On 6 November, Slovakia’s new prime minister, Robert Fico, who has promised to halt the country’s military aid for Ukraine, said he does not intend to prevent private defense companies’ exports, The Guardian reported.
Fico's election campaign had been critical of Western support for Ukraine, sanctions on Russia, and US foreign policies. He reiterated his commitment to discontinuing military aid while making it clear that private defense exports would remain unobstructed.
“We have communicated very clearly and I want to communicate – we are talking about weapons, about ammunition from Slovak army storage, about state material,” Fico said. “When some company wants to make weapons and send them somewhere, nobody is going to obstruct that.”
NATO member Slovakia has manufacturers of artillery ammunition and heavy vehicles such as howitzers, some of which have been shipped to Ukraine.
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