NATO chief defends Ukrainian-support campaign after Fico calls it ‘election meddling’

NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg defended a NATO information campaign that is meant to raise support for Ukraine in Slovakia after former prime minister and poll leader Robert Fico criticised it, saying it would be a direct interference in the election campaign.

NATO’s effort in Slovakia will focus on two age groups that are the least willing to offer help to Ukraine. This includes people aged 25-34 (51% against) and people aged 55-64 (60% against).

“NATO organises various information campaigns in different countries. It is quite common,” Stoltenberg said while visiting Slovakia on Tuesday, adding that a similar campaign was held in Slovakia in 2017.

“We need to help Ukraine endure as a sovereign country in Europe because if President Putin were to win, the message to him or other authoritarian regimes would be that they can use force to achieve their goals and disrupt the borders of neighbouring countries. The world would become more dangerous,” he explained, shedding some light on the arguments which could be included in the campaign.

His comments came as a rebuttal to a press conference organised by Fico. His party’s commitment to NATO membership has been under scrutiny ever since he compared NATO soldiers in Slovakia to Nazi troops.

Fico claimed that the information campaign would be a direct interference in the election campaign to the detriment of the opposition.

The leader of the S&D member party also recently criticised a Brussels meeting in which Slovak NGOs and government workers allegedly warned that after a Smer victory, Slovakia could leave NATO.

“We respect and appreciate the commitments that the Slovak Republic has towards these organisations,” Fico said at a press conference, adding that his party does not threaten democracy.

Earlier this week, Smer proposed a Russia-style “foreign agent” labelling law for NGOs that get funding from abroad. A similar law was adopted in Hungary in 2017 and scrapped in 2021 after an EU Court of Justice judgement.

Right before an important snap election, the campaign will run from May to August, which could significantly shift Slovakia’s stance to Ukraine. Fico’s Smer claims to support NATO but wants to end arms supplies to Kyiv.

(Barbara Zmušková | EURACTIV.sk)