Thousands of people took to the streets of Bratislava on Tuesday to show their support for Ukraine and protest against Slovakia’s government, which critics say has gotten too close to Russia, Reuters reported.

Since coming to power last year, Prime Minister Robert Fizo’s government has sharply criticized Europe’s military aid to Ukraine, while trying to restore both cultural and political ties with Russia.

The latest example came this month, when Slovakian Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar held talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, a rare high-level meeting between a European Union member state and a country the EU has sought to isolate.

“People in Ukraine hear this every day,” protest organizer Michal Hvoretskyi told the crowd as the demonstration began with the sound of air raid sirens.

“I am here because the actions of this coalition government cross all borders,” Hvoretskyi said from the podium, where a banner labeling Russia a “terrorist state” hung alongside the flags of Slovakia, Ukraine, the European Union and NATO.

According to news site Dennik N, organizers estimated 5,000 people.

Robert Fizo’s administration is campaigning for a “diplomatic solution” to the war in Ukraine

Fico has faced ongoing protests over his policies, mainly over a criminal code overhaul that critics say weakens the fight against corruption, but this was the first demonstration against his foreign policy.

“I don’t like the direction our prime minister is taking after the election,” said Roman, a 45-year-old IT worker who joined Tuesday’s protest. “I’m disappointed. We’re part of the West.”

Fico defended his government’s “balanced and sovereign” foreign policy and said there was no military solution to the conflict in Ukraine, which has been going on for more than two years since the Russian invasion.

He refused to provide armed aid to Ukraine – with the exception of trade supplies – on the grounds that it would only prolong hostilities. Ukraine’s Western allies rejected that argument, saying that cutting off aid would lead to Ukraine’s defeat, not negotiations.

Foreign Minister Blanar also defended his meeting with Lavrov on March 2, which he said was at the request of the Russian side, saying a diplomatic solution was needed.

Fico has spoken out against sanctions against Russia, but has not yet stopped EU measures or financial aid to Ukraine.

In January, the Minister of Culture of Slovakia, Martina Simkovikova, decided to restore cultural ties with Russia.

The change in foreign policy angered some allies. Last week, the Czech government made a strong symbolic gesture by suspending for the foreseeable future joint meetings with the Slovak government that had been a regular occurrence in past administrations.

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