Slovakia will not provide military assistance to Ukraine, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Thursday.
"We support humanitarian and civil assistance to Ukraine — this will be the official policy of my cabinet. We will not supply Ukraine with any weapons," Fico said during a meeting with lawmakers.
Later in the day, Fico informed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen of his country's decision not to provide military aid to Kiev.
"[I have] informed the European Commission chief that the new Slovak government would not provide military support to Ukraine and that we would focus only on humanitarian assistance. The European Commission president respects the sovereign right of member states to provide or not provide military assistance to Ukraine and has appreciated our approach to humanitarian assistance as well," the prime minister wrote on social media.
Western countries have been providing military aid to Ukraine since the start of Russia's military operation in February 2022. The aid evolved from artillery munitions and training in 2022 to heavier weapons, including tanks, later that year and in 2023. The Kremlin has consistently warned against continued arms deliveries to Kiev.