Fico’s feedback distinction sharply with the stance of Mark Rutte, NATO’s new secretary-general, who mentioned Thursday that “Ukraine is nearer to NATO than ever earlier than, and can proceed on this path till you change into a member of our alliance.”
Underneath NATO’s 1949 founding treaty, choices on enlargement are made “by unanimous settlement,” which means that Fico’s opposition to Ukraine becoming a member of the alliance might certainly block its membership at the very least till the top of the Slovak chief’s present time period in energy in 2027. Different Russia-friendly NATO members might additionally search to frustrate Ukraine’s membership aspirations.
An identical state of affairs performed out after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, when Sweden and Finland utilized to hitch NATO however have been blocked by Turkey and Hungary for a 12 months and 10 months. Whereas Turkey objected to the actions of Kurdish activists in Sweden and to restrictions on Western arms exports to Ankara, the explanations for Hungary’s resistance have been by no means made specific. Stockholm and Helsinki have been lastly inducted on April 4 this 12 months.
Since profitable reelection final fall, Fico has reversed the earlier Cupboard’s coverage of offering materiel assist for Ukraine in its struggle with invading Russian troops, and has as a substitute promised his authorities will ship “not one other bullet” whereas reaching out to Moscow together with authoritarian PM Viktor Orbán of neighboring Hungary.
Final Thursday, Fico promised to “do every little thing attainable for the renewal of financial and customary relations with Russia.”
Following his Sunday speak present efficiency, Fico doubled down on that vow, proposing to go to Moscow subsequent Might for the eightieth anniversary of the top of World Conflict II, “so long as I am invited.”
Talking at a ceremony to mark the Oct. 6, 1944 arrival of troops from the previous Soviet Union at rugged Dukla Move close to Slovakia’s border with Poland, Fico went on to emphasize that Russian sacrifices had helped liberate Slovakia from Nazi rule.
“Freedom got here from the East,” he mentioned, “and completely nothing can change this fact.”
