Support for Ukraine remains strong across much of NATO, but fresh comments from Slovakia's president suggest the alliance is not as united as official summit statements may imply. The debate highlights growing differences over how long military support should continue and whether diplomacy should play a greater role.
INR Report: Based on reporting by RT. Original article HERE: https://www.rt.com/news/642933-ukraine-nato-slovakia-pellegrini/
Slovakia Rejects Claims It Stood Alone
Slovak President Peter Pellegrini says Slovakia was not the only NATO member unwilling to contribute to the alliance's newly announced €70 billion military assistance package for Ukraine.
The package, agreed during last week's NATO summit in Ankara, is intended to provide Ukraine with military equipment, training and other assistance throughout 2026 while maintaining similar support into 2027.
Speaking to Slovak broadcaster TA3, Pellegrini rejected reports that Bratislava had isolated itself within the alliance.
According to the Slovak president, Hungary also declined to participate in the funding package, while the Czech Republic expressed a similar position during discussions. He further suggested that several other NATO governments shared the same view but have not publicly identified themselves.
Pellegrini reaffirmed Slovakia's position that it would neither provide additional weapons nor contribute financially toward further military assistance for Ukraine.
Calls For Diplomacy
Although Pellegrini described the NATO summit as constructive overall, he questioned its heavy emphasis on expanding military support.
He argued that discussions focused extensively on strengthening Ukraine's air defences and long-range strike capability while giving little attention to diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict.
The Slovak president warned that there is no purely military solution to the war and suggested that continuing the current strategy risks prolonging the conflict for years, with ongoing military and civilian casualties.
Slovakia's Changing Position
Since Prime Minister Robert Fico returned to office in late 2023, Slovakia has significantly altered its Ukraine policy.
The government halted official military assistance to Kiev, criticised European Union sanctions on Russia and repeatedly argued that negotiations, rather than continued escalation, offer the only realistic path to ending the conflict.
Russian Response
Russia also criticised the outcome of the NATO summit.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Ukraine's requests for additional missile systems and air defence equipment received little practical response from alliance members.
Moscow continues to argue that Western military support prolongs the conflict without changing its eventual outcome while increasing the risk of a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia.
Does This Affect New Zealand?
While New Zealand is not a NATO member, it has provided military training, humanitarian assistance and non-lethal support to Ukraine, and has coordinated sanctions alongside Western partners.
Growing differences within NATO could influence the wider international debate over future support for Ukraine. For New Zealand, the key issues remain maintaining relationships with Western partners while supporting international law, monitoring defence spending pressures, and assessing how any prolonged conflict continues to affect global energy markets, trade, and geopolitical stability.
Source
Original Article: https://www.rt.com/news/642933-ukraine-nato-slovakia-pellegrini/
Author: RT
Independent reporting. Original context. Credited sources.