Czech Republic’s likely next PM Babis criticizes EU sanctions on Russia

Andrej Babis, seen as the Czech Republic’s most likely next prime minister, said Thursday that EU sanctions against Russia over Ukraine are ineffective and the Minsk agreement to end fighting in Ukraine is not working. The billionaire businessman, whose ANO party has taken a double-digit poll lead ahead of an October 20-21 election, was quoted by Hospodarske Noviny daily as saying “it is a question of what to do next.” Babis stopped short of calls to scrap sanctions, Reuters reports. The Czech Social Democrat-led government, in which ANO is a junior party, has supported the EU’s sanctions.