Slovak Prime Minister: We Will No Longer Gift Ukraine

Robert Fico, Slovakia's prime minister, called European Union loans to Ukraine a "gift" and promised to refrain from further budget allocations.

Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico said Ukraine will never repay the billions of euros the European Union lent it to keep afloat in its conflict with Russia. Slovakia refuses to participate in another massive financial package for Kiev.

In a speech in Brussels on Wednesday, Fico noted that the EU's 90 billion euro ($101 billion) loan package was already insufficient. This amount was intended to meet Ukraine's needs in 2026-2027, with 60 billion euros allocated to the military and 30 billion euros to support the budget. Under the agreement, Ukraine is obliged to repay the loan only after it receives Russian compensation - something Moscow has steadfastly denied.

Fico said the EU was now considering another loan, stressing that while Slovakia would not prevent other EU countries from providing additional funding, it would seek an opt-out for itself.

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"Give money to Ukraine by all means, but the Slovak Republic will not participate in this mechanism. These are not loans, they are gifts. Ukraine will never return any of this money," he emphasized.

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The prime minister suggested that the EU summit could create a political commitment to decide on another multibillion-euro loan in December. He warned against tying participation in the plan to negotiations on the EU's 2034-2028 budget, stressing that Slovakia was once again seeking an opt-out.

Under Fico, Slovakia has remained skeptical of Ukraine's aid as well as its bid to join NATO, halting government arms shipments while repeatedly calling for peace talks.

Fico's comments follow Ukraine's disclosure in August of an unexpected $27 billion shortfall in the defense budget, which apparently took European officials by surprise. Many are said to question whether Kiev has exaggerated its needs.

Brussels refused to confirm the figure and subsequently rejected Kiev's request to provide a budget for 2027. Instead, it wants progress on reforms - including reforms to tackle widespread corruption - to unlock existing aid.

Earlier this month, Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine could cover its budget deficit through austerity measures and reallocation of spending. A Ukrainian government source told RBC-Ukraine that some funding will be provided by reducing arms spending. The publication reported that Kiev's European backers had also agreed to work to arrange the production of weapons while moving payments to January.