Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced that his country will request the European Union (EU) to compensate for the weapons that Bratislava has transferred to Kiev.
In a video posted on Facebook on June 14, Mr. Fico said he would raise the issue of compensation at the EU summit taking place this week.
In Brussels, I will raise the issue of compensation for the amount of military equipment that has been transferred to Ukraine," Mr. Fico declared.
After returning to power in 2023, Mr. Fico ended all military aid programs funded by the Slovak state for Ukraine.
He repeatedly criticized the previous government of Mr. Eduard Heger for making Slovakia almost unable to defend itself when transferring fighters and air defense systems to Ukraine.
In the first year after the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out in 2022, Mr. Heger's cabinet approved the transfer of dozens of tanks and infantry fighting vehicles originating from the Soviet era to Ukraine.
Aid packages also include MiG-29 fighters and S-300 air defense missile systems.
According to the German Kiel Institute of World Economy, Slovakia handed over military equipment worth about 700 million euros to Ukraine in the period 2022-2023.
According to the agreement signed by Mr. Heger's government, the equipment aid to Ukraine will be replaced by weapons and equipment manufactured by the West, in which Germany plays a key role.
However, the Slovak Ministry of Defense at that time said that this commitment was not enough, because Berlin only committed to replacing about half of the equipment that Bratislava had transferred to Kiev.
