Diplomatic — 2026-06-28

Slovakia Will Not Pledge Aid to Ukraine at NATO Summit as Fico Cites Drone Incidents on NATO Territory

BLUFFico's operationally locked position, combined with U.S. non-participation, concentrates the burden of NATO's 70-billion-euro Ukraine pledge onto a narrowing coalition of willing contributors.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced on June 27 that Slovakia will not pledge military or financial contributions to Ukraine at NATO's Ankara summit on July 7-8, telling Slovak media he will negotiate with Defense Minister Kalinak to ensure Bratislava's delegation carries no mandate for new loans or aid 12. NATO diplomats told Politico the summit's draft statement includes a 70-billion-euro ($79 billion) military support pledge for Ukraine, with the United States not expected to contribute 1. Fico cited drone incidents on NATO territory as justification, warning that a drone striking a civilian building could put "World War III on the table" 13. He referenced specifically a Russian Shahed-type drone strike on a Romanian apartment building in May and a Ukrainian naval drone detonation at the Black Sea port of Constanta on June 5 1.

Analysis
Fico's pre-summit coordination with Kalinak to strip Slovakia's delegation of any aid mandate moves this beyond rhetoric into an operationally fixed position. Slovakia's absence from the 70-billion-euro pledge compounds Ankara's credibility problem: with the United States also not contributing, two allies openly withholding narrows the coalition that can be held publicly accountable for the package. Moderate confidence rests on Fico's documented record of following through on anti-Ukraine positions and the operational specificity of the Kalinak instruction, though the sourcing rests on a single Kyiv Independent report amplified without independent access by Ukrainian and RT outlets. The drone incident invocations are cover; his opposition to Ukraine aid substantially predates both events. The pre-summit posture may instead be designed to extract concessions, with Slovakia softening once inside the summit room.

4 sources

Slovakia will not pledge aid to Ukraine at NATO summit, Fico says - Kyiv Independent
Fico opposes new military aid to Ukraine ahead of NATO summit - Ukrainian National News (UNN)
Fico warns Ukrainian drone provocations could spark NATO-Russia conflict - RT
Slovakia will not pay for Ukraine's military expenses — Fico's cynical statement - Online.ua