Two-fifths of Czechs believe that the incoming Czech government should end the supply of military equipment and ammunition to Ukraine, according to a STEM poll commissioned by CNN Prima News.
A similar proportion of respondents (44%) also favour ending direct financial support for Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in early 2022. Negative attitudes towards providing aid are mainly held by those who voted for ANO, the winner of the 3-4 October general election, as well as their likely coalition partners, the Motorists and Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD).
The survey was conducted on some 1,500 respondents earlier this month.
If ANO is in government, it will not give money directly from the budget to Ukraine for weapons, its leader Andrej Babis said previously. In the past, he has also repeatedly questioned the Czech munitions initiative and talked about cancelling it or transferring it to NATO. SPD and the Motorists have also criticised the initiative.
42% of Czechs want the next government to stop supplying military equipment to Ukraine, and 41% want it to stop ammunition deliveries. 39% said the future cabinet should also stop training Ukrainian soldiers.
On the other hand, Czechs are more supportive of continuing the supply of medical and consumable supplies, the accommodation of war refugees in the Czech Republic, diplomatic and economic pressure on Russia, and supporting Czech companies in establishing business relations in Ukraine.
For example, 70% of respondents were in favour of continuing to allow Ukrainian refugees to stay in the Czech Republic, but 34% would reduce this form of assistance, 8% would strengthen it, and 28% would maintain it at its current level. 76% of Czechs would continue to exert economic and diplomatic pressure on Russia, while 31% would intensify the pressure and 19% would reduce it.
“It is clear that the dividing line is whether the aid is military in nature or not,” said STEM analyst Jiri Taborsky. “While for forms of aid that are humanitarian or commercial in nature, there is a comfortable majority across the political spectrum in favour of at least some kind of continuation, there is clearly a strong division along the lines of the incumbent government versus the incumbent opposition when it comes to the supply of ammunition, military equipment or the training of soldiers.”
“This was also evident in the pre-election rhetoric of the various parties, which more or less followed the division of moods in society,” he added.
More than three-fifths of ANO and Motorists voters would end direct financial support for Ukraine, according to STEM. ANO voters also oppose the continued supply of ammunition and military equipment and the training of Ukrainian soldiers.
SPD voters overwhelmingly reject financial and military aid to Ukraine, almost two-thirds of them would also terminate the stay of Ukrainian war refugees in the Czech Republic, and a quarter of them reject the continuation of supplies of medical material.
“On the other hand, voters of [the outgoing ruling] Spolu alliance, Mayors and Independents (STAN) and Pirates hold significantly more favourable attitudes towards support for Ukraine and are clearly in favour of maintaining or even strengthening support for Ukraine in all areas surveyed,” STEM said.
Results of the survey on whether the next government should continue the following forms of assistance to Ukraine:
| Form of assistance | Yes, to an increased extent (in percent) | Yes, in the same form as before (in percent) | Yes, but to a lesser extent (in percent) | No, it should end this aid (in percent) |
| Supply of medical and consumable equipment | 16 | 44 | 25 | 15 |
| Humanitarian aid on the territory of Ukraine | 15 | 39 | 30 | 16 |
| Support for Czech companies in establishing business partnerships in Ukraine | 19 | 38 | 24 | 20 |
| Diplomatic and economic pressure on Russia | 31 | 26 | 19 | 24 |
| Allowing war refugees to stay in the Czech Republic | 8 | 28 | 34 | 31 |
| Training of Ukrainian soldiers | 12 | 31 | 18 | 39 |
| Ammunition supplies | 11 | 28 | 20 | 41 |
| Supplies of military equipment | 10 | 26 | 23 | 42 |
| Direct financial support | 6 | 23 | 27 | 44 |
Source: STEM
