Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico has reiterated his opposition to Ukraine’s proposed NATO membership, as well as to NATO getting militarily involved in the war, saying that would lead to the outbreak of World War III. The prime minister’s comments came as European Union leaders prepare to discuss Ukraine—among other topics—at their Brussels meeting on Wednesday and Thursday, April 17th and 18th.
At a press conference held in Bratislava on Monday, Fico said he rejects Ukraine’s entry into NATO, and that the Slovakian parliament would reject the ratification of its membership. “Slovakia needs a neutral Ukraine, otherwise we will be in danger,” the prime minister emphasised, adding that he would have no problem with Ukraine joining the EU.
While the EU decided last year to start membership negotiations with Ukraine, the prospect of the war-torn country joining the 32-member military alliance is a much more sensitive issue. Russia—which invaded Ukraine more than two years ago—has clearly stated it would perceive Ukraine’s membership as a security threat. While NATO members are wary of provoking Russia and would likely stall the accession of Ukraine until after the war, the alliance has recently been devising plans to be more involved in the coordination of weapons deliveries to Ukraine by its member states. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said such a proposal would draw the alliance “closer to this war than it has ever been before.”
Both the conservative Hungarian government and the newly elected left-wing sovereigntist cabinet of Robert Fico have gone against the tide of the mainstream EU and NATO policies by rejecting the sending of weapons to Ukraine and calling for peace talks to end the war. A majority of Slovakians (60%) agree with the Bratislava government policy of not sending weapons, according to a December poll. Fico said on Wednesday that weapons deliveries must remain on a bilateral basis.
The Slovakian prime minister believes that Russia would never give back Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula it annexed in 2014, and that its troops would never leave the eastern Ukraine territories it invaded. While Europe has to prepare for a Russian military victory, NATO cannot get involved as it would provoke a new world war, according to Fico.
As we previously reported, Ukraine launched a counteroffensive against Russian forces last summer but failed to make major gains, and fighting has reached a stalemate. Numerous experts believe Russia may be able to secure a battleground advantage this year. Meanwhile, Ukraine itself struggles to bolster its depleted army and is resorting to new mobilisation laws to replenish its troops.
The situation has set off alarm bells in Europe, with French President Emmanuel Macron raising the prospect of sending ground troops to support Ukraine against Russia.
