Overview

• Fico questioned Slovakia’s role in NATO by proposing the country adopt neutrality and asking what war it would fight under the alliance.
• His comments came days before a summit where NATO members plan to discuss raising defense and related spending gradually to 5 percent of GDP with 3.5 percent for military needs and 1.5 percent for infrastructure.
• Under Fico’s leftist-nationalist coalition, Slovakia has halted official state military aid to Ukraine, marking a clear break with Western allies over support for Kyiv.
• Progressive Slovakia denounced the neutrality proposal as absurd, irresponsible and dangerous, and President Peter Pellegrini called it a provocative political play.
• The prime minister noted that any move to exit NATO would require parliamentary approval and urged that budget increases be gradual and aimed at both military and civilian projects.