Slovakia’s new government has told the Western NATO alliance that it will no longer provide arms and munitions to Ukraine, according to a statement released by the Slovak Defense Ministry on Nov. 14.
During a visit to Brussels one day earlier, Slovak Defense Minister Robert Kaliniak informed NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg of Bratislava’s decision to “halt all supplies of military aid to Ukraine from Slovak stockpiles,” the statement reads.
The defense ministry noted, however, that Slovakia—a NATO member since 2004—would continue providing Kyiv with “humanitarian, civilian, and non-lethal assistance.”
According to the defense ministry, the move is meant to allow Slovakia to “strengthen the capacities of its armed forces with a view to ensuring the security of the state and its citizens.”
Post-Poll Policy Shift
On Sept. 30, the country’s left-leaning SMER-SSD party, led by former Prime Minister Robert Fico, came in first in parliamentary polls, taking 23 percent of the vote.An outspoken critic of unqualified support for Kyiv, Mr. Fico’s electoral campaign had featured the slogan “Not one more bullet” for Ukraine.
After his electoral victory, Mr. Fico stressed his party’s readiness to continue providing Ukraine with “humanitarian” support.
“But you know our opinion on arming Ukraine,” he told reporters at the time.
In the run-up to the poll, Mr. Fico had said that his country faced “bigger problems” than the conflict in Ukraine, including skyrocketing living costs and rampant illegal immigration.
A nation of roughly 5.5 million people, Slovakia is to the west of Ukraine, with which it shares a 60-mile border.
According to the United Nations, Slovakia hosts more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees.
Despite the country’s longstanding membership in both the EU and NATO, many Slovaks reportedly sympathize with Moscow’s claim to be fighting a “decadent and hegemonic” West.
In mid-October, Mr. Fico’s party struck a deal with the center-left HLAS party and the nationalist Slovak National Party to form a coalition government.
Together, the three parties hold 79 of 150 seats in the country’s Parliament.
Mr. Fico, who has led the SMER-SDD party since 1999, officially assumed the post of prime minister on Oct. 25.
This past week, the new coalition government began making good on its promises—at least those pertaining to the conflict in Ukraine.
At a Nov. 8 Cabinet meeting, government ministers formally rejected an earlier proposal to provide Kyiv with a fresh military aid package.
Drafted by Slovakia’s previous center-right government, the plan had called for supplying Ukraine with air-defense rockets, 125 mm artillery shells, and millions of rounds of small-arms ammunition.
When asked about the move by Bratislava, Mr. Stoltenberg declined to comment, saying merely that it was in NATO’s best interest to continue backing Kyiv against Russia’s months-long invasion.
“My message to all allies is that we need to continue to support Ukraine,” the NATO chief told reporters.
Slovakia’s previous government had backed Ukraine’s military, providing it with 13 separate military-aid packages collectively worth some $720 million.
Earlier aid packages had contained large volumes of military equipment, including combat vehicles, an S-300 air defense system, and MiG-29 fighter aircraft.
Along with opposing unqualified support for Ukraine, Mr. Fico’s party also has been critical of the EU’s policy of imposing sanctions on Russia.
It has called for peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv in hopes of ending the war, which will soon enter its 22nd month.
Joining Hungary
Under Mr. Fico’s leadership, Slovakia appears to be moving closer to Hungary—the only other EU and NATO member state to oppose unlimited support for Ukraine.Viktor Orban, Hungary’s nationalist party leader, congratulated Mr. Fico on his electoral win, stating in a social media post, “Always good to work together with a patriot.”
Late last month, Mr. Fico and Mr. Orban attended a summit of European leaders in Brussels held to convey the EU’s continued support for Ukraine’s war effort.
At the summit, the Slovak and Hungarian leaders were alone in opposing proposals for a fresh $53 billion EU aid package for Kyiv.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Orban stated explicitly that the EU’s strategy of funneling money and arms into Ukraine had failed to achieve its aims.
“The Ukrainians will not win on the battlefield,” he said.
Mr. Fico demanded that any new aid disbursements to Kyiv include guarantees that funding wouldn’t be misappropriated.
“Ukraine is among the most corrupt countries in the world,” he said.
“We are conditioning what is excessive financial support on guarantees that European money not be embezzled.”
