During a holiday in Croatia, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico reignited tensions with Kyiv by publicly asserting that Ukraine’s NATO membership was impossible, portraying the war as a Western attempt to weaken Russia, and claiming that the conflict could have ended in April 2022 but for Western political interference—remarks that prompted an unusually sharp rebuke from Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which accused the leader of an EU and NATO member state of disregarding the causes of Russia’s full-scale invasion and insulting the memory of those killed. The dispute exposes deepening fractures between Slovakia’s current government and Ukraine, despite Bratislava’s provision of electricity and transit infrastructure under European Union rules, and comes just days before a planned meeting in Alaska between former US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin—an event Fico has presented as a potential breakthrough, while openly criticising EU sanctions and predicting that European states will eventually rush to restore trade with Moscow.
Prime Minister Robert Fico of Slovakia made a series of public remarks regarding Ukraine’s future while on holiday in Croatia, coinciding with reports of an upcoming summit between former United States president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin in Alaska. His comments prompted a strong response from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, which accused him of making statements that disregarded the suffering caused by the war and the sacrifices of those defending Ukraine.
In its official statement, published in Ukrainian on 10 August 2025, the ministry expressed regret that the head of government of a European Union member state continued to misunderstand what it described as the true causes of Russia’s full-scale invasion. It warned against the use of “unfriendly folkloric analogies” and claimed that such remarks undermined good-neighbourly relations and offended both Ukrainians and the Slovak public. The ministry stated that these comments contrasted sharply with the solidarity shown by Slovak society towards Ukraine since the start of the conflict.
Later the same day, the Slovak prime minister issued a response via social media. He defended his right to free expression, stating that he would not accept claims that his rhetoric was offensive to Ukraine or its people. He asserted that his government had been among the most active supporters of Ukraine when measured against Slovakia’s economic capacity. According to him, Slovakia had provided critical electricity supplies and facilitated the transit of gas to Ukraine under European Union regulations, while accusing Ukraine’s leadership of halting gas deliveries to Slovakia, which he said had caused significant harm.
The prime minister further argued that the war had narrowed freedom of expression within the European Union, with alternative viewpoints being criticised even when, in his view, they were based on objective information. He reiterated his call for an immediate, just peace and an end to what he termed “senseless killing,” framing the conflict as a tragedy for Slavic nations.
In his earlier remarks from Croatia, which triggered the diplomatic reaction, the Slovak leader claimed that the war’s origins lay in recent history and that it had no military solution. He stated that Ukraine’s NATO membership was impossible and alleged that the country had been used by the West in an unsuccessful attempt to weaken Russia. He also suggested that the conflict could have ended in April 2022, but was prolonged by Western political interference.
The prime minister expressed scepticism about the outcome of the forthcoming Trump–Putin meeting, predicting that Ukraine would ultimately suffer regardless of the result. He partly blamed Ukrainian political leaders for aligning with what he described as a failed Western strategy and warned that the coming weeks would bring unwelcome developments. He urged an immediate ceasefire and cautioned against Western actors obstructing any potential truce.
In concluding his remarks, he predicted that European countries which had strongly criticised Russia would eventually seek to restore business ties with Moscow. He also dismissed the European Union’s sanctions and energy restrictions as misguided and expressed hope that a direct agreement between the United States and Russia would deliver a meaningful resolution to the war.
Source: Ján Debnár | Aktuality.sk
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
Comment by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on the statements of the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, Robert Fico
Published on 10 August 2025 at 11:16
After more than three years of full-scale Russian armed aggression against Ukraine, the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, Robert Fico, has yet to grasp the true causes of this criminal invasion or the dangers posed by courting an aggressor state.
It is regrettable that the head of government of a European Union member state permits himself to employ openly offensive rhetoric towards Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, who continue to fight heroically every day against Russian aggression, holding it back on their own soil in the interest of the security of the entire European continent.
We caution against the use of unfriendly folkloric analogies and attempts to raise one’s party’s political ratings through such statements. This is a display of recklessness that insults the memory of the fallen, the suffering of millions of Ukrainian families, and the sacrifice of those who fight for freedom.
We highly value the comprehensive support Ukraine receives from its international partners, who consistently defend the principles of the territorial integrity of sovereign states, the rule of international law, and the preservation of the global rules-based order.
Against this backdrop, Robert Fico’s statements stand in sharp contrast to the spirit of good neighbourliness, solidarity, and mutual respect that the Slovak people have consistently demonstrated towards Ukraine. In doing so, Mr Fico also offends his own nation.
