Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has once again embraced a pro-Kremlin narrative, declaring that the war in Ukraine was a geopolitical disaster for the European Union (EU) and that only Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will determine its outcome. In a Facebook post on 13 February 2025 at 12:20 CET, Fico claimed that Russia had “serious security reasons” for its full-scale invasion, while blaming the West—not Moscow—for prolonging the war by allegedly blocking a peace deal in April 2022. He dismissed the EU as weak and irrelevant, asserting that Brussels “blindly followed” the Biden administration into war, only to be sidelined from critical peace talks. According to Fico, the EU’s massive financial, military, and diplomatic support for Ukraine was futile, leaving Europe “helpless” while world leaders now negotiate without it.
Fico paints a bleak future for Ukraine, predicting that Trump will demand Kyiv return all military aid, push Europe into greater energy dependence on the US, and pressure NATO members to increase defence spending—or risk losing Washington’s protection under Article 5. Meanwhile, Putin will retain occupied Ukrainian territory and secure guarantees that Ukraine will never join NATO. Under this scenario, Ukraine will lose a third of its land, its natural resources, and its Western ambitions, while foreign troops remain stationed on its soil. Fico mocks Zelensky’s leadership, suggesting that he will be left with nothing but the political fallout of Ukraine’s defeat.
Beyond geopolitics, Fico lashes out at his domestic critics, calling them “warmongers” who, he claims, have nothing to offer except attacks on his government and his recent meeting with Putin. He accuses them of spreading lies about Slovakia’s EU membership, arguing that his engagement with Moscow is necessary as the world order shifts. Ultimately, Fico presents a world in which the EU has lost its influence, NATO is weakened, and Ukraine’s fate is sealed by Trump and Putin—while Slovakia must adapt to this new reality.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico continues to advance a pro-Russian stance, claiming that only Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will determine Ukraine’s fate while portraying the European Union (EU) as powerless and strategically lost. In a Facebook post published on 13 February 2025 at 12:20 CET, Fico dismissed Western support for Ukraine as a failure and echoed Kremlin narratives that seek to undermine EU unity and NATO cohesion.
Fico acknowledges that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine violated international law but insists that “Russia had serious security reasons for such action.” He claims that a negotiated peace was possible early in the war but that “when it was on the table in April 2022, the West forbade Ukraine from accepting it, naively believing that by continuing the war, it would politically and economically weaken Russia.” This assertion, which directly contradicts Ukraine’s stated refusal to accept Russian ultimatums, aligns with a widely debunked Kremlin talking point that blames the West for prolonging the conflict rather than Moscow’s refusal to withdraw.
At the core of Fico’s argument is the idea that the EU is among the biggest losers of the war. He argues that “the EU, alongside Ukraine, is the second in line among the defeated” and attributes this to its lack of an independent foreign policy, claiming that “to this day, [the EU] has no stance on fundamental foreign policy questions and has merely copied the Biden administration in the war in Ukraine.” He characterises European leaders as strategically incompetent, stating that “we in the EU do not even know what is happening in the relations between the USA and Russia, which are absolutely decisive for ending the military conflict.” His narrative seeks to discredit the EU’s role in international affairs and bolster the perception that Europe is merely a subordinate player in global power struggles.
The EU Bet on War—And Lost Everything
According to Fico, the EU’s comprehensive support for Ukraine—including sanctions against Russia, military and financial aid, and what he calls “raw propaganda support”—has only led to its own marginalisation. He laments that “after everything, after the way the EU behaved militarily, after all the money and love it gave to Ukraine, today nobody even talks to the EU.” He ridicules European leaders for now seeking inclusion in potential peace negotiations, describing their efforts as “a bit pathetic” given their previous actions. This portrayal of an isolated and ineffective EU aligns with long-standing Kremlin efforts to erode confidence in European institutions and discourage further military support for Ukraine.
Fico presents an alternative geopolitical future where Trump and Putin alone will dictate the terms of peace. He suggests that after a lengthy phone call with Putin, “President Trump at least called Zelensky and informed him of what awaits him. For example, something as unthinkable as democratic elections.” In his envisioned scenario, Trump will “demand that Ukraine return everything that Biden gave it in support of the war”, “force Europe to buy even more gas and oil from the USA”, and “at the end of the day, announce to NATO allies that unless they kindly and drastically increase their defence spending, for example to 5% of GDP, they should kindly forget about Article 5 of the NATO Treaty.”
Meanwhile, Fico claims that “President Putin will retain the Ukrainian territory he militarily controls and receive guarantees that Ukraine will never become a NATO member.” He predicts that “Ukraine will lose a third of its territory, its natural resources, will never be in NATO, and will host foreign armies on its soil.” In his view, Zelensky will not be remembered as a hero, but rather as a leader who presided over Ukraine’s dismemberment.
Putin Wins, Trump Profits, and Ukraine Disappears
Beyond geopolitics, Fico also takes aim at his domestic critics, dismissing those who oppose his stance as “warmongers who are as quiet as lice under a scab”, except when attacking his party, SMER-SD, and his engagement with Russia. He argues that their opposition is hypocritical, questioning whether “they will scream just as loudly when American President Trump visits Moscow, as he has publicly confirmed he will.” He also accuses his critics of deliberately distorting his recent meeting with Putin, alleging that they use “lies about leaving the EU to manipulate people in the streets.”
At its core, Fico’s statement promotes a vision of a collapsing international order in which the EU is sidelined, NATO’s credibility is weakened, and Ukraine’s fate is decided exclusively by Moscow and Washington. His assertion that “we must prepare for a new quality of international relations” signals his belief that Slovakia should recalibrate its foreign policy to align with shifting global power dynamics.
His rhetoric closely follows the Kremlin’s strategic objectives: eroding Western unity, undermining confidence in EU leadership, and discouraging further support for Kyiv. His claims about the West blocking peace, the EU’s supposed helplessness, and Trump’s likely foreign policy moves lack verifiable evidence and primarily serve to amplify Russia’s preferred narratives.
As Slovakia’s prime minister, Fico’s alignment with such messaging raises significant concerns about the country’s commitment to NATO, EU unity, and democratic principles. By framing the war as an inevitable Western failure and dismissing Ukraine’s resistance as futile, he not only legitimises Russian aggression but also weakens European solidarity at a time when collective security remains crucial.
