Andrej Babiš, leader of the right-wing populist ANO party that is on track to win the Czech election, said he has no plans to lift a ban on Russian media sanctioned by the EU.

One of ANO’s deputy chairmen, Radek Vondráček, hinted at unblocking Russian channels at a conference that took place last Saturday — before backtracking.

“I don’t care what Mr. Vondráček said. I didn’t even listen to it. But we’re definitely not planning or supporting anything like that. It’s complete nonsense. If anyone wants to push such foolish ideas, it certainly won’t be within the ANO movement,” Babiš told POLITICO in a statement Friday.

There are fears among liberal parties that should Babiš win the Czech election on Oct. 3-4, and become prime minister again, that Prague would join Budapest and Bratislava in a pro-Russian bloc at the heart of Europe.

Vondráček, speaking at a panel discussion organized by the Organization for the Defense of Freedom of Speech, had argued that “bans these days are plain stupid.”

Russian media, including Kremlin-backed RT, Sputnik, Russia 24, RTR Planeta and TV Centre, were banned under EU sanctions following the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.