Slovakia is rapidly becoming a pariah among its Western allies, abandoned by key partners, and strategically exposed to foreign influence—a direct result of its government’s reckless foreign policy shift. Róbert Ondrejcsák, Slovakia’s former ambassador to the UK, warns that the country has voluntarily severed itself from crucial security dialogues, dismantled defences against Russian disinformation, and undermined its own international credibility. Once an engaged NATO and EU ally, Slovakia has now alienated Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, and France while cozying up to Moscow’s geopolitical interests.
Ondrejcsák describes the government’s so-called “four-world-sides” diplomacy as an empty slogan masking a collapse of strategy, leaving Slovakia absent from the decision-making tables where its future is shaped. He criticises Bratislava’s hypocritical stance on Ukraine, undermining Kyiv while simultaneously expecting to profit from its reconstruction—a move he calls politically indefensible and strategically suicidal. With Europe facing unprecedented instability, Slovakia has never been more isolated, irrelevant, or vulnerable. Without urgent course correction, Ondrejcsák warns, the country faces a grim fate: without influence, without allies, and without protection when it needs it most.
Róbert Ondrejcsák, Slovakia’s former ambassador to the United Kingdom, has issued a scathing critique of his country’s current foreign policy trajectory, warning that Slovakia has become isolated, strategically weakened, and vulnerable to Russian influence. A seasoned diplomat and security expert, Ondrejcsák previously served as Slovakia’s deputy defence minister and held high-level positions in NATO and EU security policy. He recently left his post in London after four years and is now set to lead a major British think tank focused on international security.
Ondrejcsák’s departure was inevitable following the formation of Slovakia’s new government, which dismissed him in October 2023. While acknowledging the successes of his tenure—such as institutionalising UK-Slovak security cooperation—he laments the dismantling of key diplomatic and defence initiatives, particularly in countering disinformation and foreign interference. He expresses deep frustration over Slovakia’s political leadership, stating that while one should never be ashamed of their country, embarrassment over its politicians is sometimes unavoidable.
His primary concern is the government’s decision to undo Slovakia’s strategic positioning in Europe, which has resulted in a loss of credibility among allies. During his tenure, Slovakia had secured participation in exclusive diplomatic and security discussions, where European defence strategies were shaped. This access, he asserts, has now been severed. Bratislava’s current course, which he describes as erratic and detached from Slovakia’s strategic interests, has led to its exclusion from decision-making processes that impact European security—including those taking place in London and Paris.
Slovakia’s Diminishing Role in European Security
He further criticises the government’s deliberate erosion of Slovakia’s defences against foreign influence, particularly Russian disinformation. Initiatives aimed at strengthening institutional resilience were abandoned, leaving the country exposed. In his assessment, this was not merely a policy shift but a calculated move that serves foreign interests at the expense of national security.
Slovakia’s international standing, Ondrejcsák argues, has reached its lowest point since the late 1990s. The country’s closest allies—including Poland, the Czech Republic, and major EU powers—now view it as unreliable or, at worst, a proxy for Moscow’s agenda. The government’s approach, framed as a policy of “engagement on all four world sides,” is dismissed by Ondrejcsák as a meaningless slogan with no substantive strategy. While Slovakia cultivates ties with countries such as Vietnam, China, and Russia, its real security and economic interests remain anchored in the European Union and NATO. This basic geopolitical reality, he warns, is being ignored.
One of his harshest criticisms is reserved for Slovakia’s contradictory stance on Ukraine. While the government aligns itself with anti-Ukraine rhetoric and policies, it simultaneously expresses interest in participating in Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction. Ondrejcsák calls this position both absurd and self-defeating, arguing that undermining Ukraine while expecting economic benefits from its recovery is politically untenable.
The broader geopolitical environment, he warns, is entering an era of extreme instability, where small states will struggle to survive without strong alliances. Yet Slovakia is actively alienating those alliances at a moment when they are most critical. He characterises this as a profound strategic miscalculation, rooted in a misunderstanding of international politics and an overestimation of Slovakia’s ability to act independently.
A Foreign Policy That Undermines National Security
Ondrejcsák does not attribute these failures to mere incompetence but to a deeper issue: a government that prioritises its own political survival over Slovakia’s national security. He suggests that some leaders see Slovakia’s institutions, NATO membership, and EU alignment as obstacles to their personal ambitions, rather than as pillars of the country’s stability. In their pursuit of control, they are willing to sacrifice alliances, security, and even the state itself.
Despite stepping down from his diplomatic role, Ondrejcsák intends to remain engaged in Slovak public discourse. He calls on Slovaks to reject disinformation, recognise the country’s true strategic interests, and restore a foreign policy that aligns with democratic values and Western alliances. Without this course correction, he warns, Slovakia risks becoming not just irrelevant on the world stage, but fundamentally defenceless against external threats.
Source: Róbert Ondrejcsák | Facebook
