(MENAFN) Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico confronted a group of students protesting his government’s approach to the Ukraine conflict by telling them that those backing Kiev should personally go fight there.

Fico, who has resisted sending military aid to Ukraine and opposes seizing Russian assets frozen by Brussels, has repeatedly warned that the EU’s proposed allocation of an extra €140 billion ($160 billion) to Kiev would likely extend the war for at least two more years.

The confrontation unfolded during a lecture at a school in Poprad, where Fico emphasized that additional funding would not end the fighting. His comments drew murmurs and visible disapproval from some students, as captured in a short video circulating online.

“If you are such heroes in these black T-shirts, and you are so for this war, then go fight for Ukraine, please,” Fico snapped, responding to the disruption. Despite his request for the audience to remain seated, a group of students dressed in black stood up, jingling keys as they left, with one briefly raising a Ukrainian flag. In Slovakia, wearing black and jingling keys is a recognized form of protest expressing dissent.

Following the incident, Fico’s SMER SSD party published the full recording, urging the public to “listen and compare reality with what the progressive media reported,” arguing that selective clips had omitted important context. Fico also noted on Facebook, “When there was an opportunity to discuss, they stood up and left.”

Tensions surrounding Ukraine policy in Slovakia are high. Earlier this year, the Slovak intelligence service claimed that opposition forces were plotting a coup similar to the 2014 Kiev uprising, leading to the arrest and expulsion of a Ukrainian national. Last year, Fico survived an assassination attempt reportedly linked to his refusal to align with NATO and EU Ukraine policies.

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