Since the defeat of Viktor Orban in April, Slovakian left-wing prime minister Robert Fico has often been described as the most pro-Russian leader remaining within the alliance.

In an address to Poland’s lawmakers on Thursday, Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that Russia could conduct strikes on nations that are supporting Ukraine, including NATO members. In Tusk’s telling, the Kremlin could launch drone or missile strikes against NATO targets, and then claim that those incidents were “accidental” in an attempt to head off further escalation.

Tusk’s warnings come after a series of incidents in which Russian drones crossed into NATO territory and Russian aircraft violated alliance airspace. The goal of these efforts might be to test the resolve of some NATO members. Tusk further suggested that it would be an attempt to demonstrate that Article 5 is something that “exists only in theory.”

The Polish leader’s address came as another NATO member made clear he doesn’t want his nation dragged into war.

“I don’t want Slovakia to be part of any military conflict because of some Article 5,” Robert Fico, the prime minister of Slovakia, said on Thursday during a speech to students in the city of Prešov. “We are part of NATO, we value that, and we are committed to cooperation and fulfilling our obligations. But as prime minister, I will do everything in my power to ensure that Slovakia is never drawn into a military conflict.”

Fico acknowledged the recent Russian incursions in NATO territory, but downplayed their significance.

“The situation has never been as serious and tense as it is now, in terms of the possibility of a pan-European military conflict,” Fico added.

The Slovakian prime minister—who leads the left-wing Direction-Social Democracy (or “Smer”) party, the largest party in Slovakia’s parliament—is widely seen as one of Europe’s most pro-Russian leaders. He has long warned that the West’s support for Ukraine and its sanctions against Russia carry a risk of war.

“Sometimes there’s a tendency to mask our inability to solve problems such as illegal migration, competitiveness, and high energy prices by resorting to this bellicose talk: ‘Come on, let’s fight.’ For heaven’s sake, who do we want to fight? Who?” Fico said.

Slovakia’s Government Is Skeptical of NATO

Slovakia, formerly the eastern half of Czechoslovakia, spent much of the Cold War under Moscow’s thumb as a Soviet satellite state. It became independent in 1992, shortly after the fall of the USSR, and joined NATO in March 2004.

Fico has been elected and served as Prime Minister of Slovakia on four separate occasions, beginning in 2006. He was then re-elected to the post in 2012, 2016, and most recently in October 2023. Slovakia’s next election is now scheduled to be held in just over a year, on September 28, 2027, though a snap election could be called sooner.

The upcoming election is expected to be one of the most important in recent years, as it will have significant consequences for the Central European nation’s future. Fico, whose political positions originated on the left but have since broadened to include populist and national conservative elements, has said he expects Smer to win the election. However, he has acknowledged that forming a government could be complicated, given Smer’s Eurosceptic tendencies, its opposition to Western liberalism, and its skepticism regarding military aid to Ukraine.

Fico was a close political ally of Hungary’s former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who lost reelection this past spring. Orbán’s defeat was seen as a portent of the reversal of “illiberal” autocracy and a major blow to the global far-right and populist movement.

Eduard Heger, who served as prime minister of Slovakia from 2020 to 2023, was a strong supporter of Ukraine, and he provided Kyiv with his country’s Russian-made S-300 air defense system and MiG-29 jet fighters.

Since he succeeded Heger in 2023, Fico has stopped sending state weapons to Ukraine, but has allowed privately owned Slovak companies to continue to sell weapons. Although he has said he would block Ukraine from ever joining NATO over fears it would lead to a world war, he has said he would support Kyiv joining the European Union—a less objectionable action for the Kremlin—if it can meet all the rules.

In May 2024, Fico was shot and wounded in an assassination attempt, although he has since recovered.

What Is NATO Article 5?

Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty is the backbone of the alliance. The text of the article declares that “an armed attack against one or more [members] shall be considered an attack against them all,” and commits each member to take “such action as it deems necessary” to defend NATO’s security.

Though the principle of the text is clear—collective defense for NATO members—the actual language gives each individual nation a great deal of flexibility in how it responds. Fico’s comments over Article 5 come after US President Donald Trump has stated that America’s commitment to defending NATO allies depends on whether those countries meet their financial defense spending obligations to the alliance. More recently, Trump has cast doubt on Article 5 by questioning whether NATO allies would come to the aid of the United States under Article 5. It is worth noting, however, that Article 5 has only been invoked once in NATO’s history—by the United States immediately following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. 

In addition, the response does not automatically mean military force. Members can choose to send supplies, economic aid, medical help, or military forces.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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