Fico: Russia should be criticised when it makes mistakes

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has said that lasting peace and security in Europe cannot be achieved without Russia, while warning Western countries against what he described as Russophobia and the demonisation of Moscow.

Speaking at a ceremony in Banská Bystrica marking the 82nd anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising against Nazi Germany, Fico argued that Russia should remain part of Europe’s security framework.

“Security and peace in Europe cannot be ensured without Russia. This can only be achieved with Russia. Russia should be criticised when it makes mistakes, but it must not be demonised and pushed out of Europe,” Fico said.

Fico also urged Western countries to acknowledge what he described as the reality of a “peer” Russia existing alongside them.

The Slovak prime minister said the European Union should focus on diplomacy and economic development rather than confrontation with Moscow.

“The EU is a peace project, not an instrument for fighting Russia. The EU does not need more weapons and Russophobia. The EU needs more diplomacy and concrete plans on how to help its economy,” he said.

Fico also warned against the spread of Russophobia and drew a parallel between contemporary political developments and the legacy of World War II.

“Nazism was defeated on the battlefields of World War II, but it was never eradicated from the minds of the followers of the misanthropic ideology. It is here again, only dressed in different clothes,” Fico said.

By Tamilla Hasanova