Slovak citizens angered by their government’s refusal to provide military aid to Ukraine’s fight against Russian invasion have been raising 2.8m euros - and counting.
The fundraising would be open-ended, according to tbe organizers, with proceeds going to the Czech ammunition drive, from which the first deliveries to Ukraine are expected in June.
As Reuters reports, one of the Slovak citizens who spearhead the Slovak crowdfunding campaign is Otto Simko, a 99-year-old Holocaust survivor.
“When I heard about the Czech government’s initiative, I was very pleased to hear that all ways are being sought to help Ukraine defend itself against the (Russian) aggressor, because there is no other way,” said Simko.
Slovakia halted state military aid to Ukraine last year, arguing the conflict did not have a military solution, and Prime Minister Robert Fico has echoed Moscow’s calls for peace talks.
Simko said in a video posted on the crowdfunders’ YouTube page that Russia needed to be expelled from Ukraine so that “peace can be spoken of on terms that suit Ukrainian independence”.
Fundraisers say the campaign is aimed at showing a majority do not agree with the government’s shift in foreign policy since September’s election.
Previous governments had provided air defence and fighter jets to Kyiv, whereas Fico’s foreign minister met his Russian counterpart in March - a rare high-level meeting involving Moscow and a European Union member.
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