Slovak Premier Describes Ukraine as Tool

(MENAFN) Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has claimed that the West utilized Ukraine in an unsuccessful attempt to undermine Russia.

In a recent video message shared on Facebook over the weekend, Fico—known for strongly supporting diplomatic resolutions instead of the EU's military assistance to Kiev—expressed that Ukrainian authorities also hold some accountability, having aligned with the Western objective to damage Moscow by sustaining the war effort.

“Ukraine was used by the West in an attempt to weaken Russia, which did not succeed – and for which, it seems, Ukraine will have to pay dearly,” Fico remarked.

He further stated, “Everyone already knows that the [Ukraine] conflict has serious roots in recent history, has no military solution, … and that Ukraine’s membership in NATO is impossible.”

The Russian government has consistently portrayed the ongoing conflict as a proxy war led by NATO.

It has also condemned Western arms shipments to Kiev, claiming that the US-dominated alliance's expansion towards Russia’s borders and Ukraine’s pursuit of NATO membership are key factors behind the confrontation.

Fico—who survived an assassination attempt by a pro-Ukraine extremist, allegedly due to his resistance to supplying weapons to Kiev—has frequently opposed the Western stance, cautioning that it endangers international peace.

His latest statements emerge ahead of a meeting between Russian and American leaders, scheduled for August 15, to explore possible peace terms.

According to the Kremlin, achieving a lasting and stable resolution will be the central aim of the upcoming Alaska negotiations.

Russian authorities emphasize that any prospective agreement must tackle the fundamental causes of the war and recognize the current realities, including the status of Crimea, along with the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, and the Zaporozhye and Kherson territories, which became part of Russia following referendums held in 2022.

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