Pavel called the Czech soldiers' absence in Poland…

Pavel called the Czech soldiers' absence in Poland unfortunate

11.11.2026 11:02 HotInfo

President Petr Pavel called the absence of Czech soldiers from the international exercise Koalicja 26.2 in Poland unfortunate. Before a meeting with Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, he said he wants to discuss this issue together with several other topics. denik.cz ↗

The armies of 11 European countries are taking part in the exercise over the next two weeks. In Poland, they are to train procedures for a scenario in which, after the end of the conflict, it would be necessary to manage the security situation and prepare for further developments. The Czech army will not take part in this training. forum24.cz ↗

Pavel regards the absence of Czech soldiers as a step that is not in the Czech Republic's interest. According to him, it is important for the country to prepare, together with its European partners, for a possible post-war arrangement and the tasks associated with it. The president announced his position ahead of talks with Babiš, whose government is responsible for Czech soldiers' participation. novinky.cz ↗

The meeting between the president and the prime minister was also to address Babiš's letter to the President of the European Council and issues concerning public-service media. Before the talks, Pavel said he had several topics prepared for the discussion. seznamzpravy.cz ↗

The Czech Republic's further steps regarding the international exercise, as well as any possible change in the government's position, have not yet been announced. The outcome of the meeting may show whether the president and the prime minister reach a shared assessment of the Czech soldiers' absence.