Slovak leader’s Nato-Russia war comments anger Czech Republic
Robert Fico accuses Western politicians of seeking a conflict between Nato and Russia, drawing criticism from Czech president Petr Pavel.
BRATISLAVA: Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has caused tension with the Czech Republic by accusing Western politicians of trying to spark a NATO war with Russia. Fico recently questioned NATO solidarity, alarming Czech President Petr Pavel. Fico, who has been close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggested in a Facebook video that the West is pushing for a NATO-Russia conflict, claiming that the failure to end the Ukraine war through military means may lead to an armed confrontation between NATO and Russia.
He also stated that Slovakia would not participate in an armed conflict due to Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which obliges member countries to provide military assistance in the event of an attack on one member. Pavel, a former NATO general, reacted strongly, warning that such statements undermine NATO's principles of solidarity and hoped the Czech Republic would not follow Fico's path.
The Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, Slovak-born and an ally of Fico, has not yet gotten involved in the dispute. Both Babis and Fico, nationalist leaders, have refused to provide direct military aid to Ukraine, advocating for peace instead.
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