Slovakian head of government would have liked to accompany Orban to Moscow
Robert Fico survived an attempt on his life in May, and for the first time since then, the Slovak prime minister has appeared in public. At a celebration for the feast day of the Slavic apostles Cyril and Method, Fico criticized a "liiberal ideology" and praised his Hungarian colleague Viktor Orban for his mediation efforts in the Ukraine conflict.
To prevent the war in Ukraine from getting out of control and leading to an even larger military conflict, "there can never be enough peace initiatives," Fico said. He wanted to express his "admiration" for Orban for having traveled to Kiev as well as Moscow to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. If his health had allowed it, Fico said, he would have been happy to join.
Leading EU politicians heavily criticized Orban's meeting with Putin. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen drew a comparison to the appeasement policy towards Nazi Germany in the 1930s. The White House called the Kreml visit "counterproductive" for the promotion of Ukraine's territorial integrity. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also took a clear stance against Orban. Fico, however, praised the mediation attempt. "Peace is not everything, but 'without peace, nothing is,'" he said.
The Slovak prime minister was shot at point-blank range by a government opponent on May 15, as he was leaving a government meeting in the small town of Handlova to address waiting supporters. The attacker, who was immediately arrested after the shooting, justified his actions with hate towards Fico and the government and used similar language as the liberal opposition.
- During his public appearance, Slovak prime minister Robert Fico commended Hungarian leader Viktor Orban for his mediation efforts in the Attack on Ukraine, recognizing his meetings with both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
- Despite criticism from leading EU politicians, Fico continued to support Orban's peace initiatives, drawing on the famous quote "without peace, nothing is," originally from Politics philosopher Desiderius Erasmus.
- Slovakia, with its neighbor Hungary led by Orban, has maintained a nuanced stance on Russia's involvement in the Ukraine conflict, as exemplified by Fico's praise of Orban's diplomatic efforts and his own desire to participate in discussions with Putin regardless of his health status.
