Both Hungary and Slovakia benefit from arms production. In doing so, they secretly support Ukraine in the war against Russia.
Budapest – Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has so far been more of an aid to Russia than to the EU when it comes to Ukraine. Now the country has significantly expanded its arms production, which, according to media reports, could be an advantage for Ukraine. In the last five years, three new factories have been opened that, among other things, assemble armored personnel carriers. By 2027, Hungary is expected to become one of the largest producers of 155-millimeter artillery shells in the world NATO become. By then, the country wants to have completed the construction of a total of ten new production facilities, according to the news portal t online reports.
The expansion of arms production is intended to eliminate the lack of delivery of artillery shells to Ukraine. Last year, the EU promised to deliver 1 million artillery shells to Ukraine every year. However, the promise could not be kept: last year only 300,000 bullets were delivered.
Slovakia for supporting Ukraine in the war with Russia
The situation is similar in Slovakia: Ukraine benefits there too. After the election of the Russia-friendly Prime Minister Robert Fico in Slovakia in autumn 2023, he actually announced the end of military aid for Ukraine. A few months later, the Slovak government decided to support the Ukraine at war with Russia.
The Slovak defense industry continued to supply weapons and ammunition, including the domestically produced Zuzana howitzers. The government explained that the reason for the change of opinion was its commitment to existing contracts and the economic risks of withdrawing from international arms production. However, the support should not come from the stocks of the own army.
Both Hungary and Slovakia benefit from arms production. Both countries maintain close cooperation with international partners in the defense industry. Hungary works with manufacturers from the Czech Republic, Italy, Turkey and Germany. Slovakia's state-owned company Konštrukta-Defence sold weapons worth around 85 million euros last year. The state-owned ammunition manufacturer ZVS Holding sold 202 ammunition worth 44 million euros from January to July. (jek)
#Slovakia #Hungary #secretly #support #Ukraine
