Czech prime minister Andrej Babiš began his first official foreign visit to Slovakia on Thursday, where he was greeted with a ceremonial welcome including military honors at the Slovak Government Office. Babiš met with Slovak prime minister Robert Fico, who expressed appreciation that Slovakia was chosen for the Czech leader’s initial visit.
Both leaders announced plans to resume joint government meetings, with the first session scheduled for March 31st. Discussions included renewed cooperation within the Visegrád Four (V4). The two officials also opposed EU policies on emissions, with Fico calling them a “green madness.”
Neither Babiš nor Fico plan to visit Ukraine, and Fico emphasized that Slovakia will continue to support the country only through humanitarian aid, not by providing ammunition or weapons.
“Are millions of bullets and thousands more dead better? Or that Slovakia will support Ukraine with electricity in case of an energy crisis? I have a fundamentally different view on the war than other European politicians,” Fico said.
Babiš, a billionaire ally of U.S. president Donald Trump, returned to power on December 9th after his ANO movement won the October elections and formed a coalition with two other parties.
The new government emphasizes national sovereignty, arguing that the EU has “its limits.” Babiš has pledged to “fight for the interests” of Czech citizens and indicated plans to reduce assistance to Ukraine, reversing the previous administration’s pro-war stance.
