EU state’s PM reminds Macron that Ukraine is not in NATO

Slovakia has nothing to do with the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, Robert Fico has said

Ukraine is not a member of NATO, so the bloc would not be justified in deploying troops in the country to defend against Russia, Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico has said.

His remarks followed French President Emmanuel Macron’s interview with the Economist earlier this week, in which he again refused to rule out a potential deployment of soldiers to Ukraine. Such a question would arise “if the Russians were to break through the front lines” and if Kiev requested help from the US-led military alliance, he said.

Fico told the Slovak parliament on Thursday that such statements are bringing the world closer to World War Three.

“Ukraine is not a NATO member state,” he reminded the French president. Macron does not speak for the whole bloc and his words about the possible deployment of troops to Ukraine are “no one else’s businesses, but France’s,” the prime minister added.

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"Slovakia has nothing to do with the war in Ukraine, and let me send a clear message to the whole of Slovakia: whoever might ask us, no Slovak soldier will set foot beyond the Slovak-Ukrainian border,” Fico pledged.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said on Friday that a NATO member committing troops to Ukraine would be a “dangerous escalation.” Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has echoed the Slovak prime minister’s words, warning that such a move could lead to World War Three.

Since becoming prime minister of Slovakia – an EU and NATO member – in October 2023, Fico has reversed the previous government’s policy of supplying weapons to Ukraine and insisted there should be a diplomatic solution to the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.

Moscow has repeatedly warned the West against sending troops to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on Telegram on Friday that “nothing will remain” of NATO forces if they are sent to the frontline.