Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has stated that current developments in the international situation could lead the world into a Third World War, and has called on Europe to pay greater attention to a diplomatic resolution to Russia’s war against Ukraine. Babiš made these remarks on 17 September whilst delivering the opening address at the IISS Prague Defence Summit 2026 in Prague. The Czech Government and the conference organiser – the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) – have confirmed that the speech took place.
“I am not afraid to say this out loud. The path the world is currently taking does not lead to security. It leads straight to the gates of Hell. It is leading us towards a Third World War,” said Babiš, as quoted by the Czech news agency ÇTK.
According to the Czech Prime Minister, the European debate on security focuses too much on the military aspect and not enough on finding a diplomatic solution. He noted that Europe, together with the US, must seek direct negotiations between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin with the aim of ending the war. At the same time, Babiš emphasised that he considers Russia to be the aggressor.
According to the Czech press, the Prime Minister stated that Putin’s actions are “absolutely unacceptable”, but diplomacy, in his view, must remain one of the main tools for ending the war. Babiš also drew attention to the duration of the war. He said that, as of 17 September, Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine had been ongoing for 1,666 days — 99 days longer than the First World War. The Prime Minister stated that the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have not only military but also serious economic consequences, in particular rising costs for energy and food, and pressure on European industry.
At the same time, Babiš did not advocate abandoning efforts to strengthen Europe’s defences, but proposed the creation of a joint European missile defence system, Euro Patriot. Under his plan, European countries could pool their industrial and technological capabilities, following the example of the creation of Airbus, and develop their own defence system against ballistic missiles and drones.
“We must learn from the war in Ukraine and seek solutions, first and foremost in the field of defence against ballistic missiles,” said the Czech Prime Minister. In his view, such a project would simultaneously strengthen Europe’s contribution to NATO and create additional opportunities for the European – and, in particular, the Czech – defence sector. The IISS Prague Defence Summit is taking place in Prague from 16 to 18 September 2026. It will be attended by political and military leaders, representatives of international organisations and the defence industry, as well as experts.
The main topics of the conference are the development of European defence capabilities, military mobility, arms procurement, missile defence and the future of transatlantic cooperation.