Over €4 million was raised by Slovakians in the last month to provide weapons for the Ukrainian army.
The ‘Ammunition for Ukraine’ initiative was launched in Slovakia in mid-April, reaching 67,000 donations within a month.
The initiative comes after Slovakian Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar announced in late March that Slovakia would not send arms to Ukraine because “there is no military solution to the war.”
According to the organisers of the initiative to donate money for ammunition purchases, many Slovakians disagree with their government’s pro-Russian stance, leading to widespread support for their cause.
Lucia Štasselová, one of the initiative’s main organisers, met with Euronews in Bratislava.
She said the idea for the project came from a photojournalist and the head of the Open Society.
They had approached Štasselová and other organisers who later joined the team, for a simple reason – they disagreed with the Slovakian government’s policy towards Ukraine.
“The government is not willing to help, but the people living in Slovakia want to help,” she told Euronews.
The well-known Slovakian journalist and writer Martin Šimečka also took part in the fundraising. “Donating is a great way for civilians who want to do something to feel they are helping,” he said.
