Slovakia officially ceases military aid to Ukraine

The Slovak Parliament has voted to express confidence in Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government. Specifically, lawmakers supported a program that promises to halt state military aid to Ukraine, gradually reduce the budget deficit, and introduce a new banking tax.

This update comes from Reuters.

The agency recalls that Fico secured victory in the September elections through a campaign aimed against critical media, Western partners, and liberal policies. On October 25, Slovakia’s President Zuzana Čaputová appointed him as prime minister for the fourth time. Last week, the coalition adopted its political program, which the parliament supported in a vote on Tuesday.

The program notably includes Fico’s pre-election promise to cease Slovakia’s official military aid to Ukraine.

At the same time, Slovakia’s new Foreign Minister, Juraj Blanár, in an interview with the Austrian newspaper Die Presse, stated that the situation in Ukraine resembles a frozen conflict for which there is no military solution. The prolongation of this conflict will only lead to more casualties. In this context, Slovakia supports anything that enables a peaceful resolution.

“After more tSlovakia officially ceases military aid to Ukrainehan 600 days of war, this appears as a frozen conflict for which there is no military solution. Prolonging it only means more casualties. Hence, we support anything that enables a peaceful resolution. Primarily, it should come from the European Union because it was created as a peaceful project, and we want to return to this original idea,” the minister said.

He added that after 600 days, Slovakia sees that providing weapons to Ukraine and imposing sanctions, which affect the EU more than Russia, is not effective. “There’s absolutely no progress, and countless people are perishing,” explained the Foreign Minister.