The E.U. and NATO consensus on arming Ukraine and sanctioning Russia is beginning to crack.
Most recently, on Sept. 30, the Slovak Social Democracy (SMER-SD) party won the parliamentary election in Slovakia on a platform critical of the EU and NATO. They called for stopping all arms shipments to Ukraine and place blame for the war on the West and Kiev.
SMER-SD party leader and former Prime Minister Robert Fico, speaking at a rally last week, said that if his party wins it “will not send a single round [of ammunition] to Ukraine.” He also criticized the EU’s sanctions against Russia as ineffective and harmful.
This vote reflects the popular view in Slovakia. A Globsec survey in March found that 51 percent of Slovaks believed either the West or Ukraine to be “primarily responsible” for the war.
However, SMER-SD’s win was with 23.3 percent of the vote, not a majority. To implement these policies, the party will have to form a coalition government with other parties.
If implemented, this foreign policy would be a 180-degree turn from the position of the current government. Slovakia is currently one Europe’s biggest donors to Ukraine as a share of its gross domestic product. Both a NATO and EU member, the nation has supplied Ukraine with armored personnel carriers, howitzers and its entire fleet of Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets.
Bordering Ukraine, Slovakia has opened its borders to refugees escaping the war. It is also one of the poorest countries in Europe, where there is a pressing need for money for services at home, not war.
The results in Slovakia and the sentiments of the people seem to be the trend in central Europe as opposed to the exception. Hungary and Poland and Serbia are also challenging the EU consensus on supporting Ukraine and sanctioning Russia, with demands being raised to use the money for domestic priorities.
Photo: Slovakia’s former Prime Minister Robert Fico in 2016; a vocal opponent of Slovakia’s support to Ukraine and sanctions on Russia © Andrej Klizan / Wikimedia Commons.
Source: Consortium News.
