Slovakia’s pro-Russian PM sets conditions to back Ukraine aid

Despite his pro-Russian rhetoric, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico says he will support ‘brutal financial aid’ to Ukraine if he is given guarantees the money will not be misappropriated and some will be used to renew border infrastructure and support Slovak companies involved in the reconstruction, Euroactiv reports.

Fico claimed that “Ukraine is one of the most corrupt countries in the world” and added that “we make its brutal financial support conditional on guarantees that European money (including Slovak money) will not be misappropriated,” he said of the €50 billion budget injection to Ukraine.

“The real test of Fico’s approach will be whether he will veto the facility’s top-up of up to €20 billion, which, unlike the proposed budget increase, is meant to fund weapons, ammunition and other military aid and needs to pass unanimously,” Euroactiv wrote.

During a 26 October meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Fico claimed she acknowledged she respected “the sovereign right of member states to either support Ukraine militarily or not.”

However, it remains uncertain whether this acknowledgement will translate into the power to veto EU-wide military aid provided through the European Peace Facility, Euroactiv says.

Read also:

• Fico will not become a second Orban: a view from Slovakia
• Who is Robert Fico? Slovak leader’s ties with Russia exposed in hacked files
• Russo-Ukrainian war, day 585. Ukraine preps major Bakhmut offensive; Fico win clouds military aid
• Pro-Russian politician Robert Fico’s party wins Slovakia’s parliamentary election
• Hungary, Slovakia oppose EU’s $52 bl allocation to Ukraine – Politico

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