How the Slovak government attacks Ukraine and why it’s not just about gas transit
Ukrainian authorities attempted to build a constructive relationship with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico throughout 2024. It seemed back then they were succeeding. However, Kyiv’s decision to halt Russian gas transit completely changed the dynamic.
Robert Fico visited Moscow, met with Vladimir Putin, later threatened Ukraine with halting electricity imports and reducing aid to refugees, and complained to the European Commission about Kyiv’s actions. Eventually, he began harshly criticising Ukraine and its leadership.
Read more about why the Slovak government abruptly changed its stance, and whether the gas transit halt is a pretext for conflict with Kyiv in the article by Yurii Panchenko, European Pravda's editor – Fico vs. Zelenskyy: why the Slovak government is deliberately fueling conflict with Ukraine.
"Zelenskyy goes around Europe just begging and blackmailing others, asking for money. It just has to stop," said Robert Fico last week during a parliamentary committee meeting.
At the same time, the Slovak Prime Minister described Russia as a "reliable partner that has never deceived us."
Fico deliberately posted this statement on his Facebook page, aiming to make his conflict with the Ukrainian leadership public.
During the same parliamentary meeting, Fico claimed he had at least two agreed-upon schemes with the Ukrainian government to maintain gas transit. However, those plans failed to Fico’s displeasure.
His subsequent actions suggest he wasn’t interested in finding a compromise. Instead, he used Kyiv’s decision as an opportunity to escalate the situation.
Fico’s recent visits to Moscow and other pro-Russian gestures may be part of preparations for snap elections. Flirting with Putin and making anti-Western statements resonate well with his largely Eurosceptic base.
In this context, anti-Western (and primarily anti-Ukrainian) rhetoric could help Fico maintain the loyalty of his core electorate.
Indeed, snap parliamentary elections in Slovakia are real.
Internal tensions within the Slovak coalition began in the autumn of the previous year, and the current crisis has only deepened them.
Fico's visit to Moscow in December 2024 triggered a conflict within the Hlas party, threatening the coalition’s parliamentary majority.
An additional sign pointing toward snap elections is the appearance of billboards across Slovakia in recent days touting the government’s "successes."
Nevertheless, early elections may not be an ideal scenario for Fico.
Even if his Smer-SD party regains leadership, it likely won’t secure enough votes for a majority. His coalition partners are also losing popularity.
Throughout 2024, Slovakia’s relations with the EU could be described as "self-isolation." Now, Fico has taken things a step further by initiating a conflict with the EU. His visit to Putin and the dispute with Ukraine serve as a kind of "declaration of war," comments Alexander Duleba, an expert from the Slovak Foreign Policy Association.
Duleba believes the shift in Fico’s policies is influenced by the rhetoric of US President-elect Donald Trump, particularly the support of European radicals by Elon Musk.
"Trump is attacking the EU, and Fico sees his chance to avoid elections and stay in power by weakening the Union," Duleba asserts.
Such internal conflicts within the EU could significantly harm Ukraine.