The key facts

  • Robert Fico announced Slovakia's refusal to participate in the €70 billion loan to Ukraine
  • Kyiv's request for €70 billion to cover the budget deficit is dated October 16
  • The European Council stated its readiness to cover about €46.7 billion of the requested amount

Fico's statement

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on air of the Slovak TV channel TA3 that a new European loan for Ukraine would only prolong the conflict, not help resolve it. According to him, Slovakia 'does not intend to participate' in the loan, since the conflict has 'no military solution.' About Bratislava's position reports Gazeta.Ru.

Timeline of the funding request

The Prime Minister recalled that a loan of €70 billion has currently been prepared for Ukraine. According to the outlet, on October 16 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky requested additional funding from Europe to cover the budget deficit, which amounts to €70 billion. On October 23, European Council President António Costa announced that the Europeans were ready to cover two-thirds of the requested amount — approximately €46.7 billion.

Context

The outlet also cites the opinions of other participants in the discussion: according to former US intelligence officer Scott Ritter, Zelensky 'shocked' the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. Earlier, as Gazeta.Ru notes, it was reported in Ukraine that the EU was unwilling to fully cover the deficit of the country's budget. The publication does not mention a final decision on the loan.