PRAGUE (Reuters) - The Czech government has decided to gradually raise its defence spending to 3% of gross domestic product by 2030, from around 2% now, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Wednesday. Defence expenditure should rise by 0.2% of GDP each year starting in 2026, when it should reach 2.2%, he said.

The Czech government has decided to gradually raise its defence spending to 3% of gross domestic product by 2030, from around 2%, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Wednesday.

Payment issues linked to U.S. sanctions on Russia were behind the latest halt in oil supplies by Russia to the Czech Republic via the Druzhba pipeline, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The Czech state company that operates the country's oil pipeline network says deliveries from Russia through the Druhzba pipeline have been halted.

Oil has stopped flowing through the "Druzhba" pipeline to the Czech Republic, posing a problem for Orlen Unipetrol. On Wednesday, the Czech government decided to lend the company up to 364,000 tons of crude oil from strategic reserves if the interruption in oil supply persists.