Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico has declared that Slovakia will block Ukraine’s accession to NATO, citing concerns that it could be the trigger for World War 3.
Fico, who had expressed reservations about Ukraine’s NATO membership even before recent elections, now claims that he will exercise Slovakia’s veto power to prevent any decision in favour of Ukraine joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
“We said before the election that it would be a problem for us if it comes to (Ukraine’s) membership in NATO […] I believe it will never happen. As long as I have the opportunity to influence the Slovak political scene, I will use the right to veto such a decision,” he said.
Belgium’s Chief of Defence, Michel Hofman, has further heightened tensions by warning of an escalating threat from Russia to Eastern European nations.
He pointed to Russia’s unsettling shift toward a war economy and expressed deep concern about the ambiguous language used by the Kremlin, emphasising the need for heightened vigilance.
“I think we are right to be concerned. The language used by the Kremlin and by President Vladimir Putin is always ambiguous,” he said during an interview with VRT News.
Hofman’s concerns extend beyond Ukraine, identifying Moldova and the Baltic nations—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—as potential targets for Russia’s strategic agenda.
While Moldova shares a border with Ukraine and faces the shadow of Transnistria, a disputed region with significant Russian influence, the Baltic nations are under NATO’s protection, but the imperative for vigilance remains crucial.
He added: “It is possible that they might open a second front at some point in the future, in Moldova, or in the Baltic states.”
Despite NATO’s presence in the region, tensions persist, particularly concerning Moldova. Fears loom that Russia could exploit its claim to Transnistria as a pretext for military aggression, following patterns observed in Ukraine and Georgia.
The Baltic nations, though under NATO’s umbrella, are urged to stay prepared. An attack on Estonia, Latvia, or Lithuania by Putin’s forces could not only escalate tensions dramatically but also trigger NATO’s policy of collective responsibility, compelling the alliance to take decisive action.
