Slovak premier warns against NATO Article 5 dragging Slovakia into war

On September 17, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico voiced concerns that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war could spill into a broader European conflict. Addressing an audience in Presov, he said the war is “out of control” and that the risk of a continent-wide clash has never been higher. While reaffirming Slovakia’s commitment to NATO, Fico stressed he will do everything possible to prevent the country from being drawn into combat under Article 5, which obliges members to assist an attacked ally.

He also criticized European capitals for allegedly looking for an excuse to spark a major NATO-Russia war. The comments precede a visit to Ukraine by Fico, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and other regional leaders for the inaugural Carpathian 8 Summit in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, a forum that gathers Ukraine with Poland, Slovakia, Czechia, Hungary, Romania, Austria and Serbia.