Slovak election campaign leader says he plans to cancel support for Ukraine

He made this statement during an interview reported by the AP.

Fico, who served as Slovakia's prime minister from 2006 to 2010 and again from 2012 to 2018, is the frontrunner to become prime minister following the September 30 election. He and his left-wing Smer party campaigned with a clear pro-Russian stance and an anti-American message.

"If Smer is part of the government, we won’t send any arms or ammunition to Ukraine anymore," stated the former Slovak populist prime minister.

According to AP, Fico also opposes European Union sanctions against Russia, questions the Ukrainian army's capability to push back Russian forces, and seeks to leverage Slovakia's NATO membership to prevent Ukraine from joining the alliance. His return to power may lead Slovakia away from its democratic path, mirroring Hungary's trajectory under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

During the interview, Fico asserted that no amount of Western weaponry supplied to Ukraine would alter the course of the conflict. He advocated for the European Union and the United States to use their influence to compel Russia and Ukraine to reach a negotiated peace agreement.

"It’s naive to think that Russia would leave Crimea. It’s naive to think that Russia would ever abandon the territory it controls in Ukraine," Fico said. 

• Earlier, The Guardian wrote that Slovakia's upcoming parliamentary election on September 30th could see the return of Robert Fico, a pro-Moscow politician who mirrors Viktor Orbán's style in neighboring Hungary. This election carries implications far beyond Slovakia's borders, potentially affecting the European Union and NATO