On 16 September, thousands of protesters took to the streets in 16 Slovakian cities to demonstrate against Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government. The rallies were triggered by Fico’s recent trip to China, where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin for the third time since the start of the war in Ukraine. Fico has also openly challenged the European Union’s policies over Ukraine. New austerity measures to reduce a large budget deficit have also angered labor unions and citizens. The unrest has created an uncertain operational environment and could disrupt supply chains and logistics.