Czech security council to decide on ammunition scheme for Ukraine in January

PRAGUE, Dec 22 (Reuters) - The Czech Republic's security council will debate the future of a Czech-led, Western-financed scheme organising artillery ammunition supplies for Ukraine on January 7, Prime Minister Andrej Babis said on Monday.

The scheme brings together foreign donors including Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands with Czech defence officials and arms traders and producers who purchase ammunition around the world and deliver it to Ukraine to reduce its disadvantage on the battlefield against Russia.

Babis, who took power last week and has vowed to cut Czech financial aid to Ukraine, has criticised what he calls the scheme's lack of transparency. But he has not taken a clear stance on its future since his populist ANO party won an election in October.

Czech President Petr Pavel, Prague's NATO allies and Ukraine have all praised the scheme, while Babis' pro-Russian coalition allies oppose it.

"In principle, the ammunition initiative has certainly been a good thing, the question is whether it has occurred without corruption," Babis told a news conference after a government meeting on Monday.

"It will be subject to debate at the state security council on January 7," he said, adding he would propose a definitive position, without elaborating.

A senior NATO military official voiced cautious optimism last week that the initiative would continue. He said it was delivering 1.8 million rounds of artillery ammunition this year - 43% of the total ammunition supplied to Kyiv.

Donors have given around $4.5 billion to pay for ammunition supplies under the scheme, while the Czech national contribution has been in tens of millions of euros.

(Reporting by Jan LopatkaEditing by Gareth Jones)