Lipavský to push NATO to name Russia top threat, raise Czech defense spending to 3%

At the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Antalya on Thursday, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský (non partisan) will call for allies to reaffirm Russia as the greatest threat to Euro-Atlantic security. He will also announce Czechia’s plan to raise defense spending to 3% of GDP by 2030. In an interview for the Czech Press Agency (ČTK) Lipavský stressed that sanctions must continue to weaken Russia’s war capacity, as EU members move toward adopting a 17th sanctions package. He voiced skepticism over Moscow’s intentions regarding ceasefire talks, saying he sees “a lot of rhetoric, but no real effort.”

Czechia is part of a coalition of countries considering participation in a future peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, though Lipavský emphasized that any deployment would require parliamentary approval. He also confirmed that Czech diplomat Daniel Koštoval will soon take up the post of ambassador to Moscow, restoring full diplomatic representation without signaling any change in Czech policy toward Russia.