Czech Republic is interested in participating in the second round of SAFE defense loans, said Babiš

Czech Republic aims to participate in the second round of the EU's SAFE financial instrument for defense investments, seeking a larger loan than the previous 2.06 billion euros. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš announced this intention before an EU summit, emphasizing the need for increased funding. The Ministry of Defense will prepare the proposal for the government, while the Ministry of Finance has shown limited support due to the lack of interest rates on the loans. The EU has allocated 21.3 billion euros for member states to address urgent defense needs, particularly for Ukraine and their own armed forces. The SAFE mechanism allows countries to borrow for defense investments and joint military equipment purchases, with 19 EU countries participating in the first round.