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Slovakia will not send troops to Ukraine, opposes bringing it into NATO — PM

The European Union is not authorized to make decisions on the participation of foreign troops in peacekeeping operations in a third country, the country’s government stated

BRATISLAVA, February 17. /TASS/. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico will never agree to admit Ukraine to NATO nor will Slovakia ever send its soldiers to Ukraine, the country’s government said.

"The European Union is not authorized to make decisions on the participation of foreign troops [in peacekeeping operations] in a third country. This can be done only on the basis of a resolution adopted by a relevant UN structure or on the basis of bilateral agreements between Ukraine and individual countries that want to send troops to its territory," it said in a statement posted on its Facebook page (Facebook is banned in Russia due to its ownership by Meta, which has been designated as extremist). "Robert Fico has repeatedly articulated his position [on the conflict in Ukraine]. First, he will never accept its membership in NATO <…> Second, Slovakia will not send any army units to Ukraine."

Fico, according to the statement, does not understand what the leaders of seven EU countries and the UK plan to do at the upcoming meeting in Paris concerning the deployment of foreign troops to Ukraine. "This is an agenda that is beyond the European Union’s authority," it said.

The Slovak prime minister views "the participation of EU top officials, including the European Commission president, in the Paris meeting without proper authorization as hurting trust within the EU," the statement said.

Earlier on Monday, Fico spoke over the phone with President of the European Council Antonio Costa ahead of the Paris meeting.

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