Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico said on December 19 that the country would not provide additional funding to the Ukrainian army, saying that the conflict between Moscow and Kiev could not be resolved by military means.
The statement came after EU leaders failed to reach a consensus on a plan to use frozen Russian assets to secure a large loan to Ukraine.
According to Mr. Fico, Slovakia will not participate in any military loans to Ukraine and also refuses to continue funding military needs using the country's resources. He stressed his opposition to increased military support and affirmed that the approach on the battlefield does not provide a long-term solution.
At the EU summit in Brussels, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever was among the leaders who opposed the use of frozen Russian assets. This view has been supported by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico... This group proposed a plan for the EU to issue a common debt to provide short-term support to Ukraine, in which their countries are exempted from participation but do not deny the plan.
European Council President Antonio Costa said the EU would retain the right to choose to use its source of revenue related to frozen Russian assets to serve its loan obligations. However, the lack of a unified financial package puts Ukraine at risk of an economic crisis. Estimates show that Kiev needs tens of billions of euros to repay the G7 debt and maintain financial stability.
Mr. Fico, who has long opposed EU military aid to Kiev, has criticized Ukraine as a major source of financial loss for the bloc due to corruption.
On the other hand, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that the EU would eventually have to return Russia's sovereign assets, saying that exploiting these assets could undermine the foundation of the European financial system.
