Slovak Prime Minister Roberto Fico said Saturday that Ukraine must be willing to cede part of its territory to Russia for a peace deal.
Ahead of a scheduled meeting between recently appointed Prime Minister Roberto Fico and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal on Wednesday, the left-wing populist Slovak leader suggested a peace settlement would likely require territorial concessions to Russia. and was furious in Kiev.
“Some kind of compromise is needed, but it will be very painful for both sides. And what are they waiting for? Will the Russians leave Crimea, Donbass and Luhansk? That's unrealistic.” Fico Said This was reported by Slovak news agency Aktuality.
This is in direct contradiction to President Zelenskiy's demands that Russia withdraw from all occupied territories before negotiations begin and restore Ukraine's 1991 borders, which include not only the occupied areas of Donbas but also the Russian-controlled Crimea. This is contrary to . Since annexing the territory in 2014.
Russia, on the other hand, claims that the territory in question is “liberated,” given that the territory in question is home to a large ethnic Russian population, which the Kremlin claims has suffered discrimination from the Ukrainian government in Kiev. claims.
Ukraine rejects ceasefire with Russia at Davos 'peace' summit ahead of World Economic Forum meetinghttps://t.co/zyxaguIC8u
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) January 14, 2024
The Slovak leader, who was elected last year on a left-wing populist platform, also reiterated his plans to thwart any attempts to incorporate Ukraine into the US-led NATO military alliance. As head of NATO and EU member states, Fico has veto power over Ukraine's membership in either organization.
“I will tell him that I oppose Ukraine's membership in NATO and that I will veto it,” he said. Said He spoke about the planned meeting with Prime Minister Shmyhal of Ukraine. “It's just the basis for World War III and nothing else.”
Fico added that “Ukraine is not an independent sovereign state” and insisted that Kiev was only acting “under the full influence and control of the United States.”
The populist prime minister went on to claim that Ukraine was “one of the most corrupt countries in the world” and said the Slovak government would not provide any weapons.
Despite coming from a left-wing background, Fico finds common cause with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Before Fico's election, Orbán had been the only voice in Europe calling for peace talks to end the war in Ukraine.
During a press conference with Orbán in Budapest this week, Fico said: criticized The EU said it was trying to punish Hungary for withholding 50 billion euros in EU aid for Ukraine. “I can never agree that a country that fought for its sovereignty should be punished. I will never agree to such an attack on Hungary.”
Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán says Ukraine's accession to the European Union is 'light years away'https://t.co/1UK6B1GTcD
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) November 19, 2023
