Slovak Premier blames West for ruining Ukraine peace discussions
Date
11/5/2024 6:54:41 AM
(MENAFN) Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has openly criticized Western nations for their role in undermining peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in 2022. In a video message posted on social media on Friday, Fico accused Western politicians of actively working to derail negotiations aimed at ending the conflict. His comments came after a recent visit to Beijing, where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and underscored his growing alignment with global powers calling for a diplomatic resolution to the war.
Fico, who has long been an advocate of closer ties with Russia and has expressed skepticism about the West’s approach to the war in Ukraine, made it clear that he believes the ongoing military and financial support for Ukraine from Western nations is preventing a peaceful resolution. He argued that as long as Kyiv continues to receive such aid, the possibility of ending the hostilities remains elusive.
In his statement, Fico pointed out that Slovakia shares China’s view that the war cannot be brought to a halt while Ukraine remains armed and funded by Western powers. He emphasized that any genuine effort to stop the fighting would require the West to change its stance and stop providing Ukraine with military assistance, a position that aligns with Russian demands for the cessation of foreign support.
Fico also voiced concerns about the growing risk of a wider war, specifically the potential for the conflict between Russia and NATO to escalate into a nuclear confrontation. He expressed his belief that tensions between the two sides were reaching a dangerous tipping point, and that the situation could spiral out of control if not addressed diplomatically.
In a move that further signaled Slovakia’s divergence from Western policies, Fico announced that the country would join the "Friends of Peace" platform, an initiative launched in September by China and Brazil aimed at fostering a diplomatic resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The platform is seen as a counter to Western-led efforts to continue supporting Ukraine's military resistance against Russia, with China in particular advocating for negotiations over continued conflict.
Fico’s remarks came under criticism from British officials, particularly British Ambassador to Slovakia Nigel Baker, who had condemned the prime minister’s decision to give an interview to Russia’s state-run Rossiya-1 TV channel. Baker described Fico’s comments, in which he suggested that the West was uninterested in peace, as "untrue" and “regrettable.” Fico responded strongly to the criticism, insisting that Slovakia was not a "colony" of Britain and had every right to pursue its own foreign policy. He rejected any foreign interference in Slovakia's media choices, emphasizing that it was the West's own actions, particularly its support of Ukraine, that had sabotaged peace talks in the spring of 2022.
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