Ukraine will never join NATO on my watch, says Slovakia PM Fico
https://www.politico.eu/article/nato-ukraine-slovakia-robert-fico-military-defense-alliance/Open linkView original on lemmy.cahttps://www.politico.eu/article/nato-ukraine-slovakia-robert-fico-military-defense-alliance/Open linkView original on lemmy.ca
Big talk, but when the issue of Ukraine in NATO comes up seriously amongst the majority of NATO, I doubt that Slovakia has the influence or endurance to resist the pressure of the entirety of the rest of the alliance. There's a reason that the only real* holdout on Finland and Sweden was Turkiye, and Turkiye has the advantage of being incredibly important to NATO. Unlike, say, a landlocked country in the heart of Europe surrounded by NATO members and NATO allies.
* Hungary was just grandstanding
I'm sure they'll try to do the same thing as Hungary and try to milk as much from the situation as possible
Adding a new member to NATO requires unanimous approval from the existing members, so strictly spaking Slovakia does have the influence. That said, I expect that in the same way thar the other countries were able to cajole and persuade Turkiye with things like suspending arms sales, and Slovakia would surely be easier to influence
That "out" spot is already reserved for Hungary
And we want Turkey out as well, so it's all good!
Except that Türkiye is geopolitically important, with its position on Russia’s southwestern flank and control over the Strait of Bosporus. They get away with a lot because at the end of the day NATO would much rather have them inside the tent pissing (mostly) out than outside the tent pissing in.
I'd trade both these shithole countries for one glorious Ukraine.
Two men enter, one man leaves.
Slovakia vs. Ukraine coming soon on cable.
The leader of a country that was over-run by Russia and thousands murdered and starved in the Soviet years wants to risk losing their NATO status by preventing Ukraine enjoying the same status. I'll bet that'll go over like a fart in church with the people in (Czecho-)Slovakia that remember that history.
What a waste of a man
What a waste of resources
What a weird cause to champion.
So PM Fico needs to go before Ukraine will be allowed join NATO?
Your terms are acceptable.
Kick Slovakia, Hungary and Belarus out of the EU and Nato. Lets them become Moscow's slave countries again and see how much they enjoy getting what they seemed to have wanted.
Belarus never joined the EU and NATO though.
Kick 'em out anyway!
You're fired!
I don't even work here!?
You're fuckin right you don't!
Put them on the blacklist
on one side you have now the most experienced army in europe, on the other slovakia... Sooooo hard to choose 😏