Media: Slovakia could back Russia if Fico wins parliamentary election

Slovakia could become a new ally of Russia after the parliamentary elections if the head of the opposition Smer party, former Prime Minister Robert Fico, wins them, writes The Guardian. Fico opposes the supply of weapons to Ukraine, notes The New York Times (NYT).

Early parliamentary elections in Slovakia are scheduled for September 30. 24 parties and one coalition will take part in them. Both newspapers note that Fico is gaining support in the opinion polls.

According to The Guardian, Robert Fico is “a man who lavishes praises on Moscow and models himself on Viktor Orbán, the “alt-right” leader in neighbouring Hungary” and if he wins "the European Union and NATO could soon have a new troublemaker within."

Furthermore, there is also a danger that the political course of Slovakia will change, and the country will begin to support Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to the NYT, Robert Fico promised to stop arms supplies to Ukraine, condemned sanctions against Russia and spoke out against NATO. His electoral success “would likely turn one of Ukraine’s most stalwart backers — Slovakia was the first country to send it air-defense missiles and fighter jets — into a neutral bystander more sympathetic to Moscow,” the newspaper writes.

“It would also end the isolation of Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary as the only leader in the European Union and NATO speaking out strongly against helping Ukraine,” it adds.

Now Slovakia is among the Western countries supplying weapons to Ukraine against the backdrop of the Russian “military operation”. On March 18, Slovakia signed an agreement with Ukraine on the transfer of 13 MiG-29 fighters and two Kub anti-aircraft defense systems. The Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation of the Russian Federation announced a violation of the re-export rules by Slovakia.