On May 13 (Moscow time), TASS news agency quoted Mr. Tibor Gaspar - Vice Chairman of the Slovak Parliament - as saying that Slovakia hopes the European Union (EU) will not be drawn into the conflict in Ukraine.
According to Mr. Gaspar, recent signals from US President Donald Trump are strongly impacting the way the EU calculates defense policy. He believes that President Trump has quite clearly hinted that the US may withdraw part of its forces from Europe, while reducing investment in joint armed programs.
Therefore, the European Union is reacting with plans to begin increasing spending on weapons," Gaspar said.
Slovak officials said that the question is whether the increase in EU military spending is only aimed at maintaining defense capabilities, or is it also aimed at deeper involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.
The question is whether this is only to ensure the quality of the European Union's defense capabilities, or to plan to engage in war, for example on the Ukrainian side, that is, to enter this conflict," Gaspar said.
He emphasized that Slovakia does not expect a scenario where the EU directly participates in the conflict.
I hope and believe that will not happen. Because we have always said that it is better to invest money in healthcare, schools and the economy instead of weapons," said the Slovak Deputy Parliament Speaker.
Mr. Gaspar also reiterated that NATO, an alliance of which Slovakia is a member, regularly affirms that this is a defense alliance. According to him, the military increase in Europe is now explained by arguments about the threat from Russia.
However, the Slovak official said that the debate on whether to continue to increase investment in weapons is still controversial. He said that this issue is greatly influenced by the current behavior of the US, an important member of NATO.
Mr. Gaspar's statement was made in the context that many European countries are discussing increasing defense spending, while seeking to adapt to Washington's ability to adjust its military presence in the region.
