European Council President António Costa opened his annual tour of EU capitals in Bratislava on Tuesday, meeting Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico as the bloc tries to settle its 2028–2034 budget by the end of the year. Costa warned that failure to agree the framework could disrupt EU funding from 2028 for farmers, businesses, students, researchers and innovators. Fico, whose government has repeatedly challenged Brussels over support for Ukraine, said Slovakia backs EU enlargement only for candidates that meet all membership conditions, with “no exceptions, no shortcuts.” Costa said enlargement should remain merit-based and treat candidates equally. Fico previously threatened to block the EU’s €90 billion Ukraine support loan and attended Russia’s Victory Day commemorations in May, drawing outrage from Kyiv’s backers in Europe. Fico and Costa also discussed cohesion and agricultural funding, which Bratislava wants protected in the next budget. The European Council President travels next to Estonia, followed by Latvia on Wednesday, as budget consultations continue across the bloc over the coming weeks.
