Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Andrej Babiš definitively rejected the possibility of selling L-159 ALCA light combat aircraft to Ukraine, ending a political debate that has intensified in the country in recent weeks.
The information was brought by the server iDNES.cz, which followed the Prime Minister’s statement. According to Babiš, the discussions on this topic were “artificially created” and do not correspond to reality. “There are no L-159s and there will be no L-159s. This issue is closed,” the prime minister said, ruling out any possibility of transferring the planes.
The Prime Minister also publicly criticized the Chief of the General Staff of the Army of the Czech Republic, Karel Řehka, who previously stated that it would be technically possible to provide Ukraine with four aircraft without jeopardizing the country’s defense capabilities. However, according to Babiš, such evaluations do not represent political decisions.
In the same vein, Defense Minister Jaromír Zuna emphasized that the L-159 aircraft are still necessary for the Czech army, which is an argument the government uses to justify its rejection of any sale or transfer to Kyiv.
Government officials emphasized that decisions on arms transfers do not belong to the armed forces, but exclusively to the political leadership. According to the government, the army’s role is to provide technical and professional assessments. Even in cases where these evaluations indicate the possibility of transferring a certain technique, this does not mean that it is considered redundant or expendable. In such cases, it is up to the government to formally approve a “non-necessity” exemption for the property, or to veto the sale or donation.
The topic gained more attention after Czech President Petr Pavel mentioned the possibility of transferring the aircraft during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on 16 January 2026. However, shortly after, the governing coalition formally rejected any decision in this direction.
With the statements of Andrej Babiš, the Czech government is trying to close the debate and emphasize that there are no plans to provide L-159 aircraft to Ukraine, despite the technical assessment presented by the military components.
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