Key facts
- Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico questioned his country's commitment to NATO's Article 5 mutual defense clause.
- Fico stated he would do everything in his power to ensure Slovakia is not drawn into a military conflict.
- Fico expressed concern that the situation is the most serious and tense it has ever been regarding the possibility of a pan-European military conflict.
- Fico suggested that European capitals sometimes use "bellicose talk" to mask inability to solve problems like illegal migration, competitiveness, and high energy prices.
- Fico is scheduled to attend the Carpathian Integration Initiative summit in western Ukraine on Friday.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico voiced concerns on Thursday about the escalating Russia-Ukraine war and questioned his country's commitment to NATO's Article 5 mutual defense clause. Fico, described as a Kremlin-friendly populist leader, stated that the risk of a pan-European military conflict is at its most serious level.
"I don’t want Slovakia to be part of any military conflict because of some Article 5," Fico said in the Slovak city of Prešov. "We are part of NATO, we value that, and we are committed to cooperation and fulfilling our obligations. But as prime minister, I will do everything in my power to ensure that Slovakia is never drawn into a military conflict."
Under NATO’s Article 5, an armed attack against one ally is considered an attack against all 32 members, potentially triggering a collective response. The clause has only been invoked once, after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks in the U.S.
Fico also suggested that European capitals sometimes use "bellicose talk" to mask their inability to solve problems such as illegal migration, competitiveness, and high energy prices. He questioned whether Article 5 would be invoked and if soldiers would be sent to war without clear objectives.
Fico is scheduled to join leaders including Poland's Donald Tusk and representatives from Austria, the Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia, and Hungary in western Ukraine on Friday for a regional economic summit called the Carpathian Integration Initiative.