Sept 19 – Some Western politicians are seeking conflict between NATO and Russia after a “failed” strategy to defeat Moscow in its war with Ukraine, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Saturday.
Longtime Slovak leader Fico, who has kept up warm relations with Russia and refuses military aid for Ukraine, said this week that Europe was closer than ever to a large-scale war erupting from the Ukraine war. In his video message, Fico said, “We face a mortal danger” while watching the West “pour fuel on the fire” with its support for Ukraine, which he said had been to no avail. “The failure of the strategy to destroy Russia through the war in Ukraine has led some Western politicians to believe that if the goal cannot be achieved through the Ukrainian army and full support for it, then every effort must be made to trigger a conflict between NATO and Russia,” Fico said in the video posted on social media. He said the war in Ukraine was not Slovakia’s nor NATO’s war but said, “Certain war hawks within NATO are trying, at any cost, to turn this war into a conflict between Russia and NATO.
He said on Saturday that creating a pretext to start a war was easy and reiterated Slovakia would not send soldiers to fight under a fabricated pretext.
Escalating Russian Hybrid Threats to Europe
French President Emmanuel Macron stated on Friday that Russia is ramping up its hybrid attack strategies against Europe. He referenced an attempted drone strike at Leipzig airport in August, which German authorities have attributed to Moscow, highlighting a shift in the nature of Russian aggression.
Additionally, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk revealed on Thursday, citing unnamed intelligence sources, that Russia is planning to execute hybrid drone and missile strikes targeting nations that support Ukraine.
