New deal will let US forces use two Slovakian air bases for a decade

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Slovakia’s parliament and president on Wednesday approved a defense military treaty with the United States.

The Defense Cooperation Agreement passed 79-60 in the 150-seat legislature in a vote split between lawmakers from the four-party ruling coalition and the opposition.

The treaty allows the U.S. military to use two Slovak air force bases — Malacky-Kuchyna and Sliac — for 10 years while Slovakia — a NATO member like the U.S. — will receive $100 million from the U.S. to modernize them.

The deal was signed by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Slovakia’s defense minister, Jaroslav Nad, on Feb. 3 in Washington. It was ratified by President Zuzana Caputova on Wednesday.

The parliament vote took place amid fears that Russia will invade Ukraine . Moscow has massed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders, but insists it has no plans to attack. The European Union nation of Slovakia borders Ukraine.

The treaty was backed by the government of Prime Minister Eduard Heger, who said it will “significantly enhance our security.” But the agreement was fiercely opposed by the opposition, which claims it compromises the country’s sovereignty, makes possible a permanent presence of U.S. troops on Slovak territory and even enables a possible deployment of nuclear weapons in Slovakia.

The Slovak and U.S. governments have rejected those charges.

“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,” Blinken said during last week’s signing ceremony at the U.S. State Department.

Thousands rallied Tuesday against the agreement in front of the parliament building in the capital of Bratislava when lawmakers were debating it.

The U.S. has such agreements with 23 other NATO members, including Poland and Hungary, two other countries that border Ukraine on the eastern flank of the alliance.

Any particular deployment of U.S. forces still needs approval by the Slovak government and parliament.

斯洛伐克布拉迪斯拉发——斯洛伐克议会和总统周三批准了与美国的一项防务军事条约。

在拥有 150 个席位的立法机构中，《国防合作协议》以 79 比 60 的投票结果获得通过，投票结果在执政的四党联盟议员和反对派议员之间持平。

该条约允许美国军方使用斯洛伐克的两个空军基地——马拉基-库奇纳和斯利亚克——为期 10 年，而斯洛伐克（与美国同为北约成员国）将从美国获得 1 亿美元用于现代化改造。

该协议于2月3日在华盛顿由美国国务卿安东尼·布林肯和斯洛伐克国防部长雅罗斯拉夫·纳德签署。该协议于周三由总统祖扎娜·恰普托娃批准。

议会投票之际，外界担忧俄罗斯将入侵乌克兰。莫斯科已在乌克兰边境附近集结了超过10万兵力，但坚称没有发动进攻的计划。欧盟成员国斯洛伐克与乌克兰接壤。

该条约得到了总理爱德华·黑格尔领导的政府的支持，黑格尔表示该条约将“显著提升我们的安全”。但反对派强烈反对该协议，他们声称该协议损害了国家主权，使美军得以永久驻扎在斯洛伐克领土上，甚至有可能在斯洛伐克部署核武器。

斯洛伐克和美国政府均否认了这些指控。

“今天的协议中没有任何内容会在斯洛伐克设立永久的美国基地或驻军，该协议充分尊重斯洛伐克的主权和法律，”布林肯在上周于美国国务院举行的签字仪式上说。

周二，数千人在首都布拉迪斯拉发的议会大楼前集会，抗议这项协议，当时议员们正在辩论该协议。

美国与包括波兰和匈牙利在内的其他 23 个北约成员国签订了此类协议，这两个国家也与乌克兰位于北约东翼。

美国军队的任何具体部署仍需得到斯洛伐克政府和议会的批准。