Andrej Babiš's incoming government has refused to guarantee European Union funds earmarked for the Czech state budget, while seeking to use that same EU money to help buy four aircraft for Ukraine, according to a report by Respekt.

The report does not specify which EU mechanism is at stake or what kind of aircraft are involved.

Hypothesis: the contradiction weakens Czechia's position in the broader EU debate over funding Ukraine's war effort, where joint financial tools depend on member states trusting each other's guarantees. Supporting this: a government unwilling to back EU money for its own budget has a harder time insisting that other capitals shoulder more risk for Kyiv. Against this: the report gives no detail on which fund is being refused, so this could be a narrower domestic dispute rather than a stand-in for the larger EU funding fight.

What to watch: whether further reporting names the EU instrument involved, and whether the inconsistency surfaces when EU governments next negotiate guarantees for aid to Ukraine.