In duels @TVCeko I in no way wish to answer a hypothetical question about invading Poland or the Baltics. I’m sure that won’t happen, and I don’t want to admit it at all. It is the responsibility of world politicians to prevent war.

— Andrej Babis (@AndrejBabis) January 22, 2023

Babiš’s opponent, Petr Pavel, also said that the Czech Republic, as a NATO country, has an obligation to assist other member states in the event of an attack. The Czech Republic has been a member of the North Atlantic Alliance since 1999, as has Poland. Five years later, NATO expanded to include the three Baltic countries.

“In a duel, I don’t want to answer hypothetical questions about an attack on Poland or the Baltics. I’m sure that won’t happen, and I absolutely don’t want to admit it. It is the responsibility of world politicians to prevent war. However, if an attack does occur, of course I will article 5. There is no debate about that,” Babiš later said on Twitter.

The North Atlantic Treaty, which formed the foundation of NATO in 1949, stated in Article Five that an armed attack against a member state in Europe or North America would be considered an attack against all members of the alliance. In such cases, the other member states, in cooperation with other countries, shall take such action as they deem necessary, including the use of armed force. Article Five has only been used once in NATO history, by the United States after the attack on the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001, followed by the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

One of the questions in today’s presidential candidate discussions has to do with whether Czechoslovakia should send its troops into open conflict in the case of a hypothetical attack on Poland or the Baltic states. “No, of course not. I want peace, I don’t want war. And I will never send our children and our daughters to war,” former Prime Minister Babiš said when asked by a moderator. But he described the question as purely theoretical and emphasized that the main thing is to prevent war.

Pavel, who used to lead the Czech army and was chairman of the NATO Military Committee, only reminded of article five. “When we are already members of such an organization, not only do we benefit from it in terms of collective security, but we also contribute. And it is our commitment to participate together when others are attacked,” he said.

Minister of Defense Jana Černochová (ODS) informed server Seznam Zprávy in response to Babiš’s words in a televised discussion that he could not explain. “We are members of NATO, which is based on the principle of one for all, all for one. The government knows it, the majority of people who support membership in the Alliance know it. Babiš’s deputy should also know about it, because it is the main guarantee of the security of the Czech Republic, “he said.