PM Announces Halt To Ukraine Military Aid, Sets Up Confrontation w/EU

Newly-appointed Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico has announced an immediate halt to his gov'ts military aid to Ukraine, delivering on one of his most controversial election pledges. Speaking to members of the National Council Fico stated that humanitarian aid to Kyiv would continue uninterrupted. Fico: "It is better to negotiate peace for 10 years than to kill each other for 10 years without any result,"

• Euronews on Fico's stances: "He opposes EU sanctions on Russia, questions whether Ukraine can force out the invading Russian troops and wants to block Ukraine from joining NATO."
• All of this sets up confrontations between the leaderships of the EU and NATO, and Bratislava. With the European Council summitgetting underway later today Fico could find a cold reception in Brussels at the start of his third stint as PM.
• Should Slovakia seek to obstruct EU actions in either providing major relief funding to Ukraine via the long-term budget, or blocking further rounds of sanctions on Russia, it could find itself isolated (with the exception of fellow 'illiberal leader' in the form of Hungary's Viktor Orban') and subject to intense pressure from Brussels and EU leaders such as Germany, France, and Italy.