During the cabinet meeting on November 8, 2023, the Slovak government rejected the decision to transfer the 14th package of military aid to Ukraine, with an estimated value of 40 million euros, as previously prepared by the former government.
The intended contents of this package included 4 million rounds of 7.62 mm caliber ammunition, 5,172 shells for tank guns with a caliber of 125 mm, eight mortars with 1,200 associated bombs, and 140 anti-aircraft missiles for the Kub air defense system, Slovak public news agency TASR reports.
Read more: Slovakia Denies Further Military Aid to Ukraine But Business Contracts Still Active: What Weapons Are For Sale
The previous Slovak government provided the Ukrainian Army with 13 packages of military aid worth a total of EUR 671 million during the full-scale invasion by the russian federation into Ukraine. Slovakia was one of the first NATO countries to offer assistance to Ukraine at the onset of the battles against the russian forces.
Bratislava supplied Ukraine with S-300 surface-to-air missile systems, MiG-29SA fighter jets, helicopters, air defense equipment, and various other critical equipment, not to mention the weapons procured through contracts with Slovak manufacturers.
TASR reminds that the decision to block the 14th donation of military aid for Ukraine was due to the stance of Slovakia's new Prime Minister, Robert Fico, who publicly pledged not to "send a single round of ammunition to Ukraine," as quoted by the BBC.
However, it's noteworthy that Fico did not stand in the way of Ukraine's ongoing commercial defense contracts with Slovakia, stating, "When some company wants to make weapons and send them somewhere, nobody is going to obstruct that," as delivered by Reuters.
One unexpected item in the list of denied military aid is the 140 anti-aircraft missiles for the Kub system. Although quite easily explained by the fact the Ukrainian Armed Forces have previously indicated that they had received additional SAMs of this type from foreign partners and Slovakia was among the announced suppliers.
Read more: Ukraine Has Received at Least Two NASAMS Anti-Aircraft Missile Systems
