them to Kyiv." Pravada

Ukrainian flag taken down from Czech parliament

"The newly elected speaker of the Czech parliament has posted a video showing the Ukrainian flag being taken down from the building, while declaring that Prague would put its national interests first.
Tomio Okamura, the leader of the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party, released the clip on Thursday. “Czech Republic first,” he said as the flag was lowered. “Keep your fingers crossed for us.” RT

New Czech government plans to reduce support for Ukrainians

"Czech authorities plan to change rules on temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees...The report says the new government in the country aims to cut social benefits for Ukrainians.
The main reason for the potential changes is a sharp increase in the number of refugees, which is putting extra pressure on the national budget." KI

Populist Party of Former PM Babiš Wins Czech Parliamentary Elections

"Former Czech Prime Minister and populist billionaire Andrej Babiš and his ANO party

emerged as the winners of the Czech Republic’s parliamentary elections on Saturday; however, a coalition-building process is likely to ensue before the next government is formed.
Babiš, who previously served as Czech prime minister from 2017 to 2021, is likely to be given the opportunity to form a government after his ANO party won 34.6 per cent of the vote on Saturday, topping the neo-liberal Spolu (Together) coalition of likely outgoing Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Blesk reports.
The victory for the billionaire businessman, often described as Czechia’s Trump, may potentially strengthen the Ukraine-war critical bloc in the European Union, alongside fellow Visegrad leaders Robert Fico in Slovakia and Viktor Orbán in Hungary.
However, with his party projected to have won 80 seats in the 200-seat Czech parliament, Babiš will either need to build a coalition or govern from a minority position with the support of other parties in the legislature.
The most natural coalition partner for ANO is likely the Motorists for Themselves (AUTO) party, an anti-green agenda and Eurosceptic party, which is already in coalition with the Babiš party in the EU Parliament, with both sitting in the populist Patriots for Europe grouping." Breitbart

'We have allies who are helping Ukraine' — Kyiv expects 3 million shells, Zelensky says

"Ukraine expects 3 million artillery shells from its allies, President Volodymyr Zelensky said

on May 4.
"If Ukraine is strong, the war will end," Zelensky told journalists in Prague alongside Czech President Petr Pavel.
Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska arrived in the Czech Republic on May 4 for an official visit with Pavel. A Czech ammunition initiative will deliver up to 1.8 million artillery shells to Ukraine by the end of 2025, Pavel said at the visit." KI

Russia pounded Ukraine’s Black Sea city as the Czech president visited

"Russia pounded Ukraine’s Black Sea city of Odesa late on Thursday with one of its biggest drone attacks, injuring three teenagers and sparking fires as the Czech president visited, Ukrainian officials said." ms

Over Half of Czechs Not Willing to Defend Their Country If Necessary - Poll

"More than half of people in the Czech Republic are not prepared to defend their country if necessary, according to a survey by NMS Market Research.

The Nation's Memory survey conducted by NMS Market Research revealed that four-fifths of Czechs believe that the security situation in Europe has worsened due to the conflict in Ukraine. Two-thirds of respondents fear that the conflict will escalate beyond Ukraine's borders. Most worryingly, more than half of Czechs would not be willing to protect their country if necessary. Only two out of ten respondents have a positive view of the country's military preparedness. At the same time, only 29% of respondents are ready to take part in the defense of the country, with 19% unable to give a clear answer, the Tuesday survey reads.
In addition, respondents from the country's opposition are five times less supportive of Ukraine and twice as unwilling to defend the Czech Republic as supporters of the ruling party. Some 67% of respondents believe that NATO membership strengthens the country's defense capabilities, while the same percentage believe that Prague must enter a conflict if a member of the alliance is threatened. Two-thirds of respondents believe that NATO would provide direct military support to the country in the event of a direct threat, according to the survey.
Some 94% of respondents fear an escalation of the conflict in Ukraine." Sputnik

Venezuela Arrests Navy SEAL Among Several Foreigners Behind Alleged Maduro Assassination Plot

"Venezuela has announced the arrest of three Americans, two Spaniards and a Czech citizen, accusing them of plotting to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro. The arrests were first

announced Saturday by the country's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, who said that one of the Americans is Wilbert Joseph Castañeda Gomez - a Navy SEAL - who state television said served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Colombia.
Cabello alleged this was all part of another CIA plot to overthrow the Maduro government, which comes after Washington has contested the official results July 28 election which ensured the longtime strongman another six-year term as leader.
Cabello further held up rifles he claimed were used by the six foreigners as part of the anti-government plot. Below is an image circulated by state media of Gomez, who is being described as an active elite SEAL" ZH

