Slovakia Suspends Military Aid to Ukraine

Oct. 5, 2023, (EIRNS)—Slovakia’s President Zuzana Caputova, according to Interfax, today cited the outcome of the Sept. 30 parliamentary elections, won by the Smer-SSD party of former Prime Minister Robert Fico, to put a stop to approval of another military assistance package for Ukraine. On Oct. 2, she had asked Fico to try to form a government, leaving the existing caretaker government without authority to approve a policy the election winners oppose. The Defense Ministry was considering the possibility of another military assistance package for Ukraine, and the outgoing technocratic government of Ludovit Odor could have tried to provide it, but Caputova opposed the plan and described such a scheme as “disrespect for the voters.”

Caputova’s spokesman, Martin Strizinec, explained that the President thus “showed respect for the outcome of democratic elections,” since the Smer-SSD, or Direction, had promised voters “not to give a single round to Ukraine.” Caputova believes that disregard for the stance of Smer-SSD, along with “some other” parties, “would set an unfortunate precedent.”