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Slovakia's Russia-friendly prime minister has made an unexpected about-face on Ukraine, pledging support on his first trip to the war-torn country just days after Ukrainian sovereignty was called into question.
Robert Fico, who took office in October after campaigning for an end to his country's military aid to Kiev and against further sanctions against Russia, met his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal on Wednesday in the town of Uzhhorod, near the Slovak border.
Fico claimed there were only “minor” political differences with Kyiv that were part of “political life,” adding: “We really want to help you, we really want to help you.”
Shmyhal responded that he was ready to build “pragmatic and very reliable relations” between the two countries.
Shmyhal later said in a statement that Fico had promised not to prevent Slovak companies from supplying weapons to Ukraine and helping to build its defenses. Bratislava will also support Kiev's EU membership application and its financing, the Ukrainian prime minister said.
Fico's promises in Ukraine stand in stark contrast to the provocative statements he has made in recent days. They prompted authorities in Kiev to demand a rebuttal and analysts to express doubts about the meeting's conduct.
Over the weekend, Fico questioned Ukraine's sovereignty, claiming it was under the “absolute influence of the United States.” He called on Kiev to cede territory to Russia to end the war and said Slovakia would oppose Ukraine joining NATO because such a move could trigger a third world war.
On Tuesday he went even further, claiming that there was no war at all in Kiev. When asked why he only traveled to Uzhhorod and not to the capital, Fico replied: “Do you really think there is a war in Kiev? I hope you're not serious. . . Life there is completely normal.”
Fico's baseless claim coincided with a wave of Russian missile attacks on Kiev and other cities that Ukrainian authorities said killed 18 people and attacked civilian buildings.
“There was a big discrepancy between Fico’s rhetoric inside and outside the country,” said Pavol Demeš, a former Slovak foreign minister. “I think Ukraine has worked very skillfully to not escalate these kinds of tensions, but the number of vicious statements Fico has made recently is baffling to many of us who have worked in foreign policy, because he ruined the image of our country before an important visit.”
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Populist Fico returned to the Slovakian premiership in October as head of a three-party coalition that stoked anti-Ukrainian sentiment. He previously served as prime minister three times, most recently until he resigned in 2018 amid anti-government protests.
The opposition has long accused him of seeking Russian help during his re-election. His anti-Ukraine statements showed that “he is simply repaying the debt to Russia for their support before the elections in Slovakia,” said Jaroslav Naď, a former Slovak defense minister. Fico has denied any Russian interference in his election victory.
Fico has also alarmed Brussels by joining forces with Viktor Orbán, Hungary's pro-Russian prime minister. Their partnership could complicate EU efforts to jointly support Ukraine. “Ukraine has no military solution and the current strategy is not working,” Fico said in Budapest last week.
But as with general support for Ukraine, Fico has also changed its approach to military exports. Last year he condemned the previous government for supplying Kiev with MiG-29 fighter jets and instead promised a ban on arms exports once he took office. But in November the government said the ban only applied to state-owned manufacturers and not private companies. Slovakia's parliament further relaxed the rules this month, while the Defense Ministry granted 100 million euros in subsidies to defense manufacturers.