Slovakia allows US to use two Air Force bases for 10 years

Europe, News February 10, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Slovakia’s parliament and President Zuzana Caputova approved a defense treaty with the United States on February 9 that would allow the U.S. military to use two air force bases in the Central European nation.

The Defense Cooperation Agreement passed 79-60 votes in the 150-seat legislature between lawmakers from the ruling coalition parties and the opposition.

Under the treaty, the U.S. would be able to use two bases, Malacky-Kuchyna and Sliac, for 10 years and provide $100 million to the NATO member to modernize those bases. However, any potential U.S. forces’ deployment in Slovakia would require approval by the Slovak government and parliament.

The agreement between the two countries was signed by Slovakia’s Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on February 3 in Washington and was ratified on February 9.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated during the signing ceremony, “Nothing in today’s agreement creates permanent U.S. bases or troop presence in Slovakia, and the agreement fully respects Slovakia’s sovereignty and laws.”

Slovakia’s Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad said, “The agreement is giving us an opportunity to modernise, together with the United States, our defense infrastructure.” Nad added, “Our allies are guaranteeing our sovereignty. That’s exactly what alliances are about.”

The United States has similar agreements with most of the NATO members, including Slovakia’s neighbors Poland and Hungary, on NATO’s eastern flank.

*^{Thousands of Slovaks rally to protest a defense military treaty between Slovakia and the United States, in Bratislava, Slovakia on February 8, 2022. (Image Credit: Pavol Zachar/TASR via AP)}*

Thousands of protestors rallied against the agreement in front of the parliament building in Bratislava, where lawmakers were debating the treaty.

Prime Minister of Slovakia Eduard Heger said the agreement with the United States will “significantly enhance our security.” However, the treaty was fiercely opposed by the opposition, claiming that the possible permanent presence of U.S. forces on Slovak territory compromises the sovereignty of the nation and paves the way for the nuclear weapons deployment in Slovakia.

The Slovak Republic is a landlocked country which is bordered by Ukraine to the east. The U.S. and NATO members are increasingly concerned over the Russian military buildup near Ukraine and fear possible Russian invasion despite Moscow’s repeated claims that it has no plans to attack Ukraine.

According to an opinion poll, in January 2022, about 44.1 percent of the Slovak population blamed the U.S. and NATO for the tension between Ukraine and Russia, whereas 34.7 percent believed that Russia was responsible for it.