Slovakia, as part of the 14th aid package, transferred non-lethal equipment and machinery to Ukraine, including five demining vehicles.
This was stated by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of Slovakia Robert Kalyniak, Interfax-Ukraine reports. It was also confirmed by the head of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal.
The ministers signed a memorandum on a new military support package at the International Defense Industries Forum in Kyiv on October 6.
Thus, Slovakia will provide Ukraine with engineering and construction equipment free of charge, including “Bozena” machines, transport, demining complexes, and medical evacuation equipment.
Shmyhal added that Slovakia is already working on a new, fifteenth support package for Ukraine.
- This is the first declared aid to Ukraine since Robert Fico from the pro-Russian “Smer” party became the new Prime Minister of Slovakia at the end of October 2023. After that, the country announced that it would not provide military assistance to Ukraine.
- In total, Slovakia has provided 13 military aid packages to Ukraine since February 2022. But in November 2023, the Fico government rejected a 14th package worth over €40 million, limiting further assistance to humanitarian aid.
- Robert Fico declared that “the only way to stop Russia’s war against Ukraine is to give part of Ukraine’s territory to the invaders”. He also strongly opposed Ukraine’s accession to NATO. In addition, Slovakia recently blocked the introduction of the next, 19th, package of sanctions by the European Union against Russia.
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