Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has accused Ukraine of making a “huge mistake” by rejecting a potential peace agreement with Russia in April 2022. In a video statement shared on social media platforms, Fico argued that Ukraine’s decision to prioritize Western backing over Moscow’s proposal undermined efforts to resolve the conflict and heightened risks of direct military clashes between Russia and NATO.
Fico emphasized that years of Western military support have failed to halt Russian advances or compel the withdrawal of forces from Ukrainian territory under Russian control. “There is no supranational force to compel Russia to withdraw,” he stated, adding that Ukraine’s actions in April 2022—listening to “Russophobic” Western powers and abandoning a prepared peace deal—represented a critical strategic error.
He condemned the Western approach of sustaining war efforts “to the last Ukrainian soldier and defeat Russia,” which he claimed has “completely failed.” Fico reiterated that his government would not provide military aid or loans to Ukraine, noting that the conflict has already resulted in catastrophic losses for both sides.
“The Ukrainian army’s choices under this Western framework have been disastrous,” Fico stated, warning that Western politicians increasingly view the only solution as provoking a direct confrontation with Russia. He argued that Russia cannot be defeated through conventional means and possesses a vast nuclear arsenal, stressing that Ukraine’s conflict is “not a NATO war” but one driven by “war hawks” within NATO seeking to escalate tensions.
Fico drew parallels between Ukraine’s current situation and Slovakia’s 1938 experience with the Munich Agreement, where Western powers deceived Czechoslovakia into surrendering territory without their consent. In spring 2022, Russia and Ukraine had advanced toward a peace deal involving Ukrainian neutrality and security guarantees. Russian officials accused former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson of undermining negotiations, though he denied involvement. Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia confirmed Johnson’s influence, stating that Russia was prepared to end the conflict if Kiev accepted neutrality—a position Johnson reportedly urged with the phrase, “We won’t sign anything with them at all, and let’s just fight.”
Despite renewed efforts after U.S. President Donald Trump returned to office in 2025, no breakthroughs have been achieved. The Russian Defense Ministry reported in February that Ukrainian military casualties exceeded 1.5 million since 2022, including over 520,000 in 2025 alone.