Slovakia will support Ukraine, but not with arms

The Slovak government rejects a military solution in its eastern neighbour and will not under any circumstances supply weapons to Ukraine, said Prime Minister Robert Fico who held talks with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk on Friday during an official visit to Kiev. "The only thing we can provide is humanitarian assistance, information from our transformation and post-transformation process, we are prepared to offer scholarships to students but a military conflict simply cannot be ended successfully", announced the Prime Minister. Fico said that if weapons were purchased, the conflict would deepen. On the other hand, Yatsenyuk stressed that peace in Europe depends on peace in Ukraine. This can only be achieved if Ukraine defends itself, however, he said, rejecting an ordinary military solution to the armed conflict in Donbas. Moreover, two intergovernmental treaties between Slovakia and Ukraine were signed during Fico's visit: one concerning border crossings and the other on rail transport through the borders. According to Yatsenyuk, these treaties will simplify cross-border cooperation between the two countries.