Fico Demands a Retraction of the Statement Regarding Slovakia's Membership in the Coalition of the Willing
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico stated that the country is not a member of the “Coalition of the Willing,” which supports Ukraine, and demanded that France publicly refute reports of Bratislava’s alleged membership in this coalition.
According to Fico, following reports of Slovakia’s participation in the “Coalition of the Willing,” he spoke with French Ambassador to Slovakia Nicolas Suran and asked the French side to officially clarify the situation.
“As Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, I officially declare that Slovakia has not been, is not, and will not be a member of the ‘Coalition of the Willing,’ which supports the war in Ukraine,” Fico emphasized.
The statement was prompted by a report on the euBrief website, which, citing the French Embassy, claimed that Slovakia had allegedly participated in the coalition’s activities. According to the publication, the country received an invitation to a meeting on July 13, and in the absence of the country’s leadership, it was represented by the Slovak ambassador to France.
Fico stated that the French diplomat explained the situation and assured him that Paris would provide further public clarification on the matter. He also reiterated that he does not support the activities of the “Coalition of the Willing,” calling it a military alliance.
“This is a military alliance. We will never become a member of it. They’re playing childish games at the highest levels,” he said.
This was reported by Hnonline.
As a reminder, in Slovakia, the State Election Commission declared invalid a referendum that proposed abolishing the lifetime payments to Prime Minister Robert Fico, which were introduced following an assassination attempt.
The Coalition of the Willing called for a ceasefire and increased aid to Ukraine.
Bulgaria explained its withdrawal from the Coalition of the Willing and declared its support for Ukraine.