Slovakia continues to strengthen its ties with China, enhancing cooperation not only in the economic but also in the political sphere. At the same time, this step demonstrates the anti-Western vector chosen by Prime Minister Robert Fico.
During a visit to China on 1 November, he openly blamed the West for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while praising Beijing’s ‘peacekeeping’ stance. After his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Fico said that the two leaders agreed that ‘an immediate cessation of hostilities is impossible’ as long as Ukraine receives military and financial support from the West. ‘As prime minister, I support all peace plans for Ukraine. Whoever is the author of them,’ Fico said.
He particularly noted the so-called Sino-Brazilian ‘peace initiative’, which was presented in May 2024. It contains six points, including calls for a cessation of hostilities and prevention of the conflict’s expansion, but no mention of Ukraine’s territorial integrity or the UN Charter, which legally justifies the right to preserve it.
Fico announced that he plans to discuss this initiative in more detail during his visit to Brazil in December. He also announced that Slovakia has joined the group of ‘friends of peace’ at the UN, led by China and Brazil.
Reflecting on the situation in Ukraine, Fico sharply criticised the European Union, accusing it of engaging in ‘war rhetoric’ and escalating the conflict. He recalled that Western politicians had allegedly ignored the possibility of signing peace agreements in April 2022, and that the current peace plan of the Ukrainian president, in Fico’s opinion, was unrealistic.
The Sino-Brazilian initiative has already gained the support of nearly 17 countries, including NATO member Turkey. Hungary and Switzerland have also expressed a desire to join the initiative.
Opposition criticism
Representatives of the opposition KDH party reacted harshly to Fico’s Chinese rhetoric and said at a press conference that the prime minister’s trip to China was a threat to Slovak democracy, security and the economy. ‘Someone must be crazy if they can say that. How does the Prime Minister’s visit to China threaten democracy in Slovakia? Why am I going there alone? Weren’t there representatives of other countries there?’ Fico replied sharply.
According to the head of KDH, Milan Majersky, Fico’s ‘four-pronged policy’ is a policy oriented towards Russia and China. ‘This threatens Slovakia’s sovereignty and security, as well as its position in international structures,’ he said. The trip to China was also criticised by representatives of SaS and the For the People party.
The Progressive Slovakia party also drew attention to the fact that Prime Minister Fico appeared on Russian propaganda television. ‘His agglomeration at home is falling apart, healthcare is not a prime ministerial issue for him, but he finds time to serve Putin. This is a huge disgrace,’ party leader Michal Simečka commented on Fico’s actions.
Danuše Nerudová, a member of the European Parliament from the Czech European People’s Party, wrote on the X network: ‘With his remarks on a Russian propaganda show where guests send nuclear weapons to Europe, celebrate the bombing of Ukrainian hospitals and claim that Prague will be theirs, Slovak Prime Minister Fico has once again confirmed that he is a threat to Europe’s security and that the Czech government did well to break off joint talks with his government. Mr Fico, shame on you!’.
In the same vein, Fico also clashed with the British Ambassador to Slovakia, Nigel Baker, who criticised the prime minister for his speech on Russian television and said that Fico’s words that the West was not interested in peace in Ukraine were untrue. The prime minister responded sharply: ‘Dear Ambassador, I do not understand what gives you the right to interfere in my media activities. The idea that the Slovak ambassador to London would openly and publicly criticise the British prime minister for his media output is absurd,’ Fico said, adding that Baker should be concerned with the quality of media output to the West. ‘Slovakia is not a Britishcolony,’ Fico concluded. Instead, Baker stressed that the fastest way to peace would be the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.
A six-point initiative for peace in Ukraine without Ukraine’s participation
The Brazilian-Chinese initiative, announced in August 2024, envisages a ‘six-point consensus’ aimed at achieving a long-term political solution to the war in Ukraine that Russia started in February 2022. The plan calls for a reduction in the intensity of hostilities and recognises that dialogue and negotiations are the only way to end the conflict.
Other points of the initiative include:
-No attacks on peaceful nuclear facilities and no use of nuclear weapons.
-Avoidance of attacks on civilians and exchange of prisoners of war.
-Supporting humanitarian aid to Ukraine and ensuring global food security.
Despite these statements, Brazil has not taken concrete steps to implement the initiative. For example, it abstained from supporting the UN General Assembly resolution on the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, adopted on 11 July 2024.
In addition, Brazil and China did not warn Ukraine of their intention to announce a joint initiative and gather other countries around it, which violates an important principle: no talk about Ukraine without Ukraine’s participation. When the meeting of the ‘group of friends’ to support the Brazilian-Chinese initiative was being prepared in New York, Ukraine was proactive. A week before the meeting, Ukrainian diplomats handed over notes to the participants asking them not to participate in this initiative, indicating their rejection of these actions.
Fico develops the Chinese vector in Slovakia’s foreign policy
Fico returned to power for the fourth time last year after his left-wing Smer party won the parliamentary elections on a pro-Russian and anti-American platform. Since coming to power, Fico has been interested in a more pro-Chinese foreign policy. His trip to China, which was scheduled for June, was interrupted by an assassination attempt in May and has only now become possible.
Fico is the longest-serving prime minister since the founding of the Republic of Slovakia in 1993. Since first taking office in 2006, Fico has left office twice, between 2010 and 2012 and between 2018 and 2023. In 2018, he resigned and gave way to his political ally Peter Pellegrini due to the political crisis caused by the murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak. After Pellegrini’s defeat in the 2020 parliamentary elections, the People’s Party and the Party of Independent Individuals formed a new coalition government. During this period, Slovakia insisted on a more pro-Taiwanese and values-oriented diplomatic line, which angered Beijing. In the 2023 parliamentary elections, Fico won again and returned to power. Fico’s government advocates a ‘comprehensive’ foreign policy, including increased cooperation with Russia and China. In addition to this year’s trip to China, Fico plans to visit Russia next year.
Matej Šimalčík, executive director of the Central European Institute for Asian Studies, said that ‘comprehensive’ policy is a euphemism for conducting economic relations without regard to political values and human rights. Filip Šebok, head of the institute’s Prague office, pointed out that Fico is seeking to strengthen his credentials in conducting a ‘sovereign’ foreign policy, distancing himself from the previous government, which was tough on Russia and China.
Accordingly, Fico’s views on Russia’s war against Ukraine and other issues are sharply different from the European mainstream. Fico has cut off his country’s military aid to Ukraine, opposes EU sanctions against Russia and wants to block Ukraine’s accession to NATO.
In an interview with Russian television, he said that he would be honoured to attend the traditional military parade on Red Square in Moscow to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II on 9 May next year.
The interview was condemned by the Slovak opposition and politicians in the neighbouring Czech Republic.
During his current visit to China, the Slovak prime minister is expected to meet with the speaker of the Chinese parliament and the president of China. He plans that during these meetings, the Slovak delegation will focus mainly on strengthening economic relations between the two countries, as well as other foreign policy issues, especially the war in Ukraine.
Thus, Robert Fico’s visit to China and his anti-Western rhetoric demonstrate a fundamental shift in Slovakia’s foreign policy. Instead of supporting its traditional European and transatlantic allies, the new government is betting on closer relations with China and other countries that advocate a ‘peace’ without Ukraine’s participation. Fico’s approach is causing concern both domestically and among European partners, as it not only calls into question support for Ukraine, but also threatens Slovakia’s future as part of the European democratic community.
