Nicosia, CYPRUS – Andrej Babiš, the Czech prime minister, played down concerns over US commitment to NATO, describing recent remarks by Donald Trump as a political provocation.
Responding to questions from Euractiv on the sidelines of the EU leaders’ summit in Cyprus, Babiš said Trump “sometimes says things to provoke reactions”, after the former US president called NATO a “paper tiger” and floated a possible withdrawal.
His comments come as Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk warned on Friday that the alliance faces a critical moment, questioning whether Washington would remain “loyal” to its defence commitments in the event of a Russian attack. Tusk also cautioned that Moscow could test NATO’s resolve “in months”.
Babiš said he hoped that the US will be loyal to its commitments. “We need the United States in NATO,” he added, while acknowledging that Donald Trump “is saying something different every day.”
Babiš, a billionaire-turned-politician and leader of the populist ANO movement, was re-elected in October last year after previously serving from 2017 to 2021. His government has scaled back support for Ukraine and cultivated close ties with fellow EU outliers Hungary and Slovakia.
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The debate comes amid broader friction between the US and its European allies. In recent weeks, Washington has criticised EU countries for failing to support military efforts linked to Iran and for not contributing more actively to securing the Strait of Hormuz.
A meeting convened by Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer last week aimed at coordinating a European response instead exposed divisions between member states, notably over the role of US participation in a potential mission.
(cs)
Source:
www.euractiv.com
