Slovakia is no longer Ukraine's ally, says political analyst Mesežnikov

He made this statement in an interview on Espreso TV.

Discussing Robert Fico's return to power in Slovakia, Mesežnikov mentioned that Fico may have changed his stance towards Brussels. 

"For a long time, he saw himself as a pro-European politician. While he was in power in Slovakia, some things happened that he didn't like. When he lost his position, investigations began, and he was accused of three criminal cases. He became very interested in regaining power, and one of his strategies involved what he called 'peace proposals,'" he explained.

The political expert added that these "peace proposals" included showing indirect support for Russia and criticizing Ukraine.

"He promoted well-known Russian ideas about 'Ukrainian Nazis' supposedly targeting Russians in Donbas, and this led to a response from Moscow. He believes this is the root cause of a full-scale war," Mesežnikov stated.

Furthermore, he noted that Fico opposes Ukraine's efforts to join the European integration process and become a member of NATO.

"This politician is currently in talks to form a new government. While he's seen as a pragmatist, I believe he's crossed some important boundaries, not just in foreign and domestic policies but also in terms of democracy. It might be difficult for him to backtrack on what he promised during the election campaign. That's why Slovakia's support for Ukraine, as it was until now, is likely to change," he opined.

Slovakia's elections and Fico's stance on Ukraine

In the parliamentary elections held on September 30, Slovakia, Robert Fico's Smer party, known for its pro-Russian orientation, emerged as one of the leading parties. Fico announced his intention to withdraw military and political support for Ukraine.

On April 9, law enforcement officers in Slovakia closed a criminal case against the leader of the Smer-SD party, former Prime Minister Robert Fico, for publishing a video of the transfer of the S-300 air defense system to Ukraine.

As of October 1, the pro-Russian Smer party was leading in the parliamentary election results. Subsequently, Fico initiated peace negotiations concerning Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Slovakia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Russia of meddling in the parliamentary elections and summoned a Russian embassy official in response to Russia's comments about American influence in the country.

On October 6, Slovakian President initially opposed providing additional military aid to Ukraine but later reversed her stance, affirming continued support for Kyiv.

Following the victory of Robert Fico's pro-Russian Smer party in Slovakia's parliamentary elections, the country's interim government suspended further military aid to Ukraine.