Ahead of the upcoming European Council summit, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico criticised the EU for acting as a ‘war cabinet’ and undermining the peace process in Ukraine while questioning Russia’s responsibility for the Bucha massacre.
Just before leaving for the summit in Brussels on 17-18 October, Fico (Smer-SD/NI) denounced the EU for its military aid to Ukraine, and expressed regret that “the EU, which is a peace project, is behaving like a military cabinet.”
“All we talk about at the EU council is the ammunition and rockets for Ukraine or how many Russians have to be killed,” Fico claimed at a meeting of the parliament’s European affairs committee on Wednesday (16 October).
Fico also announced plans to travel to Moscow next May to commemorate the end of World War Two, adding that “he was a big supporter of restoring relations” with Russia.
The opposition, he said, should stop comparing Russia to the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany.
Bucha massacre
Fico also commented on the Bucha massacre, claiming, “We don’t have enough evidence to convict anyone.”
Bucha was occupied by the Russian forces between February and March 2022. After Russia’s withdrawal from the area, the images of more than 450 civilians, many lying in the streets or buried in mass graves that appeared in the news, shocked the world.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights documented the unlawful killings, including summary executions.
Russia’s denials of responsibility have further been debunked by survivors as well as various investigative groups and media, including Bellingcat, the NYT, and the BBC.
Peace efforts
Fico laid out his predictions about the war in Ukraine, although he presented no evidence to back them up.
“There is a high probability that the war in Ukraine will end very soon,” Slovakia’s prime minister said.
“I am expecting some indication tomorrow as the topic of Ukraine’s invitation to NATO is suddenly being brought up,” said Fico, referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s peace plan due to be unveiled on Thursday.
However, he suggested that an invitation of Kyiv to the Alliance would not be “for free” and that “Ukraine would have to agree to a deal negotiated by the superpowers.”
It is important to support any forthcoming peace plan, whether proposed by Ukraine, China, or others, he added.
West u-turn
Fico also claimed that Ukraine was “already willing to sign peace treaties” during the early months of the war.
“But then, the Western politicians came up and said: ‘No. Let’s make use of the war in Ukraine to humble Russia’. That unfortunately did not happen,” the prime minister added without providing proof.
While reiterating that Russia’s invasion was a “violation of international law” and that “borders cannot be changed by military force,” Fico said it was unrealistic to expect Russia to withdraw from Crimea and the Donbas region.
The Smer leader also confirmed that Slovakia supports Ukraine’s accession to the EU, but rejected the idea that Smer MPs would vote in favour of Ukraine joining NATO.
Following last year’s parliamentary elections, which saw Fico return to power, Slovakia has become increasingly embroiled in controversies surrounding the government’s apparent sympathies towards Russia.
[Edited by Daniel Eck, Martina Monti]
Source: euractiv.com
