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U.S. NATO Envoy Warns Czech Republic Is Falling Behind on Defense Spending
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Whitaker’s Critique at the Prague Defence Summit
On September 18, U.S. ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker addressed the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Prague Defence Summit, saying the Czech Republic has made insufficient progress toward NATO’s Hague defence commitment.
NATO Spending Benchmarks
NATO members agreed in 2014 to allocate at least 2 % of gross domestic product (GDP) to defence. At the 2025 Hague summit, allies set a longer-term goal of 3.5 % of GDP for core defence spending by 2035, plus an additional 1.5 % for defence-related infrastructure. These targets are intended to ensure collective readiness, according to NATO officials.
Czech Defence Budget and Government Position
The Czech parliament approved a budget in March that earmarks less than 1.8 % of GDP for defence this year, falling short of the 2 % NATO floor. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, who returned to power after the 2025 election, has pledged to raise spending to 2 % of GDP in 2027. Finance Minister Alena Schillerová described a 5 % target as “unrealistic,” citing competing priorities such as infrastructure and hospital construction.
Official Statements & Responses
Whitaker emphasized that all allies must “pull their weight” and meet the Hague commitment, reiterating U.S. support for NATO while urging Czech leaders to increase funding. President Petr Pavel, a retired army general, has publicly called for a higher defence budget, but his appeal has not altered the current allocation. Babiš responded that the government will reach the 2 % mark next year, framing the increase as necessary despite fiscal constraints.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It is disappointing to see that it has not made more progress towards meeting the Hague Defense Commitment,” — Matthew Whitaker, who met with populist Prime MinisterAndrej Babišon Friday
- “Unfortunately, the Czech Republic is trending towards the bottom of the alliance when it comes to defense spending,” — Matthew Whitaker, who met with populist Prime MinisterAndrej Babišon Friday
- “There have been small successes, but more certainly needs to be done, and this has been a message I delivered yesterday and today in person to our friends here in the Czech Republic,” — Matthew Whitaker, who met with populist Prime MinisterAndrej Babišon Friday
- “It is disappointing to see that (the Czech Republic) has not made more progress towards meeting the Hague defence commitment,” — Matthew Whitaker, who met with populist Prime MinisterAndrej Babišon Friday