The new prime minister of Slovakia, the pro-Russian Robert Fico, announced on Thursday – a day after his inauguration – the suspension of arms supplies to Ukraine and the limitation of support to the neighboring country with “humanitarian and civilian aid”, writes AFP. .

Robert Fico, leader of the populist party Smer-SD in SlovakiaPhoto: Petr David Yosek / AP / Profimedia

“We consider aid to Ukraine only humanitarian and civilian aid, we will no longer supply weapons to Ukraine,” Fico said the day after his appointment as head of a coalition government linked to a pro-Russian far-right party.

Fico, a close ally of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, won parliamentary elections on September 30 after a campaign in which he advocated an end to military aid to Ukraine, the fight against illegal migration and an independent Slovakia. facilitated by Brussels and the USA.

He also spoke against political liberalism, the activities of non-governmental organizations and the granting of greater rights to transgender people, according to AFP, according to Agerpres.

Robert Fico was appointed Slovakia’s prime minister for a fourth term on Wednesday after campaigning to end military aid to Ukraine and criticizing sanctions against Russia.

Fico resigned as prime minister in 2018 amid unprecedented public protests against corruption that erupted after the murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak.

Last month’s vote was seen as crucial for Slovakia’s future not only because of Fico’s promises to cut aid to Ukraine, but also because of his pro-Moscow sympathies in the NATO member state.

For example, in August, Fico told his supporters that “the war in Ukraine did not start a year ago, but in 2014, when Ukrainian Nazis and fascists started killing Russian citizens in Donbas and Luhansk.”

Fico also praised the Soviet Union for allegedly liberating Czech and Slovak territories from Nazi Germany at the end of World War II.

“For God’s sake, they freed us, we must show some respect,” he urged his countrymen. “We must tell the whole world that freedom came from the East, war always comes from the West,” he added.

“It was an unequivocal victory for the Red Army, and Smer-SD will remember this story every day, every hour, every second,” Fizo told his supporters at a pre-election rally.