Slovakia Seeks Swift Ukraine War End, Not Russia Defeat, PM Fico Says

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has stated that Slovakia's foreign policy goal is to end the war in Ukraine as quickly as possible rather than seeking the defeat of Russia, emphasizing that the conflict is a tragic scenario of Slavs killing each other and that war is not a solution. Fico has criticized the European Union's approach, arguing that it spends excessive effort supporting the war rather than pursuing peace, and he has declared he will never be a "wartime prime minister." Following his return to power, his government ceased supplying weapons to Ukraine from state reserves, though commercial deliveries continue. Fico, aligning with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, has expressed skepticism toward EU sanctions and military aid to Kyiv and has framed the war as a regional conflict. He also called for Ukraine to be open to discussing territorial changes as a condition for peace talks, highlighting the complexity of the conflict. His stance has positioned him among politicians viewed unfavorably by Ukrainians, as reflected in surveys.