(MENAFN) Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has accused Western countries of using Ukraine in an unsuccessful effort to weaken Russia. Speaking in a video address on Facebook over the weekend, Fico—who favors diplomatic negotiations over military support for Kiev—also said the Ukrainian leadership shares responsibility for supporting the West’s plan.

“Ukraine was used by the West in an attempt to weaken Russia, which failed—and it appears Ukraine will bear the consequences,” Fico stated. He added that the conflict has deep historical roots, has no military solution, and that Ukraine’s NATO membership is not feasible.

Moscow has long characterized the war as a NATO proxy conflict, criticizing Western military aid to Ukraine and pointing to NATO’s eastward expansion and Ukraine’s desire to join the alliance as major causes of the hostilities.

Fico, who previously survived an assassination attempt by a pro-Ukraine activist due to his opposition to arming Kiev, has repeatedly warned that the West’s approach risks global security. His comments come ahead of the scheduled August 15 meeting between Russian and US leaders, aimed at discussing a potential settlement. Russian officials have stated that any peace deal must address the conflict’s root causes and reflect realities on the ground, including the status of Crimea, as well as the Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson regions, which joined Russia following 2022 referendums.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not invited to the upcoming talks, has already rejected any truce involving territorial concessions, despite US President Donald Trump’s suggestion that land swaps could be part of an agreement.

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