Despite the government’s position, Slovaks raised more than 2 million euros for ammunition for the Armed Forces
Residents of Slovakia have raised more than two million euros to buy ammunition for Ukraine, after the country’s authorities refused to support the Czech Republic’s initiative to raise funds and find ammunition for Kyiv.
This was reported by Reuters.
According to the agency, the campaign, which challenged government policy, was helped to start by Otto Simko, a 99-year-old veteran of the Slovak national uprising against the Nazis in 1944 and a Holocaust survivor.
“When I heard about the initiative of the Czech government, I was very pleased to hear that all the ways are being explored to help Ukraine defend itself against the (Russian) aggressor, because there is no other way,” he said.
According to the agency, the fundraisers said the campaign is aimed at showing that the majority disagrees with the government’s change in foreign policy after the September elections.
- Slovakia suspended state military aid to Ukraine last year, and Prime Minister Robert Fico repeated Moscow’s calls for peace talks.
- Slovakia refused to participate in a Czech initiative to purchase hundreds of thousands of artillery rounds for Kyiv, joined by at least 15 allies.
- On April 16, Czech President Petr Pavel said that the initiative to purchase shells for Ukraine was gaining momentum, in part because of “the realization of a certain debt in respect of the promised support.”
