Czechia plans to reduce NATO troop commitments abroad

The Czech government is proposing a reduction in the maximum number of soldiers it could deploy to defend NATO’s eastern flank over the next two years, lowering the limit from 2,000 to 1,600 troops.

The change is included in a draft bill on foreign military missions submitted to Parliament. The government proposal does not provide a specific reason for the reduction. However, the Ministry of Defence previously told iROZHLAS.cz that the lower cap is linked to budget constraints and the fact that the maximum number of troops has never been fully used.

The eastern flank deployment limit was increased in recent years in response to Russia’s war against Ukraine. In May, 427 Czech soldiers were deployed in Slovakia, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia. The new framework would also allow possible Czech deployments to Estonia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and newly Finland, depending on NATO requirements.

The proposal comes as European countries continue to monitor security threats linked to Russia’s war against Ukraine and possible hybrid attacks. In Germany, authorities are investigating after a drone carrying explosives was found near a Ukrainian cargo aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport.

The incident disrupted airport operations and prompted security concerns, although no link to any specific actor has been confirmed.

The draft would also reduce the number of Ukrainian soldiers allowed to train in the Czech Republic from 800 to 100. The government said the change reflects a declining need for training capacity; 564 Ukrainian soldiers were trained in Czechia last year.

At the same time, some Czech military activities abroad would expand. The number of Czech soldiers training Ukrainian forces outside the EU would rise from 40 to 60, while the limit for training within EU countries would remain at 100. The number of Czech soldiers protecting diplomatic missions in Ukraine would increase from 20 to 30.

The proposal would also reduce Czech participation in several other foreign missions. Czech involvement in the KFOR mission in Kosovo would fall from 50 to 25 troops by 2028, while the number of Czech soldiers in Bosnia and Herzegovina under the EUFOR Althea mission would drop from 200 to 15. Czech military instructors in Kenya and Mauritania would increase from 30 to 50 in each country.

The Senate defence committee is scheduled to discuss the draft next week. The government estimates the cost of foreign military operations at up to CZK 2.542 billion next year and CZK 2.437 billion in 2028.