“basis for world war”
Slovakia torpedoes Ukraine’s NATO efforts
January 20, 2024, 7:40 p.m
Since the change of government in Slovakia last October, the country has made a U-turn on its Ukraine policy. Prime Minister Fico has now announced that he will, in due course, veto his neighboring country’s accession to NATO.
Slovakia rejects Ukraine joining NATO and wants to veto it if necessary. Prime Minister Robert Fico said this on public radio RTVS in Bratislava. The left-wing nationalist head of government announced that he would travel to Ukraine on Wednesday morning and meet his counterpart Denys Schmyhal in the border town of Uzhhorod. He wants to present a new humanitarian aid package to Shmyhal, but at the same time he also wants to bluntly explain the Slovak positions that differ from the Ukrainian wishes.
“I tell him that we will block and veto Ukrainian accession to NATO because it would be nothing other than the basis for a third world war,” Fico said. However, Slovakia is in favor of Ukraine joining the EU if the country meets the same conditions as other candidate countries. The head of government, criticized by his opponents as “pro-Russian”, once again emphasized that Slovakia would no longer supply arms from army stocks to the neighboring country attacked by Russia, but would continue to allow arms sales from Slovakian arms companies.
Slovakia was one of Ukraine’s staunchest military supporters from the start of the Russian invasion until the change of government at the end of October. The new government under Fico continues to supply, for example, mine clearance systems and diesel generators in the event of Russian attacks on power plants, but no weapons. After his visit to Uzhhorod there will be no joint press conference with Shmyhal because the Ukrainian side does not want one. However, Fico said he suggested that both heads of government make press statements independently of each other. On the evening of the same Wednesday, the Slovakian head of government was received in Berlin by Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The Berlin trip had already been planned for December, but had to be canceled due to the Chancellor’s Covid infection.