Slovakia’s new right-wing government stops military aid to Ukraine
- 26 October, 02:28
Slovakia’s newly-elected Prime Minister Robert Fico has announced that his country would no longer provide weapons to war-torn Ukraine.
Fico announced the decision on Thursday, just one day after taking the office following his victory over the previous center-right government.
"I will support zero military aid to Ukraine,” the prime minister told the lawmakers. “An immediate halt to military operations is the best solution we have for Ukraine. The EU should change from an arms supplier to a peacemaker," he added.
The leader of the leftist-populist Smer party also stressed that the EU should change “from an arms supplier to a peacemaker.” Stopping military aid to Ukraine was one of Fico’s promises during his election campaign.
Moscow dismissed the impact the Slovakian government might have on Ukraine’s defence capabilities.
"Slovakia did not have such a big share in the supply of weapons, so it will hardly affect the entire process," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Ukraine has not commented on the new Slovak government’s decision to halt arms supplies to Kyiv. It should be noted that Slovakia’s previous pro-EU government had supported Ukraine amid Russia’s war of aggression and was the first NATO country to deliver fighter jets to Ukraine.
Sharing a border with Ukraine, Slovakia had earlier provided Kyiv with several arms packages, including an S-300 air defense system and old MiG-29 fighter jets.
