Slovakia threatens to veto Ukraine’s potential NATO accession

Slovak PM Robert Fico, known for his pro-Russian stance, said he would veto Ukraine's admission into NATO.

In an interview with Slovak outlet InfoVojna on Dec. 19, Fico stated he would use his veto to block Ukraine's NATO entry as long as he has "the ability to influence the Slovak political scene."

Read also: Slovak government led by Fico rejects EUR 40 million new military aid package for Ukraine

"It's not surprising that the party that holds the majority in the Slovak government would disagree with Ukraine's membership in NATO, as it would be the beginning of World War III," he said.

Read also: Slovakia will not ban arms sales to Ukraine — PM Fico

The PM also mentioned that Ukraine's accession to the EU would take years, although he is not against Ukraine's European integration in principle — if the country fulfills all conditions.

On Oct. 1, the pro-Russian party Smer-SD led by Fico won the parliamentary elections in Slovakia. He has been a vocal opponent of supporting Ukraine and its accession to NATO.

Read also: Thousands of Slovaks protest against the government of Robert Fico

Fico has declared that Slovakia will cease military assistance to Ukraine and will focus solely on humanitarian support. He also contends, "It would be better for Ukraine and Russia to negotiate over the decade than to continue killing each other."

Previously, he has echoed false Russian narratives, claiming "the war started in 2014 when Ukrainian Nazis and fascists began killing Russian citizens in Donbas and Luhansk."

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine