“I am afraid that the West is going to the worst solution in Ukraine, to a total escalation of tensions. Even if my position were to cost me the position of Prime Minister, I will do everything to prevent the direct participation of Slovak soldiers in the war in Ukraine,” said Fico in the video published on a social network.
The Slovak Prime Minister said these words in connection with what he called Monday’s “combat meeting on Ukraine” in Paris, called by French President Emmanuel Macron. Fico said he had “chilling” information, but did not elaborate.
In addition to convening the State Security Council, Fico also wants to convene a meeting of the Slovak government in this context and wants to speak with his coalition partners, the chairman of the Voice of Social Democracy Party, Petr Pellegrini, and the chairman of the Slovak National Party, Andrej Danek.
On the occasion of the second anniversary of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Fico said that the West’s strategy in Ukraine had failed. According to the head of the Slovak government, the war started already in 2014 “with the rule of Ukrainian neo-Nazis”. He described Ukraine’s eventual entry into the North Atlantic Alliance as “a good basis for the start of the third world war” and expressed his determination to block Ukraine’s entry into NATO.
The Ukrainian media reacted to Fico’s words by noting that the Slovak prime minister took Putin’s side.
Robert Fico would block a possible proposal for Ukraine to join NATO
Summit on aid to Ukraine in Paris
Monday’s meeting is hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.
A total of twenty presidents and prime ministers of mainly European countries should take part in the talks, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Foreign Minister David Cameron, Polish President Andrzej Duda and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The Czech delegation will be led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala.
For example, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, considered the main European ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, will not arrive. In contrast to the original information of the French press, on the other hand, the Slovak Prime Minister Fico will arrive, who is critical of further military aid to Ukraine.
According to AFP, no new military aid to Ukraine is expected to be announced at the summit. According to French officials, it will be regarding ways to help the attacked country more effectively and decisively. Ukrainian officials pointed out on Sunday that roughly half of Western military aid is getting into the country late.
