‘No air defense, no air force’: Slovakia says after Ukraine aid
4 Min Read
The recently appointed Defense Minister of Slovakia has criticized his predecessors for their policies on military aid to Ukraine.
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In this Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018 file photo, then and current Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, right, gives a media statement, with the former Minister of Interior and current Minister of Defense Robert Kalinak, left, in Bratislava, Slovakia. (AP)
Slovakia's ongoing military aid to Ukraine during the previous government has significantly undermined the country's defense posture, requiring "years" to address, according to the new Slovak Defense Minister, Robert Kalinak.
Since taking office in October under the leadership of Prime Minister Robert Fico, the minister accused his predecessors of relinquishing vital military equipment to Ukraine without ensuring a plan to secure replacements.
Kalinak criticized the previous administration, stating that the defense ministry had been managed by individuals with qualities more akin to "pugs rather than wolves," as reported by The Standard newspaper on Thursday.
“The former government left us without our own anti-aircraft defenses, without combat aviation, and we don’t even have the promised 700 million for MiGs, which the government also handed over to Ukraine,” Kalinak stated.
Slovakia's defenses run dry
The country is currently in the process of negotiating with its "partners" to secure that "Slovakia’s air defense will be provided by NATO allies," he stated. There is a looming risk of Slovakia being left without any air defenses, as the US Patriot anti-aircraft systems were withdrawn from its soil in late 2023, and hosting the Italian SAMP/T systems may also conclude this year, Kalinak cautioned.
Fixing the damage to the country's security will likely require "years," as per the minister, who squarely placed the blame on his predecessors. For instance, the new government may struggle to find a replacement for the S-300 anti-aircraft systems during its tenure. The minister expressed hope, stating, "Maybe towards the end of the term of office, but I only hope so."
“It was absurd overwork by [then-Defense Minister Jaroslav] Nad and his people at the ministry. After all, we were not the only allies who had the S-300, which Ukraine was interested in. Why didn’t the Greeks give it? Why didn’t the Bulgarians give it? These were outrageous decisions by Nad and [then-PM Eduard] Heger, which have no parallel in any sovereign country,” Kalinak stated.
Slovakia's new PM has repeatedly criticized the Western approach to handling the war in Ukraine, arguing that the enduring support of Kiev turned into a “futile waste of human resources and money,” which only "prolongs the hostilities and fills Ukrainian cemeteries with thousands of dead soldiers.”
“I will no longer be subject to stupid liberal and progressive demagoguery. It is literally shocking to see how the West has repeatedly made mistakes in assessing the situation in Russia,” Fico wrote in Slovakia’s Pravda newspaper last week.
Slovakia "won't allow Ukraine to become a member of NATO"
Last month, in an interview with Slovak news outlet InfoVojna, Fico affirmed that Slovakia will not allow Ukraine to become a member of NATO. "We will not agree with Ukraine’s membership in NATO, because that would be the start of World War III," Fico said, adding, "As long as I have the opportunity to influence the Slovak political scene, I will use the right to veto such a decision".
Even though he informed InfoVojna that Slovakia is not opposed to Ukraine's EU membership, he noted that it is a lengthy process since Ukraine needs to satisfy detailed standards set by Brussels. He added that, unlike the neighboring Czech Republic, he does not intend to seize real estate owned by the Russian government.
