Slovakia Refuses EU Military Loans for Kiev, Says Fico

Regional outlets present Robert Fico as adjusting his Ukraine stance under pressure from EU partners and changing politics in Central Europe. They highlight that while he still resists EU‑level military loans, his softer tone has eased tensions with neighbors like Poland. They expect Slovakia to keep blocking new shared borrowing for weapons while staying open to other forms of cooperation with Kyiv.

• •Robert Fico has moderated his public language on Ukraine since Viktor Orbán left office.
• •Radosław Sikorski's remark that "maybe we can forgive him" signals Warsaw's readiness to work with Fico if he avoids blocking core Ukraine decisions.
• •Slovakia is likely to resist EU‑wide military loan schemes for Ukraine even as it avoids open confrontation with larger EU states.
• •Regional governments see Slovakia's stance as a test of how far smaller states can push back against shared EU borrowing for defense.
• •Fico's balancing act is shaped by both domestic skepticism toward the war and the need to avoid isolation inside the EU.