Slovak President blocks military aid to Ukraine

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
5 Oct 2023 19:00
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Since Robert Fico won the Slovak elections last week, things took a different turn.

Chairman of Smer-Social Democracy party Robert Fico, center, addresses the results of an early parliamentary election during a press conference in Bratislava, Slovakia, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023 (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Slovakia's president has blocked a plan by her country's caretaker government to send more military aid to Ukraine, arguing that the government does not have the authority to do so and that parties that oppose such support are in talks to form a new government after last week's election.

The presidential office said in a statement Thursday that the current technocratic government has limited powers because it lost a confidence vote in Parliament on June 15, just a month after President Zuzana Čaputová appointed it.

The technocrat government was formed to lead the country to the early election on Saturday.

On Monday, President Caputova asked Robert Fico, the leader of the winning party in Slovakia's election, to try to form a coalition government. Fico's leftist Smer party won 22.9% of the vote on Saturday and will have 42 seats in the 150-member Parliament.

Slovak election winner Fico has vowed to end his country's military support for Ukraine, a move that could further strain the fragile unity of the EU and NATO.

Fico needs to find coalition partners to secure a majority in Parliament and has been negotiating with two other parties. He has two weeks to form a government.

President Caputova, a strong supporter of Ukraine who has visited Kiev twice since the start of the Ukraine conflict, remains committed to providing military assistance to Ukraine.

But the statement said that "approving a military aid package by the current outgoing government would create a risky precedent for the change of power after any future elections," adding that the president is willing to back any government with full powers that proposes military assistance.

Slovakia has been a strong supporter of Ukraine, providing military aid such as weapons and training.

Weapons donations included its fleet of Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets.

The caretaker government planned to send more ammunition and training to Ukraine's armed forces.