Slovakia announces the cessation of arms deliveries to kyiv

kyiv is deprived of a major military ally. The new Slovak Prime Minister, Robert Fico, announced on Thursday October 26 the cessation of arms deliveries to Ukraine, limiting support for his neighbor to the“humanitarian and civil aid”. “We consider aid to Ukraine only as humanitarian and civil aid, we will no longer supply weapons to Ukraine”declared Robert Fico, the day after his appointment as head of a coalition government, including a far-right pro-Russian party.

According to him, “an immediate cessation of military operations is the best solution for Ukraine. The EU should move from the status of arms supplier to peacemaker”. The Kremlin immediately reacted to this announcement, downplaying its importance. “Slovakia’s share in arms deliveries (to kyiv) was indeed not that big, and that is why it will hardly affect the whole process”Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov told the press, before once again accusing the United States of fueling the conflict by helping Ukraine.

During his statements to MPs, Robert Fico also announced that he will not support new sanctions against Russia “until we have analyzed their impact on Slovakia”. The day before, appointed head of government, Robert Fico promised “a sovereign Slovak foreign policy”. His Smer-SD party came first in September’s parliamentary elections, during which he already promised that Slovakia would not send “a single piece of ammunition” to Ukraine and called for better relations with Russia.