Slovakia will not be part of EU scheme for Ukraine’s military needs, PM Fico says

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(Reuters) -Slovakia will not take part in any European Union programme aimed at financing military help for Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion, Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Sunday.

Slovakia stopped state military aid for Ukraine when Fico’s government came to power in 2023, but has still allowed commercial sales. Fico differs with European Union states on the war, saying a solution is not on the battlefield.

EU leaders agreed on Thursday to meet Ukraine’s “pressing financial needs” for the next two years but held off on endorsing a plan to use frozen Russian assets to fund a 140 billion euro loan to Kyiv.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said the money could be used right away to strengthen Ukraine’s air defence, air fleet and frontline positions.

“I refuse to allow Slovakia to take part in any financial scheme aimed at helping Ukraine manage the war and military spending,” Fico told a televised news conference.

SANCTIONS RISKS

Fico has also criticised EU sanctions against Russia for its war in Ukraine, saying they hurt Europe more. Slovakia and Hungary, both buyers of Russian energy supplies, now face navigating U.S. sanctions on Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil due to come into effect next month.

Asked about those risks on Sunday, Fico said Slovak refiner Slovnaft was part of Hungary’s oil and gas group MOL and not an oil buyer.

“At this moment, we are not evaluating it that way,” Fico said in his first comments since the United States announced the sanctions last week.

On Friday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Hungary was working on finding a way to circumvent the U.S. sanctions.

(Reporting by Jason Hovet in Prague;Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)