Slovak coalition party moves to block support for Ukraine’s EU bid

A senior partner in Slovakia’s ruling coalition has said it will seek written guarantees from Prime Minister Robert Fico that he will not support Ukraine’s accession to the European Union during the current parliamentary term.

The Slovak National Party (SNS), led by Andrej Danko, said on Facebook that it strongly opposes Ukraine’s EU membership and rejects the prime minister’s engagement with Ukrainian leadership on the issue, Caliber.Az reports.

“The Slovak National Party is convinced that Robert Fico, Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, has no mandate to speak on behalf of Slovakia in support of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. The SNS has repeatedly emphasised its political position and declares that, as part of its participation in the government of the Slovak Republic, it is prepared to take extreme measures of political responsibility if Robert Fico does not guarantee that, during the term of the current government—of which we are a part—he will never vote to accept Ukraine into the European Union in any form. Ukraine cannot be a member of the European Union," the post reads.

The SNS also responded to recent political exchanges involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Fico’s meeting in Yerevan, raising concerns over compensation for damages linked to the Druzhba oil pipeline and previous Slovak military assistance to Ukraine, including MiG fighter jets and the S-300 air defence system.

According to the SNS, the prime minister should not engage in EU accession discussions with Ukrainian leadership until outstanding financial and political issues are addressed.

Until Volodymyr Zelenskyy explains how he will pay for these items (as he did in his dealings with the U.S.), the Slovak National Party is convinced that the prime minister should not discuss Ukraine’s accession to the European Union with such a person,” he noted.

The dispute comes amid ongoing diplomatic engagement between Bratislava and Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on May 4 that he met Fico on the sidelines of a European Political Community summit in Yerevan, stressing Ukraine’s openness to constructive dialogue and stronger bilateral relations.

Zelenskyy also noted that Slovakia supports Ukraine’s EU membership aspirations and is prepared to share its experience on the accession process, according to his post following the meeting.

By Sabina Mammadli