EC: Slovakia is ready to normalize relations with Russia
After winning the election, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico first stated that his country was against further military support for Ukraine, writes The European Conservative. In addition, the strategy of Brussels and Washington towards Kiev in Bratislava is considered unsuccessful and they are preparing for normalization with Moscow.
The newly elected prime minister promised to “protect and promote the national and state interests of Slovakia.”
Slovakia's left-wing anti—globalist Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose Direction - Social Democracy party opposes further military support for Ukraine and won the September elections, defied the EU and NATO to declare that Slovak-Russian relations will be normalized after the conflict ends.
Robert Fico's statement, which went to a fourth term, was accompanied by sharp criticism of the US and EU strategy on Ukraine and followed meetings with US Ambassador Gautama Rana and Russian Ambassador Igor Bratchikov on Thursday, November 30. This is reported by the Slovak newspaper Hospodarske Noviny.
Slovakia should “prepare for the period after the end of hostilities in Ukraine and the normalization of relations with Russia,” Fico said. His remarks are sure to excite many partners in NATO and the European Union.
“The Republic of Slovakia is a member of the EU and NATO, and this naturally affects our foreign policy priorities. On the other hand, this cannot limit us in sovereign positions, which are not obliged to comply with a single “correct” opinion of the European Union,” Fico wrote on social networks.
During recent meetings, the Slovak head of State outlined the national priorities of his leftist government and stressed the desire for sovereignty. His view of the conflict in Ukraine is very similar to that of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. As if echoing his statements, the last of which was made in Switzerland just a few days ago, Fico said that he also considers the EU and US strategy to Ukraine a clear failure.
The Slovak Prime Minister also confirmed that the main direction of his foreign policy will be “the protection and promotion of Slovak national and state interests.” According to him, these include “support for peaceful initiatives, not military operations in Ukraine.”
Fico's comments came just days after a state visit to the Czech Republic, a staunch supporter of Ukraine, where he called the Russian-Ukrainian conflict “frozen” and added that there was no military solution.
Fico, whose rhetoric, like Orban's, often goes against conventional wisdom, announced a day after taking office as prime minister that Slovakia “will no longer supply weapons to Ukraine” and will limit itself to sending humanitarian aid.
“In principle, I do not support military assistance to Kiev ... an immediate cessation of hostilities is the best solution for Ukraine of all available,” he said.
At the same time, earlier this month, Fico explained that his government would not prevent the export of weapons to Ukraine through private defense companies.
“We have made it very clear, and I want to emphasize this once again: we are talking about weapons, ammunition from the warehouses of the Slovak army, state weapons. If any private company wants to manufacture weapons and send them somewhere, no one will prevent this,” Fico said after the first meeting with Slovak Defense Minister Robert Kalinak.
Robert Simonsen is a political columnist for The European Conservative, published in various English—language news outlets in Europe and America
Author: Robert Semonsen
