Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation (SACT) Philippe Lavigne (left) and Chief of the General Staff of the Army of the Czech Republic Karel Řehka spoke at a briefing after a mutual meeting, February 13, 2023, Prague.
Prague – The security situation in Europe, military aid to Ukraine or the modernization of the army were discussed at the General Staff today by the Supreme Commander of the NATO Allied Forces for Transformation (SACT) General Philippe Lavigne and the Chief of the Czech General Staff Karel Řehka. They discussed, for example, what impact the changed security situation can have on building military capabilities or on the future concept of warfare, Řehka and Lavigne told journalists after the meeting.
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< p>According to Řehka, the meeting was accompanied by a very open discussion, during which army representatives could exchange opinions with one of the highest-ranking military representatives of the North Atlantic Alliance.
In front of the journalists, Lavigne praised the role that the Czech Republic plays in NATO. According to him, the war in Ukraine disrupted the strategic situation and created a new reality that needs to be well understood. For example, it showed the return of high-intensity operations as well as the importance of the defense industry and defense spending. He also emphasized the importance of innovation, digitization on the battlefield or sharing a huge amount of data, which will help in better overview and faster decision-making. According to him, the time has come to turn theory into practice, and he identified speed as a crucial factor from this point of view.
Aid to Ukraine was also a topic. Lavigne highlighted not only Czech supplies of armored vehicles or spare parts, he also mentioned training. “We agree that supporting Ukraine is important not only from a moral point of view, but also that it is in the immediate interest of our defense and security,” he noted.
The second rotation is currently being practiced in the Czech Republic several hundred Ukrainian soldiers, the Czech Republic wants to train 4,000 of them by the end of the year. According to Řehka, the Ukrainians rate the training with Czech soldiers as one of the best they have completed, and they also appreciate it at coordination meetings with other allies.
