National security advisor: Czechia must commit to spending 2 percent of GDP on defence now

Czechia must commit to spending at least 2 percent of its GDP on defence now, otherwise in the future it may have to spend as much as five or six percent, warned national security advisor Tomáš Pojar at a parliamentary security conference on Monday. He said this was especially important in view of the next US elections, as whoever the winner turns out to be, Europe will need to show that it takes its own defence seriously.

The 2 percent figure comes from a target set by NATO that two thirds of Allies are expected to meet or exceed in 2024. Last year, Czechia only spent 1.37 percent of its GDP on national defence, according to Defence Minister Jana Černochová.