Fico promised to prevent Slovakia from being dragged into war "through NATO Article 5"

Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico stated that he will do everything possible to ensure that the country is not drawn into a military conflict in the event of the application of NATO Article 5. At the same time, he emphasized that Slovakia values membership in the Alliance, cooperation with allies, and fulfillment of its obligations.

Fico stated this on September 17 during a speech to students and staff of the university hospital in Prešov, ahead of his trip to Ukraine.

Speaking about the security situation in Europe, the Slovak prime minister said that he fears the expansion of the war and considers the current situation the most tense in recent years.

"Can you imagine that Article 5 of the NATO treaty would be applied? Can you imagine that they would tell us: prepare five thousand soldiers, ten thousand soldiers, and they will go somewhere to fight? And we don't know with whom, why, and for what", Fico said.

After that, he separately expressed himself regarding the possible participation of Slovakia in a military conflict.

"I do not wish for Slovakia to be part of any military conflict due to some Article 5. Yes, we are in NATO, we value it, cooperation and fulfillment of obligations are important to us, but as prime minister, I will do everything to ensure that Slovakia is never drawn into a military conflict", he said.

Thus, Fico did not directly state a refusal by Slovakia to fulfill NATO Article 5. On the contrary, in the same part of his speech, he emphasized the importance of fulfilling allied obligations.

Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty stipulates that an attack on one NATO member is considered an attack on all. At the same time, each Alliance country determines itself which actions it deems necessary to assist an ally. This may include the use of military force, but the article does not establish an automatic obligation to send a certain number of troops.

In his speech, Fico also stated that he is concerned about increasingly belligerent rhetoric in Europe. According to him, defense companies may become some of the main beneficiaries of the EU budget for 2028-2034, while problems of competitiveness, high energy prices, and illegal migration remain unresolved.

The Slovak prime minister also suggested that major military operations may take place on the territory of Ukraine, and stated the risk of an incident that could sharply escalate the situation - for example, if a drone hits a residential building on the territory of a NATO state and causes civilian casualties.

"I am afraid that we are on the verge", Fico said.

On September 18, the Slovak prime minister is leaving for Ukraine. The Government of Slovakia had reported that he is scheduled to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian prime minister, as well as take part in a conference with the participation of prime ministers of other EU countries.

According to materials: speech by Robert Fico, NATO, Government of Slovakia