Slovakia asks Kyiv for help in finding workers
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The Slovak government asked Ukraine for cooperation in addressing its skilled labor shortage on the day it approved an aid package for Ukrainian energy infrastructure, which has been the target of Russian attacks, it was announced this Friday.
"Our industry needs 100,000 to 150,000 skilled workers, and it is very difficult to seek cooperation with countries with language barriers," explained Slovak Prime Minister Roberto Fico during a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Yulia Svyrydenko.
The Slovak Prime Minister proposed a "strategic partnership" with Kyiv, aiming to create an "institutional and legal framework" that would allow the recruitment of Ukrainian workers. "We are facing historically low unemployment rates, and I can say that everyone who wants to work has a job," the Slovak Prime Minister added.
According to the Slovak Ministry of Labor, the unemployment rate in the country stood at 5.3% in the second quarter of 2025, one of the lowest levels in the last decade .
Slovakia currently hosts around 145,000 Ukrainian refugees who fled the Russian invasion, representing 2.67% of the population, according to a consortium of non-governmental organizations working with migrants.
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Also this Friday, the Slovak government approved the delivery of an additional aid package for Ukraine's energy infrastructure, which has been hit by Russian attacks during the ongoing war, in a gesture that unites Kyiv and Bratislava, which has already warned that its support will be exclusively humanitarian.
During her meeting with Fico, Yulia Sviridenko expressed her gratitude for the gesture made by the Slovak authorities, who are criticized within Europe for their closeness to the Moscow authorities, along with Hungary.
In a subsequent statement, Ukrainian authorities specified that the Slovak aid package to strengthen Ukraine's energy sector is valued at €500,000. It was also announced that €300,000 will be channeled toward the renovation of schools and shelters in educational centers located near the front lines.
During the meeting, Fico supported Ukraine's pro-European aspirations. "It will be beneficial for the stability of the region and for our bilateral relations," said the Slovak prime minister.
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