Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced plans to discuss military equipment reimbursements for Ukraine with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The compensation was meant to come from the European Peace Facility (EPF) after the Russian invasion in February 2022.
Following the EU-Western Balkans summit in Montenegro, Fico revealed that Slovakia has not received the promised funds for military equipment, including MiG-29 fighter jets and the S-300 anti-missile system, which were sent to Ukraine early in the war.
Fico and Defence Minister Robert Kaliniak criticised previous governments for “disarming the country” while they had pledged not to send military resources to Ukraine. Slovakia has so far received €92 million from the EPF, but the military assistance provided to Ukraine is estimated to be worth around €700 million.
Kaliniak warned that the lack of funds could lead to a “huge scandal” and criticised the EU for inadequate financing. Reports indicate that claims from several countries exceed the EPF’s budget. There is a risk that EU countries, including Slovakia, may receive only about 10% of the estimated equipment value.
The SME Daily Portal indicates that one contributing factor to the EPF’s challenges is the suspension of its operations for over two years due to actions taken by the government of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Fico also mentioned the Visegrad Group (V4) format during the summit, expressing a desire for the V4+ format to function effectively after Slovakia takes on the presidency in July, with high-ranking EU representatives attending future meetings.
