Prague: The Czech Republic's newly appointed prime minister and leader of the ANO party, Andrej Babis, announced that the country will not guarantee loans or provide direct financing to Ukraine. He urged the European Commission to explore alternative solutions at the EU level.

According to Anadolu Agency, Babis shared his views on US social media company X, where he agreed with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever that Ukraine's financing should be a collective responsibility of the European Union rather than being handled through national guarantees. "The Czech Republic will not guarantee loans and will not send money," Babis stated, as reported by Radio Prague International.

The statement drew criticism from outgoing Prime Minister Petr Fiala, who described Babis's remarks as "irresponsible." Additionally, Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky highlighted that using proceeds from frozen Russian assets remains "the only realistic option" for ensuring continued financial support for Ukraine.

The European Union is considering using frozen Russian state assets to fund a loan to Ukraine. However, several member states, including Belgium, have raised legal concerns, emphasizing that most assets are held at Euroclear in Brussels. In response, Russia's central bank has declared the plan illegal and indicated its intention to take necessary measures to protect its interests.

Recently, the EU moved to "indefinitely immobilize" Russian assets, and EU leaders are set to make decisions regarding the allocation of these funds to Ukraine during a summit in Brussels on December 18-19.