New Delhi, Dec. 11 -- Populist billionaire Andrej Babis was sworn in Tuesday as the Czech Republic's new prime minister, following October's parliamentary election, as the next government is expected to steer the country away from supporting Ukraine and reject European Union policies on issues like the environment.

Babis, previously prime minister from 2017-2021, promised Czechs that he will fight for their interests "at home and anywhere in the world" and will do his utmost for the Czech Republic to become "the best place for life on earth."

President Petr Pavel had asked him to form a government after his ANO, or YES, movement won big in the October ballot and agreed to form a majority coalition government with two small political gro...