Slovak PM accuses West of provoking war with Russia

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has accused the West of having "needlessly added fuel to the fire" for more than four years in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war, thereby supposedly provoking a conflict between Russia and NATO.

Source: Fico in a video address posted on social media, as reported by Slovak newspaper Denník N and European Pravda

Details: Fico believes Western politicians are seeking to provoke a conflict between NATO and Russia if Ukraine is defeated on the battlefield.

Quote: "The failure of the strategy of destroying Russia through the war in Ukraine is forcing many Western politicians to conclude that if this cannot be achieved through the Ukrainian army and its full support, then everything must be done to provoke a conflict between NATO and Russia."

Details: Fico noted that "for more than four years, the West has needlessly been adding fuel to the fire in Ukraine".

Meanwhile, he acknowledges that Russia started the war when it invaded Ukraine, but insists: "Russia cannot be defeated in a conventional war, only with nuclear weapons."

"If anyone is interested in provoking a military conflict between NATO and Russia in order to pursue their own national interests, they must take responsibility for such a step themselves and not shift it onto other NATO member states," the prime minister added.

Fico stated that Slovakia would not take part in such a "conflict", despite NATO's Article 5.

"Under my government, no one will send Slovak soldiers outside Slovakia under a fabricated pretext to fight against Russia or any other country," he stressed.

In the video, the prime minister said that 27,000 Ukrainian soldiers are being killed in the war every month. According to Fico, this figure had previously been cited by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Quote: "I have no reason to question these figures, although deliberately exaggerating the scale of human losses could influence the Western world to increase military and financial aid to Ukraine even further."

Background:

• On 18 September, Fico was due to travel to Ukraine to attend the Carpathian Initiative summit but cancelled the visit due to illness.
• Before that, the Slovak prime minister said he does not want war to come to Slovakia "because of some Article 5" of NATO.

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