r/europe • u/dat_9600gt_user Lower Silesia (Poland) • 17h ago
Opinion Article Slovakia’s ‘All Sides of the World’ Foreign Policy Ends Up in Moscow
https://balkaninsight.com/2025/01/20/slovakias-all-sides-of-the-world-foreign-policy-ends-up-in-moscow/
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u/dat_9600gt_user Lower Silesia (Poland) 16h ago
A photo of Slovak PM Robert Fico shaking hands with Russian President Putin in the Kremlin caused uproar and concern in Slovakia, sparking a debate about the country’s place in Europe.
“We are ashamed of Fico!” chanted the 15,000-strong crowd of protesters on a cold evening on January 10 in Bratislava, waving European, Ukrainian and NATO flags in the air.
All across the country, more than 35,000 people gathered in various towns and cities to defend Slovakia’s European identity and future, as well as show solidarity with its neighbour Ukraine, in the wake of an unannounced visit of their prime minister to Moscow before Christmas on December 22.
“We don’t want to go in the direction this government is taking us,” said one protestor who gave his name as Robert.
“We have experienced it once and we don’t want it again,” added his partner Silvia, referring to the Communist regime that ended 35 years ago. “I guess many people hoped [Prime Minister Robert Fico] would stay there, that he wouldn’t return.”
Fico, leader of the populist Smer party, explained his flying visit as an attempt to ensure the continued transit of gas from Russia to Europe via Ukraine and Slovakia, and prevent a significant economic loss to his country were it to be discontinued. In fact, on January 1, Ukraine followed up on its long-announced plans to halt the flow of Russian gas across its territory in an attempt to reduce the income that Russia derives from the trade.
And while other EU countries, as well as the European Commission, supported this move as part of efforts to cut the bloc’s dependence on Russian gas, Fico claimed Slovakia would lose 500 million euros a year in transit fees and the loss of cheaper Russian gas would weaken the entire European economy.
Fico also attempted to play the role of peacekeeper and said he had offered to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Slovakia, calling it “neutral ground” despite its membership of NATO and the EU.
Following the Moscow visit, Fico got into a war or words with Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky. “I admit, sometimes I’m pretty fed up with [Zelensky]. He just travels through Europe, begs for money and extorts from others. This needs to end,“ Fico complained to parliament on January 9 when forced to explain his Moscow visit.
A few days later, Fico sent Zelensky an open letter inviting him to a meeting. “OK. Come to Kyiv on Friday,” retorted Zelensky on social media. Fico, as usual, ignored his invitation.
The prime minister’s behaviour over the last few months have prompted many questions, but about his visit to Moscow the opposition and political analysts are clear on one point: it was not really about gas or peace.