France's National Rally to lead new right-wing group at EU parliament

"Marine Le Pen's far-right National Pally party struck an alliance with Hungarian Prime

Minister Viktor Orban in the EU parliament. Austria's far-right Freedom Party, Fidesz and the populist Czech ANO party led by Andrej Babis had already agreed to join forces, citing the fight against illegal immigration, as well as transferring more powers from Brussels back to member states as the new alliance's goals." France24

Ukraine unlikely to liberate occupied territories — Czech President

"Ukraine’s declared aim of liberating all Russia-occupied territories by military means is “naïve,” Czech President Petr Pavel said." UB

Czechia imposes sanctions against Ukraine's traitor Medvedchuk

"Czechia expanded the list of sanctions against Russia. Former Ukrainian MP Viktor Medvedchuk has been added to the list of restrictions, announces Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala.
According to him, the government expanded the national sanctions list to include two individuals and one legal entity.
This concerns former Ukrainian MP Viktor Medvedchuk, the company Voice of Europe, and propagandist Artem Marchevsky.
Fiala said the sanctions are aimed at hitting the pro-Russian network that tried to conduct an influence operation in Czechia." RBC

Luxembourg joins Czechia's initiative to buy 800,000 shells for Ukraine

"Luxembourg has announced that it will join Czechia's initiative to purchase 800,000 artillery shells for Ukraine. The day before, Czech President Petr Pavel confirmed that Ukraine's allies had transferred the entire amount of money needed to provide the country with 800,000 artillery shells.

He predicted that the ammunition should arrive in Ukraine "in the coming weeks"." Pravada

Sweden and Poland stand united against military deployment to Ukraine

"At a recent meeting of European leaders, French President Emmanuel Macron highlighted

that "nothing should be ruled out" in terms of sending ground troops to Ukraine. This statement sparked reactions across several countries, including Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Germany, all of which clarified that they have no intentions of dispatching soldiers to Ukraine. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also weighed in on the issue, noting that Macron's statement currently holds "no significance." "If some countries choose to send troops elsewhere, it does not impact NATO," said Kristersson, pointing out that although Sweden is not yet a formal member of the Alliance, it is expected to join soon. "French tradition is not Swedish tradition," he reiterated. Poland's President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk have made it clear to international allies that the country does not intend to send military forces to Ukraine." essanews

Russia promises Prague retaliation for freezing its state assets in Czechia

"The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the Czech diplomat that it "strongly protested" the freezing of Russian state assets and the imposition of sanctions against Goszagransobstvennost, the federal enterprise that manages assets abroad and administers the Russian president’s affairs. In typical style, they also mentioned the "legal arbitrariness" of Czechia." AP

Tens of thousands accused Prague of serving Brussels and Washington instead of Czechia

"A crowd numbered in the tens of thousands gathered in Prague on Wednesday to protest
against the Czech government, NATO, and the European Union. Demonstrators called for Czechia’s neutrality and protested Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s policy of sanctioning Russia, which has driven up energy prices.

Meeting on St. Wenceslas’ Day – a public holiday celebrating Czech statehood – the crowd took to Prague’s main square, named after the medieval saint, and chanted slogans against the EU, NATO and Fiala’s cabinet. Prague police would not give a specific figure of the estimated crowd size, calling it only “tens of thousands.” RT

Russia Jails Journalist Safronov for 22 Years on Treason Charges

"A Moscow court sentenced reporter Ivan Safronov to 22 years in prison Monday, Russia’s first treason conviction for a journalist since 2001. Safronov, a defense journalist at top Russian newspapers Kommersant and Vedomosti who went on to work for state space agency Roscosmos, was convicted of collecting secret information about the Russian military and handing it to spies for the Czech Republic." MT

Ukraine halts Russian oil supply to EU

"Ukraine’s state oil pipeline operator Ukrtransnafta has stopped pumping Russian crude through the southern branch of the Druzhba system to the EU......transit supplies have been halted to Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia." RT

Zelensky sacks Ukraine’s envoy to Germany, other ambassadors

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that he had dismissed several of
Kyiv’s senior envoys abroad, including the country’s outspoken ambassador to Germany.

Zelensky announced the sacking of Ukraine’s ambassadors to Germany, India, the Czech Republic, Norway and Hungary and said new candidates were being readied for the positions.

Zelensky has urged his diplomats to drum up international support and military aid for Ukraine as it tries to fend off Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion." MichaelSavage.com