Slovakia Maintains Position on Military Aid to Ukraine: Humanitarian Support Instead of Weapons
In Central European countries, notably Slovakia, debates over assistance to Ukraine continue to be prominent.
Slovakia’s Minister of Defense, Robert Kalinák, officially reaffirmed that Bratislava remains committed to its stance of not supplying weapons or military equipment to Ukraine.
He emphasized that the latest aid packages are solely humanitarian, focusing on engineering and demining activities, and do not include lethal weapons.Following his visit to Kiev on Tuesday, during a press conference, Kalinák announced plans to prepare an additional support package for Ukraine, which may include components related to energy infrastructure and demining measures.
He also stated that Slovakia has already prepared part of the 14th aid package and is considering adding new components in the future.It is noteworthy that earlier in the full-scale war, the Slovak government was one of the first in Europe to provide significant military aid to Ukraine, including S-300 air defense systems and Soviet fighter jets.
However, after Robert Fico returned to power in 2023, direct military assistance was halted.
Nevertheless, defense cooperation continues, and officials believe that forbidding Slovak companies from selling weapons to Ukraine would be hypocritical and counterproductive.