'We are not Russia' — Thousands protest Fico's pro-Kremlin agenda in Bratislava

Thousands of people gathered in the streets of Bratislava on Jan. 3 to protest Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's pro-Russian policies, the Slovak news outlet Aktuality reported.

The demonstrations began less than two weeks after Fico visited Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, and just days after Ukraine stopped the flow of Russian gas to Europe via its territory. Fico lambasted Kyiv for halting gas transit, threatening to cut off energy supplies to Ukraine and end aid to Ukrainian refugees amid the ongoing full-scale war.

Approximately 4,000 people assembled in Bratislava to protest Fico's Kremlin-friendly stance, Aktuality reported. Demonstrators waved the flags of Slovakia and the European Union, chanting "We are not Russia."

Protesters played the EU anthem and carried posters labeled "We are Europe."

"Fico, go to Moscow, leave Slovakia in peace," one banner reportedly read.

The Slovak artist Rudolf Sikora, one of the lead speakers at the protest, called on opposition parties to unite with activists and civil associations against the threat of Russian influence.

"I beg you, opposition politicians, come together sensibly," he said.

Fico, a pro-Russian populist, won Slovakia's parliamentary elections in September 2023. It is his fourth time at the helm of the Slovak government.

Before Fico's return to power, Slovakia had been a staunch supporter of Ukraine. It was the first country to send Kyiv fighter jets after the full-scale invasion and a reliable supplier of military aid.

Fico's government initiated a stark policy reversal, halting weapons deliveries to Ukraine and adopting rhetoric blaming the West for Russia's war. Fico also has close ties to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, another Central European populist leader with friendly attitudes toward Putin.

Tensions between Bratislava and Kyiv have escalated due to President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision to allow a pre-war agreement on Russian gas transit via Ukraine to expire without renewal on Dec. 31, 2024.

Ukraine terminated the transit deal on Jan. 1, after repeatedly warning it would not renew gas transit in order to avoid financing Russia's war machine.

In retaliation, Fico on Jan. 2 threatened to reduce aid to Ukrainian refugees living in Slovakia. He has also threatened to cut off electricity supplies to Kyiv.

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Editor’s note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, neighboring Slovakia, with its own experience of decades of Russian occupation in the 20th century, became one of the staunchest supporters of Ukraine. Under the guidan…

The Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell