Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Sunday, the 6th of October, vowed to block Ukraine’s NATO membership for as long as he leads the government, suggesting that there are likely to be difficulties in achieving the goal of the NATO leadership, which wants Ukraine to join the alliance after the war with Russia ends to prevent further aggression by Moscow, reports Politico.
“As long as I am the head of the Slovak government, I will instruct the MPs under my authority, as chairman of the ruling party [Smer], never to agree to Ukraine joining NATO,” he said on the weekly programme “O päť minut dvanásť” (“Five minutes to 12”).
Fico’s comments are in contrast to the position of NATO’s new Secretary General Mark Rutte, who said on Thursday that “Ukraine is closer to NATO than ever before and will continue on this path until it becomes a member of our alliance”.
Under NATO’s 1949 founding treaty, decisions on enlargement are taken “unanimously”, meaning that Fico’s opposition to Ukraine’s accession could block its membership of the alliance at least until the Slovak leader’s current term ends in 2027.
Sweden and Finland also faced a similar situation, with Turkey and Hungary holding up their progress towards NATO.
Since his re-election, the Slovak Prime Minister has reversed the previous government’s support for Ukraine, pledging not to send any more bullets and to restore relations with Russia, saying last Thursday promising to “do everything possible for the renewal of economic and standard relations with Russia”.
After appearing on Sunday’s talk show, Fico doubled down on his pledge, offering to visit Moscow next May for the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War “as long as I am invited”.
Speaking at a ceremony to mark the arrival of former Soviet troops at the Dukla Pass near Slovakia’s border with Poland on the 6th of October 1944, Fico stressed that Russian sacrifices helped liberate Slovakia from Nazi rule.
“Freedom came from the East”, he said, “and nothing can change this truth”.