Ukraine arms supplies may depend on fall elections, Czech FM says

His comments were reported by Bloomberg and relayed by Ukrinform.

Lipavský stated that ammunition deliveries, which the Czech Republic is procuring with funding from 11 partner countries, are expected to reach 1.8 million rounds this year. However, he acknowledged that the future of the program may hinge on the outcome of key elections this fall.

“We’ve secured funding for next year. But what is absolutely crucial is to preserve political support for the ammunition initiative after Czech parliamentary elections,” the minister said.

He described the Czech-led effort to source ammunition globally — with allied support — as a “turning point” on the battlefield. According to Lipavský, Ukrainian forces now have about one shell for every two used by Russia, a major improvement from the 1:10 ratio at the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Czechia plans to continue supplying heavy ammunition to Ukraine into next year, as Europe accelerates support amid a decline in U.S. aid.

Also, the country has trained 9,000 Ukrainian soldiers and is preparing to train Ukrainian pilots.

Lipavský also confirmed intentions to raise defense spending to 3% of GDP over the next five years (from the current 2%), if the ruling coalition stays in power.

“Europe now clearly understands that, led by Germany, the UK and France, we must be able to take care of our own security. We must be prepared, we must be united, and we must have strong armies so that Russia doesn’t even think about it,” Lipavský stated.

As reported, Parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic are scheduled for October 3–4. Recent polls show former Prime Minister and billionaire Andrej Babiš, known for his opposition to arms shipments to Ukraine and refugee resettlement, leading the race, while the current ruling coalition under Prime Minister Petr Fiala trails significantly.