Current:Home > Contact-usSlovakia halts military aid for Ukraine as parties that oppose it negotiate to form a new government-InfoLens
Slovakia halts military aid for Ukraine as parties that oppose it negotiate to form a new government
View Date:2024-12-23 12:01:30
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Slovakia’s president has refused a plan by her country’s caretaker government to send further military aid to Ukraine, saying it doesn’t have the authority and parties that oppose such support are in talks to form a government following last week’s election.
The presidential office said in a statement Thursday that the current government of technocrats has only limited powers because it lost a mandatory confidence vote in Parliament on June 15, a month after President Zuzana Caputova swore it in.
The technocrat Cabinet was created with the aim of leading the country to Saturday’s early election.
Caputova on Monday asked the leader of the winning party in the election to try to form a coalition government. Populist former prime minister Robert Fico and his leftist Smer, or Direction, party captured 22.9% of the vote on Saturday. It will have 42 seats in the 150-seat Parliament.
Fico has vowed to withdraw Slovakia’s military support for Ukraine, and his victory could further strain the fragile unity in the European Union and NATO.
Fico needs to find coalition partners to rule with a parliamentary majority and has been negotiating with two other parties. He has been given two weeks.
The presidential office said that Caputova, who has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine and visited Kyiv twice since the start of the Russian invasion, has not changed her view on the necessity of military assistance for Ukraine.
But the statement said that “approving a military aid package by the current outgoing government would create a risky precedent for the change of power after any future elections.”
It said the president is ready to support military assistance proposed by any government with full powers.
Slovakia has been a major supporter of Ukraine, donating arms, including its fleet of Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets.
The caretaker government had been planning to send ammunition to Ukraine’s armed forces and to train Ukrainian soldiers in demining.
veryGood! (741)
Related
- My Chemical Romance will perform 'The Black Parade' in full during 2025 tour: See dates
- Which movie should win the best picture Oscar? Our movie experts battle it out
- Spanish utility Iberdrola offers to buy remaining shares to take 100% ownership of Avangrid
- Bill to protect election officials unanimously passes Maryland Senate
- He failed as a service dog. But that didn't stop him from joining the police force
- Amy Schumer Is Kinda Pregnant While Filming New Movie With Fake Baby Bump
- Inside 2024 Oscar Nominee Emma Stone's Winning Romance With Husband Dave McCary
- Millie Bobby Brown Claps Back on Strange Commentary About Her Accent
- Tom Brady Shares How He's Preparing for Son Jack to Be a Stud
- Natalie Portman and husband Benjamin Millepied finalize divorce after 11 years of marriage
Ranking
- Todd Golden to continue as Florida basketball coach despite sexual harassment probe
- Why Fans Think Ariana Grande’s New Music Is About ex Dalton Gomez
- Fatal crash in western Wisconsin closes state highway
- Sheldon Johnson, Joe Rogan podcast guest, arrested after body parts found in freezer
- Pete Alonso's best free agent fits: Will Mets bring back Polar Bear?
- Teen Mom's Taylor Selfridge Reveals When Her Daughter Will Have Final Heart Surgery
- 2024 NHL trade deadline tracker: Golden Knights add Tomas Hertl; Hurricanes strike again
- A bill that could lead to a nation-wide TikTok ban is gaining momentum. Here’s what to know
Recommendation
-
Teachers in 3 Massachusetts communities continue strike over pay, paid parental leave
-
Tiger Woods won't play in the 2024 Players Championship
-
Spring Ahead with Kate Spade Outlet’s Weekend Deals – $59 Crossbodies, $29 Wristlets & More
-
Black applications soar at Colorado. Coach Prime Effect?
-
Massive dust storm reduces visibility, causes vehicle pileup on central California highway
-
Some fans at frigid Chiefs-Dolphins playoff game underwent amputations, hospital confirms
-
‘Oh my God feeling.’ Trooper testifies about shooting man with knife, worrying about other officers
-
Indiana lawmakers pass bill defining antisemitism, with compromises