NATO Days in Ostrava entered its second day Sunday, showcasing allied aircraft, armored vehicles and security units as questions over defense spending and collective defense sharpened across Central Europe. Czech President Petr Pavel, a former chairman of NATO’s Military Committee, used the event to stress that allies must meet their commitments if they expect solidarity in return. His remarks came after US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker criticized Prague for defense spending expected to remain below 2% of GDP this year. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said Czechia would honor its NATO commitments but called for dialogue and invoked Albert Einstein in arguing that peace cannot be imposed through military dominance. In neighboring Slovakia, Prime Minister Robert Fico has also questioned how Article 5 should be applied amid a wider dispute over Slovakia’s collective-defense obligations, drawing criticism after saying he would resist Slovakia being pulled into war.
