In Brussels, Prime Minister Robert Fico put conditions on increasing aid from the EU to Ukraine. The EU wants to increase its aid for the next four years by 50 billion euros. This proposal can only be accepted if there is unanimous support from all 27 member states.
Fico said “ Ukraine is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, and we condition financial support on guarantees that European money (including Slovak money) will not be embezzled and that part of these resources will be used to restore Slovak infrastructure in border areas and to support Slovak companies in the restoration of Ukraine. " He also said that spending additional money on Ukraine is a "hard sell" for him at home.
The Government Office later in the day softened the language a bit by saying Slovakia might agree to increase its contribution to the EU budget “under certain conditions.”
Yesterday, Fico told the President of the European Commission: “From now on, Slovakia will have its own opinion in Brussels."
Read the reactions to Slovakia’s new policies on Ukraine in this Topical Issue.
(TASR)
