Many people, including a writer, took part in a fundraiser to help the Ukrainian army buy weapons.
In Slovakia, a group of people raised more than four million euros for Ukraine.
The initiative called “Ammunition for Ukraine” has the objective, as its name indicates, of supplying weapons and ammunition to the Ukrainian army.
The Slovak government defends a pro-Russian position but the many participants in this initiative are in total disagreement with their leaders.
Euronews met project coordinator Lucia Štasselová:
“_In some interviews, our government jokes about our initiative, saying that it is almost nothing…. They are the official leaders of this country, so we respect them, but we live in a democracy, so we take that as a whole, that the government is not ready to help, but that the people who live in Slovakia want to help.”
Slovak writer Martin Simečka chimekchka also took part in the fundraising. He says donations are a great way for civilians to really help.
“People are upset with this government and for them it was a way to keep their voice and their money and to show that we are here and that we do not agree with the government and that this is a way to show it. On the contrary, if the government is pro-Ukrainian, it would make no sense to collect money from the people. Even if someone had tried, they wouldn’t have been as successful.“
Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar said at the end of March that Slovakia would not send weapons to Ukraine because “There is no military solution to war.
According to the initiative’s organizers, many Slovaks believe the government’s pro-Russian stance is a shame, which is why so many support the initiative.
Additional sources • Somaya Aqad