Slovakia freezes decisions on Ukraine military aid

AFP , Thursday 5 Oct 2023

Slovakia has frozen decisions on providing military aid to neighbouring Ukraine after populists opposed to military assistance for Kyiv won a parliamentary election, the presidency said Thursday.

Robert Fico
Chairman of Smer-Social Democracy party Robert Fico arrives for a press conference at the party s headquarters after an early parliamentary election in Bratislava, Slovakia on October 1, 2023. AFP

 

Spokesman Martin Strizinec told AFP that President Zuzana Caputova shared the view of the outgoing premier "that a decision on this question must reflect the result of recent legislative elections".

"A decision concerning military assistance at this moment will set a precedent" for the new government, he said, adding that the outgoing administration had limited powers.

The spokesman said Caputova had not "changed her position on military aid to Ukraine and she will continue to back it".

Populist Robert Fico, who has pledged to end military help for Ukraine, was tapped Monday to form a new government after his party finished first in Saturday's vote with 23 percent of the ballot.

Progressive Slovakia, a pro-Ukraine centrist party, finished second with 18 percent of the vote.

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