Slovakia’s new government, led by incoming Prime Minister Robert Fico, has rejected a previously drafted plan to donate rockets and ammunition to Ukraine. The decision is in line with Fico’s campaign promise to halt military aid to Kyiv as it fights a Russian invasion. The aid package included 140 KUB air defense system rockets, over 5,000 pieces of cannon ammunition, and 4 million rounds of small arms ammunition. The package had been proposed by the NATO country’s caretaker government, but Fico’s government rejected it at a cabinet meeting.

Fico has been critical of Western countries’ military support for Ukraine and the sanctions imposed on Russia. He aligns with Hungary’s leader Viktor Orban in advocating for peace talks, an approach that Kyiv rejects. Fico’s leftist SMER-SSD party won the September 30 election, and it has formed a ruling coalition with the centre-left HLAS and nationalist SNS parties. The Prime Minister has reiterated his intention to halt shipments from army stores to Ukraine, but he clarified that private business deals would not be affected.

Slovakia had been a staunch supporter of Ukraine, sending military aid in multiple packages worth 671 million euros since Russia’s attack in February 2022. The previous centre-right government provided military equipment, including fighting vehicles, an S-300 air defense system, and MiG-29 jets. However, with the new government’s rejection of the aid package, Slovakia’s stance towards Ukraine appears to have shifted under Fico’s leadership.

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