Slovak PM Robert Fico warns of potential NATO-Russia conflict

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has warned that Europe is closer than ever to a large-scale war that could escalate from the conflict in Ukraine into a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia.

Fico accused certain Western politicians of attempting to provoke such a conflict after the strategy of defeating Russia through the war in Ukraine has failed to produce results. He characterized Western support for Ukraine as ‘pouring oil on the fire’ and claimed that some ‘war hawks’ within NATO are trying to transform the current situation into a broader struggle between Russia and the alliance.

Maintaining his stance of refusing military aid to Ukraine and preserving ties with Moscow, Fico emphasized that the war in Ukraine is not a war for Slovakia or NATO. He also cautioned that a drone incursion could potentially trigger NATO’s collective defense articles, expressing a desire to prevent Slovakia from becoming a participant in an armed conflict based on ‘fabricated pretexts.’