Prime Minister Babiš after the meeting of the Coalition of the Willing: The ammunition initiative can continue as long as other countries fund it
On Tuesday, 6 January 2026, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Andrej Babiš, attended a meeting of the leaders of the so-called Coalition of the Willing in Paris. The meeting was attended by representatives of 37 states as well as the US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The leaders discussed the so-called Paris Declaration, which spells out the security guarantees to be granted to Ukraine following the ceasefire. Prime Minister Babiš stressed that the Czech Republic has reservations about some points of the declaration and does not envisage sending troops to Ukraine. He also confirmed that the Czech ammunition initiative can continue on the condition that it is funded by other countries.
According to the Prime Minister, the meeting was a very important one marking the first time the so-called Coalition of the Willing in Paris discussed peace — this is a big change compared to the past. "It was also the first time the United States sent two of their most important negotiators. We addressed what will happen after the end of hostilities in Ukraine and how to set up security guarantees so that the ensuing peace is lasting and a peace agreement can be formed in the first place. Each state has different options and I, like some other leaders, voiced reservations about some points of the declaration. The Czech Republic, like several other countries, does not count on sending troops as part of a peacekeeping mission. I also consider it important that a large part of the security guarantees would fall to the United States under today's declaration, and I think that is a prerequisite for achieving a peace that is truly lasting," the Prime Minister said after the meeting.
The Prime Minister also said that the Czech Republic would continue the ammunition initiative, which facilitates the supply of large-calibre ammunition to Ukraine, on the condition that it is funded by other states. "I have yet to attend a meeting of the National Security Council to find out more details about the ammunition initiative, but after all the meetings I have already attended, I decided, in agreement with my coalition partners, that we will not cancel the ammunition initiative. The project will continue and the Czech Republic will be the coordinator. No Czech taxpayer money will go into the initiative. It must be transparent and corruption-free," added Andrej Babiš.
