Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Saturday that “Ukraine is not an independent and sovereign country”, but “under the total control and influence of the United States”, and repeated that his country would not provide it with of weapons.
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A member of NATO, Slovakia is one of the most pro-Russian countries within the European Union.
Mr. Fico is due to meet his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Chmygal on Wednesday in a town located on the border between the two countries.
“I will tell him that I am against Ukraine’s membership in NATO and that I will veto it. This would trigger World War III, nothing more, nothing less,” he told public broadcaster RTVS.
He added that he wanted to confirm to Mr. Chmygal that the latter “will not receive weapons from the army and the Slovak state”.
He also accused Ukraine of being one of the most corrupt countries in the world: “God only knows where the aid sent to you disappears.”
In his eyes, the conflict with Russia which has lasted for two years is without solution from a military point of view and Ukraine will have to cede portions of territory: “There will have to be some form of compromise which will be very painful for both parts”.
“What are we waiting for ? Let the Russians go away…? “It’s unrealistic,” he said.
According to a 2023 report from the Bratislava-based think tank Globsec, less than half of Slovaks (40%) believe that Russia is responsible for the war in Ukraine.