Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who took office last October with a promise to end the shipment of weapons stockpiled in Kyiv, said Western leaders have been “repeatedly wrong” in their assessment of the war between Russia and Ukraine.
In an article published in the Slovak newspaper Pravda.sk on January 9, Fico declared that the West's strategy had failed.
He argued that Kyiv was incapable of launching a meaningful counterattack despite receiving billions of dollars in military aid, while Moscow continued to control parts of Ukrainian territory and the Russian economy had not been crippled by sanctions.
"The West's 'failed strategy' toward Russia is 'starting to cause wrinkles on my forehead,'" Fico, a member of the left-wing Smer Party in Slovakia, said in his op-ed.
“Instead of immediately making every effort to achieve a swift ceasefire in early 2022, the West made a huge mistake,” he explained. “The West misjudged the use of military force to bring Russia to its knees.”
He also wrote about rejecting the "black and white view" of the war, arguing that American influence over the Kiev government , beginning in 2014, was the root cause of Russia's military intervention in Ukraine.
"Russia has responded to Ukraine's security situation and pressure to join NATO by violating international law, using military force without international authorization," Fico wrote, arguing that this is how major powers often act, and that Moscow "also needs to ensure its own security."
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (center), in Bratislava, Slovakia, on October 1, 2023, declared that he would “not send another box of ammunition” to Ukraine. Photo: Shutterstock
In his editorial, Fico also wrote that he was not pleased that his country was considered a "mortal enemy" of Russia, and that despite extensive sanctions, the Russian military and economy continued to exist.
“The truth is undeniable,” the head of the Slovak government wrote. “Russia is in complete military control of the territories, and attempts to convince the international community of the demoralization of Russian soldiers and the increasingly apparent enormous human losses are nothing but empty, demagogic fantasies.”
The Slovak leader predicted that continued Western military aid to Ukraine would be futile, although he did not oppose the European Union's proposed €50 billion ($55 billion) military aid package for Kyiv.
Some experts point out that despite the fiery rhetoric, Prime Minister Fico is unlikely to directly oppose the Western consensus on practical steps. EU aid to Ukraine remains stalled due to the sole opposition from Hungary.
The Slovak leader also stated that he was not opposed to Ukraine becoming a member of the EU if Kyiv met all the criteria for accession.
While NATO members remain steadfast in their support for Ukraine, some countries have faced obstacles in sending further military aid. U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said last week that Washington would not continue providing Kyiv with military support at the current level.
Instead, according to Miller, the ultimate goal would be to help Ukraine “stand on its own two feet” with its own military-industrial complex.
Republican lawmakers have rejected President Joe Biden's request for additional funding for Ukraine. And some Republicans have argued that Ukraine should aim for negotiations with Russia in the near future.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared that the war would not end until all territory controlled by Russia was returned to Kyiv .
Minh Duc (According to Newsweek, Kyiv Independent)
Source
Comment (0)