PRAGUE -- The United States ambassador to NATO on Friday renewed criticism of the Czech Republic's defense spending, stating that the country has failed to meet its commitments.
"It is disappointing to see that it has not made more progress towards meeting the Hague Defense Commitment," Matthew Whitaker told a defense conference in Prague. "Unfortunately, the Czech Republic is trending towards the bottom of the alliance when it comes to defense spending."
Whitaker met with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš on Friday, conveying that "small successes" have been made, but "more certainly needs to be done." He added that this message had been delivered both on Thursday and Friday in person to Czech officials.
Lawmakers aligned with Babiš' government approved a budget in March that allocates less than 1.8% of the country's gross domestic product for defense this year. This occurred despite President Petr Pavel, a retired army general, urging an increase in the defense budget to meet NATO's commitment.
Whitaker had previously warned on X that "All Allies must pull their weight and honor The Hague Defense Commitment. These numbers are not arbitrary. They are about meeting the moment — and the moment requires 5% as the standard. No excuses, no opt-outs."
Responding to the criticism, Babiš pledged that defense spending would reach 2% of GDP next year.
NATO members agreed in 2014 to spend at least 2% of GDP on defense, with the alliance expecting all members to meet that target last year. At a summit in The Hague last year, NATO members agreed to invest 3.5% of GDP on core defense requirements and an additional 1.5% on defense and security-related spending by 2035.
Babiš' ANO, or YES, movement returned to power after winning a decisive victory in an October election. The movement formed a governing coalition with two smaller political groups whose platforms include reducing support for Ukraine and rejecting certain European Union policies. The Freedom and Direct Democracy party, a coalition member known for its anti-immigrant stance, has advocated for cutting the defense budget for the upcoming year. Finance Minister Alena Schillerová recently stated that she considers a 5% target to be "unrealistic."
"The United States remains committed to NATO and defending every inch of allied territory, and the United States is not stepping back," Whitaker said Friday. "But we expect our allies to step up and join us and equalize with the United States."