Slovakia will not provide further military support to Ukraine, will not send troops, and will not participate in guarantees for a major loan from the European Commission, the country's three highest-ranking officials announced following a meeting at Bratislava Castle on 10 January , reports Aktuality.
President Peter Pellegrini, Prime Minister Robert Fico, and Parliament Speaker Richard Raši confirmed their unified position on the matter during a joint lunch meeting. The officials emphasized their agreement on key foreign and domestic policy issues.
"Slovakia will not further militarily support Ukraine, will not send any soldiers, and will not participate in guarantees for a large loan from the European Commission," Pellegrini stated.
Fico warned that the European Union is experiencing an unprecedented crisis. "I would not want Slovakia to run around like a wounded deer in this crisis that the European Union is experiencing, and could become a victim of significant shifts that may occur in Europe," the prime minister said.
Despite the halt in military aid, Pellegrini confirmed that Slovakia should have a representative at the so-called "coalition of the willing" negotiations, though the country's position on military support remains unchanged.
The three officials declared the EU remains Slovakia's "living space" and the country intends to remain part of it. However, Fico called for a unified government coalition approach to represent what he termed a "bold, courageous, and sovereign state representation."
"I want to call on the entire government coalition, regardless of the fact that we also have internal conflicts, internal disputes, to come together now and present a bold, courageous, and sovereign state representation that will protect Slovakia in these difficult times," Fico said.
Raši confirmed the officials' ability to reach agreement on serious problems facing Slovakia. "I do not record any fundamental problems, and on many topics we have common and similar views," he noted.
The officials also expressed unity in condemning what they described as the US military operation in Venezuela as a gross violation of international law.
Slovakia provided substantial military assistance to Ukraine at the start of the full-scale invasion. In April 2022, Bratislava transferred its only S-300 air defense division to Kyiv, and in March 2023, the government approved the transfer of MiG-29 aircraft.
In January 2023, Kyiv received two Zuzana 2 self-propelled howitzers from Bratislava. The country also provided helicopters and ammunition, including five Mi-series helicopters and Grad ammunition in June 2022.
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Fico's government officially blocked the last aid package worth 40 million euros in 2023.
In September, the European Commission proposed a "reparation loan" of 140 billion euros based on cash balances from frozen Russian assets. Through this mechanism, Ukraine could receive 45 billion euros annually for three years, from 2026 to 2028.
Fico has repeatedly stated he would not support any decisions regarding securing Ukraine's financial needs to cover military expenses in the coming years.
The meeting also covered discussions about the functioning of the Visegrad Four and the Slavkov Format. "Our position is clear, we will look for common intersections with these countries and we will try to act together in solving challenges," Raši said.
