Czech government blocks plan to send L-159 fighter jets to Ukraine (Photo: Czech Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces)
The government of the Czech Republic decided to block the shipment of L-159 light fighter jets to Ukraine, as revealed in a report by the website The Aviationist.
The shipment had been proposed by the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, on January 16. According to Reuters, Pavel, a former general and chairman of NATO’s Military Committee, suggested sending four L-159 jets to Ukraine during a recent visit to Kyiv.
However, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, who is part of a coalition of the ANO, SPD, and Motorists parties, later announced that the plan had been rejected, according to the ČT24 channel.
“Mr. [Minister of Defence Jaromir] Zuna clearly stated that the aircraft still have about 15 years of life left and that the military needs them,” Babiš said after a government meeting, according to Czech television.
“I fear that with this decision, we are moving closer to selfishness rather than solidarity,” commented Pavel on the refusal to sell the aircraft to the country that has been at war with Russia since 2022.
The Czech Republic, however, will continue to supply ammunition to Ukraine, a move the country has been making since 2024, but Babiš emphasized that this initiative can only continue if they continue receiving support from other countries, so that the costs do not come out of the pockets of taxpaying citizens.
Photo: Czech Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
