Army chief of staff: We need more professional soldiers and active reserves

“Russia is escalating its offensive policy towards Ukraine and the Western world and building a coalition that includes Iran, China and North Korea,” Chief of the General Staff Karel Řehka said at the annual Commanders' Assembly on Tuesday. He said the war in Ukraine is a warning signal to all democratic nations to strengthen their defences and resilience. Řehka emphasized that the Czech army needs more military spending, more professional soldiers and more active reserves, in order to better prepare for the new collective defence commitments.

In her address, Czech Defense Minister Jana Černochová said that a 2 percent GDP defence budget for next year is the absolute minimum and spending may need to rise to 3 percent to meet the army's needs.