Politico: Slovakia cuts aid to Ukraine after pro-Russian party wins election

Author:
Anna Kholodnova
Date:

Bratislava will no longer transfer aid to Ukraine, writes Politico.

Slovakiaʼs interim government has said it has stopped sending military aid to Ukraine because the parties negotiating to form a new government after the election are against further support for Kyiv.

"The outgoing bureaucratic government of Slovakia will not send any more military equipment to Ukraine," said a spokesman for the interim government. According to Politico. The Ministry of Defense of Slovakia was considering the possibility of sending a new aid package.

The new coalition government should be formed by October 16.

  • The pro-Russian Smer party led by ex-prime minister Robert Fico won early parliamentary elections in Slovakia. In the election campaign, he promised to end military aid to Ukraine, criticized sanctions against the Russian Federation, called for negotiations between the countries, opposed LGBT rights and defended the countryʼs right to veto in the EU.
  • The Slovak publication Dennik N wrote that after the victory of Smer in the parliamentary elections, the President of Slovakia, Zuzana Čaputova, opposed the new package of military aid to Ukraine. Subsequently, she stated that her country should continue to provide military aid to Ukraine. At the same time, she noted that she respects the results of the parliamentary elections and the point of view of the party negotiating the formation of a new government.
  • According to the form of government, the country is a parliamentary republic, so support for Ukraine does not depend on the decisions of the president.