Activists in Slovakia defy PM Fico by raising €4 million for Ukrainian army

Slovak citizens who disagree with the policy of Prime Minister Robert Fico have already raised almost $4.2 million to purchase ammunition for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the website of the citizens' fundraising initiative reported on April 27.

The volunteers have already managed to raise 3,881,091 euros ($4.2 million) in 12 days. More than 60,000 donors have provided funds.

One of the initiators of the campaign was 99-year-old Otto Šimko, a Holocaust survivor who participated in the Slovak uprising against the Nazis in 1944.

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The money will be used to purchase ammunition for Ukraine as part of the Czech initiative, which has been joined by about 20 countries. Citizens will transfer the money directly to the Czech government.

The Foreign Ministries of Slovakia and Hungary announced on March 21 that they will not participate in the Czech initiative to purchase 800,000 artillery shells for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The pro-Russian government of Slovakia headed by Robert Fico

On Feb. 24, the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Fico said that Russia's war against Ukraine began in 2014 with "rampant Ukrainian neo-Nazis."

Fico has repeatedly stated that Slovakia will stop military aid to Ukraine and focus only on humanitarian support. Fico also claims that "it is better for Ukraine and Russia to negotiate over the next ten years than to kill each other."

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The Slovak prime minister also said that Ukraine "should give" Russia part of its territory to end the war.

Russia "will never give back" Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts to Ukraine, Fico said on April 17.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine