Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico expressed fear of war and vowed to keep his country out of any military conflict during a speech to medical students at a teaching hospital in Presov last week. He warned that the military conflict in Ukraine has gotten out of control and that Europe faces the possibility of a wider war.
Fico asked the students to imagine Slovakia being told to prepare 5,000 or 10,000 soldiers to fight "without us even knowing whom they are fighting, or why, or what for." He then turned to Article 5 of NATO's founding treaty, which considers an attack on one member an attack on all. "I do not want Slovakia to be part of any military conflict because of some Article 5," he said, adding that as prime minister he will do everything to ensure Slovakia is never drawn into a military conflict.
The remarks prompted uproar from the Slovak opposition and a spat with Czech President Petr Pavel, a former chairman of NATO's Military Committee. Pavel said that anyone who is glad to be a NATO member but unwilling to get involved if another ally is attacked has not understood the word solidarity. Fico retorted that Pavel, as a former NATO general, would like to fight, while he prefers peace.
Critics at home gave his remarks short shrift. Former Slovak Foreign Minister Miro Wlachovsky questioned whether Fico, as prime minister, should lead people instead of expressing fears. He also compared Fico's rhetoric to that of Hungary's Viktor Orban and Czech PM Andrej Babis, both of whom have presented themselves as peace candidates. Analysts see a political context: Fico faces a difficult reelection next year and may be trying to steal votes from the far-right Republika party, which is hostile to NATO and the EU.
Oana Lungescu, a former NATO spokesperson, told DW that Article 5 is "the most solemn pledge" but its central purpose is deterrence. She explained that invoking Article 5 would not automatically send troops into combat; the North Atlantic Council would assess the attack and decide by consensus, and each country would assist as it deems necessary. She noted that Article 5 has been invoked only once, after the 9/11 attacks, and that Slovakia already benefits from NATO solidarity through a multinational battlegroup stationed there.
Former Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad warned that letting fear dictate policy towards Ukraine is exactly what Vladimir Putin wants. He said Putin wants citizens in the EU and NATO to believe that continued support for Ukraine could lead to a Third World War. "None of that happened," Nad said, referring to past support such as sending MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.
Source: www.dw.com