Fico claims some Western politicians want to provoke a war between NATO and Russia
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has stated that certain Western politicians are allegedly seeking to provoke a direct conflict between NATO and Russia. According to him, they have been driven to this by the failure of the strategy to defeat Russia through support for Ukraine.
The Slovak Prime Minister made these remarks in a video address, Reuters reports.
https://www.reuters.com/world/slovak-pm-fico-says-some-west-seek-war-between-russia-nato-2026-09-19/
What Robert Fico said
The Slovak Prime Minister outlined his position in a video address on September 19. He stated that Europe is allegedly facing “mortal danger” and that Western support for Ukraine, in his view, is only exacerbating the situation.
“The failure of the strategy to destroy Russia through the war in Ukraine has led some Western politicians to the conclusion that if the goal cannot be achieved with the help of the Ukrainian army and full support for it, then every effort must be made to provoke a conflict between NATO and Russia,” Fico said.
He also emphasized that Russia’s war against Ukraine is not—in his words—a war involving Slovakia or NATO.
“Certain war hawks within NATO are trying to turn this war into a conflict between Russia and NATO at any cost,” the Prime Minister added.
Fico stated that Slovak troops would not participate in the war
The Slovak Prime Minister also remarked that a pretext for starting the war could allegedly be created quite easily. He reiterated his stance that Slovak troops would not fight in the event of what he termed a “fabricated pretext.”
On September 18, Fico also stated that he had no intention of honoring Article 5 obligations under the North Atlantic Treaty or participating in the defense of allies in the event of war.
Fico is known for his critical stance regarding military support for Ukraine. He also advocates for maintaining relations with Russia.
European leaders speak of the Russian threat
Fico’s statements came against the backdrop of warnings from other European leaders regarding intensified Russian activity against European nations.
On September 18, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Russia is stepping up hybrid attacks against European states. He cited the attempted drone attack on Leipzig Airport in August as an example; the German government has linked this incident to Moscow.
On September 17, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, citing unnamed intelligence services, stated that Russia might be preparing hybrid attacks using drones and missiles against countries that support Ukraine.
Thus, Fico’s statements regarding a potential direct clash between NATO and Russia were made amidst varying assessments by European governments concerning the nature and level of the Russian threat.