Slovakia’s new prime minister, Robert Fico, has announced that he will stop delivering arms to Ukraine, limiting support to humanitarian and civilian aid.
Slovakia has been a staunch supporter of Kyiv since Russia invaded in February last year, donating arms and opening its borders for refugees. Fico believes an immediate halt to military operations is the best solution for Ukraine and the EU should move from being an arms supplier to a peacemaker.
Russia will not participate in the Ukrainian-backed peace talks held in Malta, warning any discussions without its participation would be counterproductive. The talks aim to drum up support for Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s 10-point peace plan calling for the full withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine’s internationally-recognised borders. Ukraine claims it continues to fend off attempts by Russian forces to encircle Avdiivka in Donetsk oblast, which Russia claims to have annexed last year. Russia is „massively” recruiting Cuban mercenaries to fight in its war against Ukraine, according to Kyiv’s special forces.
