PM Babiš proposes joint European missile defence system at Prague summit

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) has proposed creating a joint European missile defence system. Speaking at the opening of the Prague Defense Summit on Thursday, Mr. Babiš said the project would strengthen Europe’s contribution to NATO, while stressing that it would not be intended as competition with the United States.

The prime minister said Europe should draw lessons from the war in Ukraine and focus on finding solutions, particularly for defence against ballistic missiles. He acknowledged that the idea might be ambitious but said he wanted to persuade European partners to pursue such a project. According to Babiš, it could also benefit the Czech defence industry.

The Prague Defence Summit 2026, organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), is attended by more than 250 government and military officials, defence industry representatives, analysts and media outlets . The summit runs until Friday.