Latest news with #PetrFiala
Russia Today
3 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
NATO state opts out of Trump's Ukraine arms plan
The Czech Republic will not participate in a new initiative proposed this week by US President Donald Trump to supply American weapons to Ukraine, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Tuesday. Trump unveiled the plan during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, proposing that American arms be delivered to Kiev with funding from other NATO members. Rutte named Germany as the primary donor, with funding also offered by Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Canada. 'The Czech Republic is focusing on other projects and ways to help Ukraine,' Fiala told the news outlet Publico. 'Therefore, at this moment we are not considering joining this project.'Trump pitched the initiative as both a commercial opportunity for the US defense industry and a means for NATO countries to increase pressure on Russia. Moscow has likened the effort to the US preparing a deadly meal for Ukraine and forcing others to pay for it. Rutte said the participating nations represent the initial wave of contributors, with more expected to join. Politico reported on Tuesday that France, one of the EU's largest economies, would not be financially supporting the effort. According to the outlet, citing two French officials, Paris prefers to develop its own defense industry to meet European security needs. A similar position has reportedly been taken by Italy. The government believes it lacks the financial resources to commit to the plan, according to the Italian newspaper La Stampa. Fiala said his government will continue to back the Czech ammunition initiative, a program launched in early 2024. The initiative to provide artillery shells to Kiev has drawn support from more than a dozen countries, though it has also faced criticism over cost overruns, quality issues, and delivery delays. In an interview last week, Czech President Petr Pavel said the EU should reassess its approach to the Ukraine conflict, asking, 'What alternatives do we have, both us and Ukraine? To fight Russia endlessly?'
Russia Today
3 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
EU's Kallas reveals latest failure in passing new Russia sanctions
The EU has failed to adopt a new package of anti-Russia sanctions, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday, expressing hope that the restrictive measures will ultimately be approved this week. The sanctions package was discussed at a meeting of the EU's Foreign Affairs Council, but remains blocked by Slovakia, Kallas stated. To pass the package, unanimous approval from all 27 member states is required. 'I am really sad that we did not reach this agreement today. I must say that we were really close. To reassure Slovakia, the Commission has delivered what they asked for. Now the ball is in Slovakia's court, and we must get this deal done. It has been already two months,' the EU's top diplomat said. Bratislava has repeatedly obstructed the sanctions package, insisting its concerns over the separate RePowerEU plan be addressed first. Hungary, Austria, and reportedly Italy have also opposed the initiative that aims to completely phase out Russian energy imports by 2028. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico harshly criticized the proposal on Monday, arguing that it would severely harm both his country and the EU as a whole. 'The [European] Commission's proposal is, excuse my language, imbecilic. Demagogically, it is the result of a limitless obsession with Russia,' Fico stated. The prime minister also dismissed a letter from his Czech counterpart, Petr Fiala, urging him to support the EU's 18th sanctions package. Fico said he would not relent until Slovakia receives 'the necessary guarantees that after January 1, 2028, Slovakia will have sufficient gas supplies at reasonable prices.' While Russian gas has not been subject to a direct EU ban, most member states have voluntarily reduced imports. However, some landlocked countries – including Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic – still rely on limited volumes through exemptions. Bratislava and Budapest also receive much of their oil from Russia.
Russia Today
4 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
EU country's leader denounces Brussels' ‘imbecilic' Russia plan
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has slammed the EU's plan to phase out Russian energy imports as 'imbecilic,' warning that the move would undermine his country's energy security, as well as the rest of the bloc. The RePowerEU plan envisages cutting all Russian oil and gas imports into the EU by 2027. The scheme has met with opposition not only from Slovakia, but also Hungary, Austria, and reportedly Italy. In a video posted on Facebook on Monday, Fico said the 'battle for Slovakia's energy security is nearing its end,' acknowledging that Bratislava cannot veto Brussels' plan. He accused the EU leadership of deliberately presenting the proposal as trade legislation to pre-empt opposition. Unlike sanctions, the plan only requires a qualified majority to pass. 'The [European] Commission's proposal is, excuse my language, imbecilic. Demagogically, it is the result of a limitless obsession with Russia,' the prime minister said. He added that phasing out Russian energy will 'damage the Slovak economy and undermine the competitiveness of the entire EU.' Responding to a letter from Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, who urged Fico to support the EU's 18th sanctions package against Russia, the Slovak leader stated on Monday that he would not relent until 'relevant stakeholders provide [Bratislava] with the necessary guarantees that after January 1, 2028, Slovakia will have sufficient gas supplies at reasonable prices.' Slovakia blocked the sanctions package for the second time last Friday, demanding that its concerns over the separate RePowerEU plan be addressed first. While Russian gas has not been subject to a direct EU ban, most member states have voluntarily cut imports. However, several landlocked countries – including Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic – still rely on limited volumes through exemptions. Bratislava and Budapest also receive much of their oil from Russia. Russia has warned that targeting its energy exports will continue to cause energy prices to surge across the EU, weakening the bloc's economy. Since 2022, growth across the EU has stagnated.
