MOSCOW, January 24. /TASS/. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal has claimed that his Slovak counterpart Robert Fico promised to support amendments to the EU budget for 2024-2027 which call for allocating 50 billion euros to Kiev.

"Slovakia will support the Ukraine Facility program, which provides for the allocation of 50 billion euros to Ukraine by the European Union," Shmygal wrote on his Telegram channel.

Shmygal also said that during Fico’s recent visit to Uzhgorod they "came to terms on a number of issues," including the issue of "a Slovak company supplying equipment for the construction of defense lines." According to Shmygal, the Slovak government will not block Ukraine’s purchase of weapons and equipment from local manufacturers. The Ukrainian Prime Minister also said that Fico guaranteed support for Kiev’s European integration aspirations.

The Prime Minister of Slovakia has not commented on the issue to this point. The negotiations were not followed by a press conference. Meanwhile, the TASR news agency, reported citing Shmygal, that "Slovakia and Ukraine will develop pragmatic relations."

According to the Slovak news agency, despite differing viewpoints on some issues between the governments of both countries, Bratislava and Kiev will implement the "policy of new pragmatism," and the meeting of the prime ministers marks a new chapter in bilateral relations.

An emergency EU summit is expected to take place on February 1 to come to terms on amendments to the organization’s multi-year budget up through 2027 with the goal of allocating 50 bln euros in aid to Ukraine over the next four years.

At the EU summit in Brussels on December 14-15 last year, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban blocked these budget amendments. Hungary proposed to provide financial assistance to Ukraine gradually, on an annual basis and with strict control over how the funds would be spent. Budapest believes that off-budgetary sources of financing should be used instead of taking general loans.

Previously Fico spoke out in support of Hungary's position. He spoke in favor of helping Ukraine "without harming the EU budget," and also noted that the community provides Kiev with significantly more funds than some member states.

Fico's visit to Uzhgorod

Fico previously said that at a meeting with Shmygal he was to inform him that Slovakia would stop military assistance to Ukraine and did not support its plans to join NATO. According to the Slovak Prime Minister, Bratislava is ready to use its veto power in the North Atlantic Alliance, since Ukraine’s possible entry into the bloc risks becoming "the basis for a third world war."

As for plans to bring Ukraine into the EU, Fico stressed that Kiev "must fulfill the conditions" imposed on all candidate states. The Slovak Prime Minister also said that "Ukraine is under the full control and influence of the United States.".