Worry and concern follow pro-Kremlin candidate's victory in Slovakia election

https://www.npr.org/2023/10/02/ [login to see] /slovakia-election-fico-ukraine-russia
As Slovakia's election winner Robert Fico begins talks to establish a coalition government, officials in the European Union and NATO — along with people throughout Slovakia's civil society — are worried about how Fico's pro-Russian, anti-American Smer ("Direction" in Slovak) party may govern.

Fico — who's previously served twice as prime minister — campaigned on ceasing all military support for Ukraine, with the slogan "Not a single round" becoming a popular refrain of his party. He repeatedly urged Kyiv to begin peace negotiations with Moscow and claimed the United States played a role in starting the war.

Fico's pledge to stop all military aid to Ukraine, however, may lack any real-world impact, as observers say Slovakia has already exhausted much of its weaponry in helping Ukraine over the past two years.