Russia Today
5 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
EU neighbor urges Slovakia to lift Russia sanctions veto
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala has urged Slovak leader Robert Fico to withdraw Bratislava's veto of the EU's 18th sanctions package, which targets Russia over its role in the Ukraine conflict. Slovakia blocked the measures for the second time on Friday. Slovakia opposes the sanctions due to concerns over the RePowerEU plan, an EU initiative aimed at phasing out Russian energy imports by 2027. The plan is being discussed alongside measures targeting Russia's energy and financial sectors. Bratislava says it could lead to supply shortages, rising prices, increased transit fees, and potential legal disputes with Russian energy giant Gazprom. In a post on X on Sunday, Fiala said he sent a letter to Fico urging Slovakia to reconsider its stance, citing the 'exceptionally close relations' between the two countries. While Russian gas has not been subject to a direct EU ban, most member states have voluntarily cut imports. However, several landlocked countries – including Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic – still rely on limited volumes through exemptions. Last week, Fico described the RePowerEU plan as 'ideological,' and said Slovakia requires 'clear guarantees, not political promises' to ensure energy security and affordability – conditions which he said are necessary for supporting the sanctions. The European Commission has proposed advancing the energy phase-out via trade legislation, allowing approval by qualified majority and potentially bypassing vetoes by member states such as Slovakia and Hungary. Budapest has also rejected the plan, with Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto warning it would 'destroy Hungary's energy security' and trigger price spikes. In June, Brussels proposed a new round of sanctions targeting Russian energy exports, infrastructure, and finance. The measures would reportedly include a lower price cap on Russian oil, a ban on the future use of the Nord Stream pipeline, restrictions on refined products from Russian crude, and sanctions on 77 vessels linked to Russia's alleged 'shadow fleet' used to evade oil restrictions. Moscow has denounced the sanctions as illegal and counterproductive, arguing that they have inflated EU energy prices and forced the bloc to depend on more expensive or rerouted imports, undermining economic competitiveness.
The Star
12-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
DeepSeek bans being issued in growing number of countries
The natural language chatbot can handle many of the same requests as ChatGPT. — Reuters PRAGUE: The Czech Republic is the latest in a growing number of countries to ban China's ChatGPT rival DeepSeek across all government agencies and institutions, citing national security concerns. The Chinese AI start-up made waves at the start of 2025 when it knocked ChatGPT off the top spot in Apple's ranking of most downloaded apps. However security experts have been warning about the app's links to China and the implications for personal data. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced the decision after a Cabinet meeting in Prague on Wednesday, saying it would strengthen the country's cybersecurity. It follows an assessment by the National Cyber and Information Security Agency, which warned that the Chinese state could potentially access sensitive data stored or processed on servers in China. Australia, Taiwan, Italy, Denmark and South Korea have also issued partial or full bans on the app, while in the United States, several federal agencies, including Nasa and the Department of Defense, prohibit the use of the DeepSeek app. Data protection officials in Germany are meanwhile pushing for a ban. After DeepSeek became the most downloaded app on Apple's App Store platform in the US, knocking rival ChatGPT from OpenAI into second place, share prices of US tech companies fell sharply, amid fears that heavy investments in OpenAI might not pay off. The natural language chatbot can handle many of the same requests as ChatGPT – create recipes based on what's in your fridge, answer an essay question, discuss career guidance. But what makes the AI model of Chinese start-up DeepSeek different is that it's said to be cost-efficient and require fewer AI chips than the large AI models of established providers. This has also made DeepSeek a serious competitor in a sector that prompted tech companies to make massive investments in nuclear energy to power technology that requires energy levels rivalling those of small countries. Users were quick to call out the app's pro-China bias. When the chatbot is asked to discuss Chinese politics, it dodges questions and also declines to talk about the history of Tiananmen Square. DeepSeek was developed by a relatively unknown start-up from eastern China's tech hub of Hangzhou. However, the release of its V3 generation in January surprised many in the industry with its ability to match the output of Western rivals, but notably also its ability to do so with significantly fewer resources. Downloads spiked after the release of the company's new R1 reasoning model on January 20. – dpa/Tribune News Service
