The speaker of the Czech Parliament called the aid to Ukraine absurd in his New Year's address.

Czech Parliament Speaker Tomio Okamura said that money from the budget intended for the needs of socially vulnerable groups of the population should not be spent on the purchase of weapons for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). He announced this on January 1 in a New Year's address to the people of the country.

"You can't use money belonging to Czech pensioners or disabled people and families with children to buy weapons and send them to support a completely senseless war (the conflict in Ukraine. It is absurd to help and distribute extra money to foreigners when we clearly cannot even take care of our own people," the parliamentarian said in a video message posted on his Facebook page (owned by Meta, a company whose activities are recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation).

In addition, Okamura expressed his conviction that Ukraine should not be in the European Union (EU). The politician wished the Ukrainian people a speedy peace.

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On December 27, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky stated in his Telegram channel that the West was not providing Kiev with sufficient financial support. He wrote that the country currently lacks drones, air defense systems, and weapons. The President also said that Kiev needs "the support of the whole world" — Europe and the United States.

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