Premier: I Don't Support Any Further Military Spending for Ukraine

Bratislava, 11 December (TASR) - I won't support any measure at the upcoming European Council meeting to support further military spending for Ukraine, said Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) during Question Time in Parliament on Thursday, adding that the government is a player in terms of solidarity in the form of providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine in many areas and also supports its accession to the European Union (EU). "I can't support, and under no pressure will I support, any measure supporting Ukraine's military spending in which the Slovak Republic would participate. At the same time, I respect the sovereign right of each member state of the European Union to adopt a different solution on a voluntary basis," said Fico. The premier went on to say that there is no military solution to the conflict in Ukraine and that the EU's strategy on the conflict is incorrect and ineffective. He stated that if the war continues it will only involve senseless killing without strengthening Ukraine's position in peace talks. He therefore supports the peace initiatives and efforts to end the war by US President Donald Trump. Fico further said that the upcoming European Council meeting will discuss the issue of banning the production and sale of cars with combustion engines after 2035. According to him, it was necessary to put pressure on the European Commission (EC), with the result being a letter from several European countries asking the EC not to impose a definitive ban and to allow the continued sale of not only electric cars but also vehicles with alternative drive systems, such as hybrids. am/df