PRAGUE, January 17. /TASS/. Slovakia’s pro-Western opposition puts Kiev’s interests above those of its own nation, Prime Minister Robert Fico said, commenting on a meeting between opposition leaders and Vladimir Zelensky, where they promised to support Ukraine’s NATO bid and send Slovak troops to Ukraine in case they come to power.
"Today’s visit to Kiev by delegates from the Progressive Slovakia party confirms their blind support for Ukraine, prioritizing Ukrainian interests over Slovak ones. Due to some unknown reason, the party’s representatives forgot to say in their reports from Kiev that they had promised <…> Zelensky that in case they take power they would support Ukraine’s membership in NATO and the presence of Slovak troops on Ukrainian soil within a military contingent against Russia. Both run counter to Slovakia’s national and state interests," he said in a statement posted on his Facebook page (Facebook is banned in Russia due to its ownership by Meta, which has been designated as extremist).
A Progressive Slovakia delegation visited Kiev on Friday. The party’s leader, Michal Simecka, met with Zelensky and said after the meeting that the latter had reassured that Kiev was ready to negotiate the energy issue.
On January 15, representatives of Slovakia's pro-Western opposition parties officially submitted to the National Council (parliament) a motion of no confidence in the Fico government. They justified the move by internal problems in the ruling coalition, growing prices, failings in the public health system, and poor economic performance. They also called on the government to respect Bratislava’s commitment to the European Union and NATO. The voting on this matter will take place on January 21.