Slovakia’s Fico meets Trump, says EU “in deep crisis”

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has met US President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, with both leaders agreeing that the European Union is “an institution in deep crisis”.

The late-Saturday (January 17) meeting was disclosed only through Fico’s social media accounts and was described by him as informal and open, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

He said the invitation itself was a sign of “high respect and trust”.

The visit came a day after Washington announced new tariffs targeting the EU and amid renewed US pressure over Greenland, but Fico made no public reference to either issue.

According to the Slovak prime minister, talks focused largely on international affairs, particularly the war in Ukraine. He said US representatives were keen to hear Slovakia’s views because it is “not a Brussels parrot” and takes what he described as sovereign positions on the conflict.

Fico has been a long-time critic of Western military support for Kyiv. Since returning to office in 2023, he has halted state military aid to Ukraine and has met Russian President Vladimir Putin three times in the past year.

He said he reiterated Slovakia’s “peace-oriented” stance, arguing that diplomacy should take precedence over military solutions amid what he called other sensitive global developments.

Beyond Ukraine, Fico said he and Trump discussed EU competitiveness, as well as energy and migration policy. “There was complete agreement in viewing the EU as an institution in deep crisis,” he added.

The Slovak leader did not mention Greenland or Venezuela, despite his government previously backing Denmark and criticising the detention of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro as a breach of international law.

The visit has drawn criticism at home. Former foreign minister Ivan Korčok accused Fico of acting “servilely” towards Trump and betraying Slovakia’s national interests.

Even within the governing coalition, there were signs of unease. Andrej Danko, leader of the far-right Slovak National Party (SNS), called for unity in resisting pressure over Greenland and urged the prime minister to set out a clearer public position.

By Aghakazim Guliyev