Peace is bad for business

If you want peace, prepare for war, goes the old saying, but the calculation isn't the same if the war is already in progress. Peacetime armament is generally based on static plans and fixed expectations, whereas wartime replenishment means greater churn of equipment, materiel and supplies. There's a war not far from us with far-reaching consequences for the whole of Europe, PM Petr Fiala said in his address to the nation on Mon., and he sees a big opportunity in increased defense spending in Europe. "We're a traditional engineering country with a historically strong defense industry. Our arms factories are of high quality and are economically strong." He wants to use frozen Russian funds to boost military support for Ukraine, which could mean even more money for Czech arms companies. But it would also no doubt complicate the ceasefire being sought by Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Fiala didn't mention the word peace in his address. Peace is bad for the business of war.