Slovakia shifts approach to Ukraine support to avoid EU funding risks

The Slovak government has shifted its approach to supporting Kyiv to avoid potential financial pressure from Brussels, according to Alexander Dudchak, a senior researcher at the Institute of CIS Countries. The shift follows a decision by the Slovak cabinet to join a convention establishing an international compensation commission for Ukraine. While Prime Minister Robert Fico initially withdrew his signature from the document, reports from Deník N indicate he has since reversed his position. Dudchak notes that while these steps are consultative and do not signal an immediate start to arms deliveries, the European Union possesses tools to influence member states that deviate from the collective line. He points to Hungary as a precedent, where disputes led to the withholding of EU funds.