The US-Slovakia Defense Cooperation Agreement

Image of the DCA signing ceremony (Source: US Embassy in Slovakia)

Author: Anna Maloney

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After a parliamentary vote, the Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) signed on February 3rd between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the Slovakian defense minister Jaroslav Nad, awaits only the approval of President Zuzana Čaputová. President Čaputová has a political history favoring NATO strengthening alliances, and most analysts forecast that the agreement will quickly be signed by the administration. The opposition party in Slovakia have argued that the agreement will compromise the country’s sovereignty and make it possible for U.S. troops to remain indefinitely on Slovakian soil. Thousands of protestors rallied against the agreement in front of the parliamentary building while lawmakers debated it yesterday.

Political Divides

The current ruling coalition in Slovakia is composed of four separate parties, and the slovakian opposition has recently rallied and unified to combat the proposed U.S. DCA. The far right Peoples Party and the leftist Smer-Social Democracy are two such groups that have found common ground in an anti-U.S. and anti-NATO argument. This greater alliance of two parties with wildly varying belief sets indicates a stronger anti-U.S. minority coming together in Slovakia, though some analysts argue that politicians protesting the DCA may also be attempting to sway votes from more nationalistic slovakians. On the US side, the press regarding the DCA has been mostly positive, and the issue appears not to inflame any major political party.

What the Defense Cooperation Agreement Entails

If approved by President Čaputová, the agreement would allow for the United States to use two slovakian air bases for a decade. Slovakia will receive, in return, 100 million dollars from the U.S. to improve the bases and to modernize. Although the United States and Slovakia have had close diplomatic relations for a long time, the recent crisis in Ukraine has strengthened relations between the two NATO members and pushed the deal forward. The Defense Cooperation Agreement can be seen as proof of a closer future between Slovakia and the United States, especially as the countries in the region continually seek sovereign protection from perceived threats in Russia and beyond.