Peter Tkacenko News Today

Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico said his government will not prevent arms sales from Slovak companies to Ukraine, the Slovak news outlet Dennik N reported on Nov. 6.

Key developments on Oct. 26: White House: Russia endures heavy losses near Avdiivka, suffers from low morale US announces $150 million aid package for Ukraine Infrastructure Minister denies suspension of Ukrainian Black Sea corridor New Slovak PM Robert Fico rules out military aid for Ukraine Hamas delegation visits Moscow Danilov: Ukraine to increase domestic ammunition production U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said that according to Washington's assessments, Russia...

Orban, "for the time being," rejected the planned 50 billion euros ($53 billion) aid package for Kyiv, and Fico named corruption in Ukraine as a potential challenge to future support, Euroactiv said.

Slovakia's newly-appointed Prime Minister Robert Fico said his country would no longer send arms to Ukraine and vowed to promote this stance also on the European level, the Guardian reported on Oct. 26.

Fico's SMER, which came first in the Sep. 30 parliamentary elections with 22.9% of the vote, formed a new cabinet together with the social-democratic HLAS (Voice) party and the ultranationalist Slovak National Party (SNS).

Leaders of the left-populist SMER, social-democratic HLAS, and the ultranationalist Slovak National Party have agreed on how to divide ministerial seats in the new government, Aktuality reported on Oct. 16.

Over the past year, allied nations Poland and Ukraine went from displays of enthusiastic support and gratitude to trading veiled accusations in the UN General Assembly. When Russia launched a full-scale invasion, Poland took the initiative to provide weapons to Ukraine and called on others to do the same. Poland's people and government hosted millions of Ukrainian refugees.

Earthquake tremors were felt in the west of Ukraine on the evening of Oct. 9, following reports of an earthquake in the east of Slovakia.

Pro-Russian populist Robert Fico’s strong showing in Slovakia’s election could lead to another fracture in the Western-led coalition to counter Vladimir Putin’s imperialism. Already, cracks have been emerging in the erstwhile close alliance between Ukraine and Poland in the run-up to the Polish elections on October 15. With Hungary ruled by Viktor Orban, a reliable Putin ally, U.S. President Joe Biden may soon need to contend not only with Donald Trump’s camp of pro...

The Slovak Defense Ministry had prepared a new assistance package for Ukraine that President Zuzana Čaputová could have signed while Fico's predecessor was still in office. However, the president declined, saying the parliamentary elections must be respected.