Slovakia's newly-appointed Prime Minister Robert Fico is expected to withdraw the country's support for military aid for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia when he attends his first European Union summit, according the reports in the Slovakian media.

The country's government hasn't yet responded to the reports but Fico's leadership campaign in September pushed several key pledges, including halting aid for Ukraine, protecting the country from illegal immigrants and making foreign policy independent.

On Thursday Fico will have the chance to voice his thoughts on those three key issues when European leaders meet in Brussels to discuss two key global conflicts – Israel's ongoing battle with Hamas and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

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Military aid for Ukraine

European nations have pledged billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine since the start of the country's conflict with Russia in February 2022. But Israel's conflict with Hamas, which erupted following an attack by Hamas against Israeli civilians, has seen global attention switch to the Middle East.

That has led to fears in Ukraine and amongst diplomats that military aid could be reduced or halted as the U.S. and other Western nations divert their resources towards the Israeli conflict. 

The EU's two-day meeting will run through plans to deliver multi-year funding for Ukraine, including $52.6 billion in financial aid and up to $21 billion in military aid, though they won't be able to officially sign off that package until the end of the year as the money is part of a wider funding battle.

Before heading to Brussels on Thursday, Fico, a three-time prime minister last in power in 2018, and appointed for a fourth time as prime minister on Wednesday, told a parliamentary committee he would not support military aid for Ukraine, according to Slovak news website Dennik N. 

"We all see there is no military solution," Fico was quoted as saying. 

On sanctions against Russia, Fico said he would not vote for any new measures until he assessed their impact on Slovakia, Dennik N and and the Pravda newspaper's website reported. 

Previous Slovakian governments have shipped military hardware including fighter jets, an S-300 air defense system, and fighting and de-mining vehicles to Ukraine.

Fico has said he supports humanitarian and reconstruction efforts, and backed peace talks for Ukraine as it battles Russia's attack – a line similar to that of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban but rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies, who say this would only encourage Russian aggression. 

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