The head of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, Marian Kery (Smer-SD), has convened a committee session on Thursday to address the circumstances of Slovakia's potential donation of MiG-29 fighter aircraft to Ukraine. According to Kery, the interim government lacks the authority to decide on major foreign policy issues, such as donating Slovakia's weapon systems to other countries. Meanwhile, opposition Smer-SD head Robert Fico stated at a press conference on the same day that donating the MiGs to Ukraine would be "an open expression of hostility towards the Russian Federation", calling it a move that would fly in the face of the Constitution
Interim Premier Eduard Heger confirmed on Wednesday that the government will decide on donating Slovakia's decommissioned MiG-29 fighter aircraft to Ukraine when international talks on the matter are completed. The premier at the same time declared that the manner in which the aircraft would be sent to Kiev would be in line with the Constitution, and the public will get to know it when the international talks are finished.
The Government has not yet decided on donating Slovakia's decommissioned MiG-29 fighter aircraft to Ukraine, and it only discussed the matter informally on Wednesday, interim Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad reported following the Government session on the same day.
"Donating the MiGs wasn't submitted to the Government agenda at all, there were no official talks," said Nad, adding that the Government is "still waiting for some more input from foreign partners". According to the minister, international talks on the matter are still ongoing. According to Nad, all ministers on Wednesday agreed on the manner in which they want to decide on donating the jet fighters. "We're very clear on how we're going to do this from the legal standpoint," he claimed.
The defence minister at the same time reported that some of the Slovak MiGs, if ultimately sent to Ukraine, would only be used for spare parts given their technical condition. Moreover, he confirmed that Slovakia wants to donate the aircraft jointly with Poland.
Source: TASR
