No more ‘gifts’ to Ukraine – Slovak PM

Bratislava won’t participate in providing Kiev with loans it will never repay, Robert Fico has said Ukraine will never repay the billions of euros lent to it by the EU to keep it afloat in the conflict with Russia, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has said. Slovakia is refusing to partake in another massive financing package for Kiev.Speaking in Brussels on Wednesday, Fico noted that the existing €90 billion ($101 billion) EU loan package had already proved insufficient. The sum was intended to meet Ukraine’s needs in 2026–2027, with €60 billion allocated to the military and €30 billion to budget support. Under the agreement, Ukraine is required to repay the loan only after receiving Russian reparations – something that Moscow has categorically ruled out.Fico said that the EU is 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. “By all means, give money to Ukraine, but the Slovak Republic will not participate in this mechanism. These are not loans; they are gifts. Ukraine will never pay back any of this money,” he stressed. The prime minister suggested the EU summ...