Slovakia’s Heger Overcomes Opposition at Home to Provide Jets for Ukraine

Slovakia signed an intergovernmental agreement on the provision of military equipment, effectively jets, with Ukraine on March 17, despite threats from Russia.

The decision came a year after the Heger-led government first mentioned the possibility of sending the jets to Ukraine if preceded by an official request from Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked interim Prime Minister Heger for MiG-29 jets in early February during a meeting in Brussels.

Ukraine is expected to receive the remaining nine MiG-29 jets, two Kub short-range air defence missile systems, spare parts and missiles from Slovakia in the coming weeks. Interim Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said in a recent radio interview that the transfer of the remaining equipment, unlike the first four jets flown by Ukrainian pilots, would be gradual and on the ground.   

It is believed that Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová could announce the successful completion of the transfer of jets during her April visit to Kyiv.

Even so, a majority of Slovaks disapprove of the transfer. In an Ipsos survey for the Denník N daily conducted a week before the agreement was signed, 60 per cent said they were against the provision of jets to Ukraine. The high number is attributed to a narrative, denied by the relatively unpopular prime minister, being pushed by the extremist and pro-Russian part of the Slovak opposition that the government is dragging Slovakia into war by supplying Ukraine with more military equipment. This narrative appears to be finding traction in a society that is heavily exposed and vulnerable to Russian propaganda.

"Just as our S-300 [long-range missile] system that we provided [to Ukraine last April] has saved thousands of lives, so...