Slovak Government to Withhold Military Aid to Ukraine but Will Not Impede Commercial Arms Sales
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who had refused to provide military assistance to Ukraine, now promises not to obstruct Slovak companies in manufacturing and supplying arms to Ukraine. Despite this contradicting his pre-election promises, Fico clarifies that his objection only pertains to the transfer of arms from Slovak army depots and does not affect commercial activities, as reported by Bloomberg.
"If a Slovak company wants to manufacture and deliver arms to somewhere, of course, no one will stand in the way," Fico stated.
The Slovak Prime Minister has also pledged to do everything possible to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine, including the possibility of medical assistance and support for the reconstruction of civilian infrastructure.
"I assume that one of these things could be demining. There is a significant amount of mined territory and unexploded ordnance," Fico noted.
Currently, Slovakia's new Minister of Defense, Robert Kalinak, expresses a desire to review some existing commercial contracts for arms supplies, but specific details of this process are not provided.
Previously, the Slovak Prime Minister emphasized the importance of peaceful negotiations over violence, stating that it's better to spend ten years searching for a peaceful solution than ten years engaged in fruitless military actions.
Slovakia's Foreign Minister, Juraj Blanar, also supports the government's stance regarding the transfer of arms to Ukraine. He states that Slovakia condemns Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a violation of international law and supports the country's territorial integrity. However, Slovakia will not supply weapons from the Slovak Armed Forces' depots and advocates for peaceful initiatives.
Meanwhile, most Western countries continue to support Ukraine, including the transfer of arms. Germany recently announced a new military aid package worth 1 billion euros, including anti-aircraft equipment, ammunition, and 155mm projectiles. The most prominent component of the new aid package is the third-generation IRIS-T anti-aircraft missile system. According to an official statement from the German government, this equipment and weaponry will be supplied from the Federal Armed Forces' depots and industrial enterprises.