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Slovak PM Fico calls for end to Ukraine war and 'Slavs killing each other,' rejects focus on defeating Russia

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Slovak PM Fico calls for end to Ukraine war and 'Slavs killing each other,' rejects focus on defeating Russia
Robert Fico, Prime Minister of Slovakia during a press conference after their meeting at the Office of the Government of the Slovak Republic in Bratislava, Slovakia on April 28, 2025. (Robert Nemeti/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Slovakia seeks a swift end to the war in Ukraine rather than Russia’s defeat, Prime Minister Robert Fico said during a televised debate on Slovak public broadcaster STVR on Oct. 5.

“The goal of the foreign policy of the Slovak Republic, of the government of the Slovak Republic, of which I am the prime minister, is not the defeat of the Russian Federation. Our goal is to end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible. These are Slavs killing each other. War is not a solution,” Fico said.

Fico criticized the European Union’s approach to Russia’s war against Ukraine and accused the bloc of focusing on military aid instead of peace initiatives.

“If the EU spent as much energy on peace as it does on supporting the war in Ukraine, the war could have been over long ago. I will never be a wartime prime minister,” he said.

Since returning to office in 2023, Fico has ended military aid to Ukraine from Slovak army stocks and questioned EU sanctions on Russia. In the past, Fico has also vowed to block Kyiv's entry into NATO — a move that requires the agreement of all 32 members, including Slovakia.

Fico visited Moscow in December 2024 and has been fostering closer ties with Moscow, both diplomatically and economically.

Hungary, Slovakia push back against EU plan to phase out Russian energy
Speaking at the 130th anniversary of the Maria Valeria Bridge, which links Sturovo, Slovakia, and Esztergom, Hungary, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said: “No one should tell us where to buy oil and gas from.”
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Sonya Bandouil

North American news editor

Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC. Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.

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