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After four years of war, most Ukrainian refugees in Czechia do not plan to return home once the conflict ends, according to analyses by the International Organization for Migration. Its Czech director, Petr Čáp, says roughly three quarters of mothers with children and young people want to stay. The only group predominantly considering a return are pensioners, especially those who have not learned Czech, rely on humanitarian benefits and lack social ties.  By the end of last year, around 360,000 Ukrainians were working in Czechia, nearly half of them refugees under temporary protection, Interior Ministry data show. However, only 16 percent use their original qualifications.

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) said on Tuesday he hopes the war in Ukraine will end soon, four years after Russia launched what he called an “unjustifiable aggression.” Writing on X, Babiš said peace talks are now under way and expressed hope that fighting will stop. He argued that calls for diplomacy had long been sidelined but gained traction after the return of Donald Trump to the White House. Former prime minister Petr Fiala (Ciovic Democratic Party) stressed that supporting Kyiv remains both morally right and a matter of Czech security and urged the present cabinet to continue Czech ammunition initiative which helps Ukraine to defend itself. Government buildings, including the Office of the Government, flew Ukrainian flags to mark the anniversary of the invasion, the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.

The Czech Senate will hold a public hearing on the “Security of Ukraine, Security of Europe and the State’s Defence Capability” on Tuesday, 24 February, the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

Senate Speaker Miloš Vystrčil will open and chair the session. President Petr Pavel is set to address the chamber in the afternoon.

The program is divided into five blocks, covering the citizen–state relationship, crisis management and the armed forces, the Czech Republic’s defence capability and cooperation with allies, the economy and supply chain security, and a concluding debate on national defence preparedness.

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has declined the invitation to attend the Senate hearing, telling reporters that he had more pressing work commitments.

Meanwhile, Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka will take part in an extraordinary session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York marking the anniversary, where he is set to deliver a speech. He will also attend a United Nations Security Council meeting on Ukraine convened by the British presidency.

The Czech Republic will seek a complete repeal of the European Union’s planned ban on the sale of new internal combustion engine vehicles after 2035, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said following Wednesday’s cabinet meeting.

He said the government considers the European Commission’s proposal to ease the emissions target insufficient. Babiš cited the growing dominance of Chinese electric vehicles on the EU market as one of the key concerns.

In December, the Commission softened its original plan to prohibit the sale of combustion-engine cars from 2035. Under the revised proposal, CO2 emissions from new cars would have to fall by 90 percent compared with 2021 levels, instead of the initially proposed 100 percent. The remaining 10 percent could be offset through a credit system based on the use of CO2-neutral fuels and green steel.