Prime Minister Fico met with Zelensky in Yerevan. FIco again supported Ukraine’s entry into the EU despite the dispute with Danko.
Robert Fico met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Yerevan, Armenia. The discussion focused on the continuation of the dialogue between Slovakia and Ukraine, as well as on the issue of Ukraine’s European perspective.
Both leaders spoke about the need to maintain open communication and seek practical solutions in bilateral relations. At the same time, they agreed to continue contacts at a higher political level, including the planned meeting in Bratislava and Kyiv, which represents a shift compared to the previous practice, when Fico met in Ukraine only in Uzhgorod. A meeting of EU leaders together with non-member countries such as Ukraine, Armenia, and Canada is taking place in Yerevan.
After the negotiations, Zelensky said that Slovakia supports Ukraine’s efforts to join the European Union and is ready to continue cooperation. However, the Slovak side emphasized that this process is conditional on the fulfillment of all entry criteria. Fico reiterated that his stance on EU enlargement has been consistent for a long time and is tied to compliance with the rules by the candidate countries.
Reactions in the coalition and internal political debate
The negotiations also took place at a time of tension in the government coalition in Slovakia. During the weekend, Andrej Danek made critical statements towards the prime minister, in which he questioned some of his steps in foreign policy. An exchange of words subsequently took place between the politicians, which was also carried over to the public space.
The Government Office of the Slovak Republic published the reaction of Robert Fico, in which he rejected claims of support for a 90-billion military loan for Ukraine and stated that Slovakia does not participate in such a mechanism. At the same time, he reiterated that he supports Ukraine’s entry into the EU only if all conditions are met and demands that this position be respected.
The discussion also touched on the broader geopolitical context and the security situation in Europe. Both sides confirmed their interest in continuing diplomatic contact, despite differing views on some issues.
The meeting with Zelensky took place just a few days before Robert Fitz’s planned visit to Moscow, where he is to participate in the celebrations of the victory over fascism organized by Vladimir Putin on Saturday. Fico is supposed to be there as the only leader of an EU country, as a reaction to the disapproval of this trip, the Baltic countries did not allow him to fly to Moscow. Poland, however, allowed him to fly after lengthy discussions.
