What Does New Slovak Prime Minister Mean, Talking about Ukraine?

Slovakia's foreign policy shift was expected, but it was openly surprising how rapidly everything happened.

Find out more about what Ukraine can expect from the new Slovak government in the analysis by Yurii Panchenko, European Pravda's Editor – Unfriendly Slovakia: What Will Ukraine's Relations with Robert Fico's Government Be Like?

Robert Fico worked just two days, heading the new Slovak government, and made several anti-Ukrainian statements.

First, he cancelled military assistance for Ukraine. "I also informed the President of the European Commission that the new Slovak government will not support Ukraine militarily. We will focus only on humanitarian aid," Fico commented on his meeting with Ursula von der Leyen.

Robert Fico's statements also labeled Ukraine as "the most corrupt country in the world," which, in his opinion, provides no grounds for further financial support to Kyiv.

Is there any reason to believe that such statements are just a "ritual dance" for the electorate? Should we expect a normal working position later?

We cannot rule it out. The new Speaker of the Slovak Parliament, Peter Pellegrini, supports this statement. He claims that military orders are primarily "support for the Slovak industry."

In particular, he does not rule out humanitarian aid to Ukraine, including participation in rebuilding its infrastructure. He also called for the financial support of Ukraine to be conditional on guarantees that European money, including Slovak money, will not be appropriated.

On the other hand, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now headed by the politician Juraj Blanár, known for his controversial statements, including anti-Ukrainian ones.

This may mean that Fico is consciously heading into clashing the EU, using Ukraine as a tool for blackmail (similar to what Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán does).

However, if Fico has indeed chosen the path of conflict with the EU from the first days of his premiership, such a scenario carries considerable risks for him.

Moreover, his desire for revenge for his resignation, triggered by massive protests following the murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak, may soon lead to new mass protests. And they could be dangerous. The new coalition has a relatively small margin of votes and, consequently, could prove fragile.

Conflict in foreign policy can also become a "two-front war" for Fico.

Undoubtedly, Kyiv should not count on friendship with the new Slovak government. However, there is still a chance for pragmatic relations.

Slovak political analysts point out the fundamental difference between Fico and Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán – the Slovak Prime Minister is a pragmatist.

On the other hand, perhaps Fico was a pragmatist, but his time in opposition and under the threat of criminal punishment has changed him.

We will know the answers to all these questions in the coming months.