Fico to students: “I don’t see the times coming at us as very promising”

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico addressed students in the city of Handlová in the central part of the country, warning them about growing military instability in the world, the weakness of the European Union, and the unpredictability of the war in Ukraine.

According to Fico, there will be more and more military conflicts in the world. He called the EU weak and accused US President Donald Trump of dismantling the existing architecture of global security.

“One classic thinker said that ‘the good times are already behind us’ and ‘we’ll be glad we were there to witness them.’ I don’t see the times that are coming at us today as very promising… I only hope that no one loses their mind and drops an atomic bomb somewhere,” Fico said.

A video of the speech was published on the YouTube channel of the Slovak government’s administration.

The prime minister also addressed the war in Ukraine separately, admitting that he sees no end to it. According to him, he has personally spoken with both Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky.

“I have no idea when the war in Ukraine will end. You can ask me a thousand times. I have no idea. I spoke with Russian President Putin, then I also spoke with Ukrainian President Zelensky. Each has his own story. Sometimes you don’t even know who to believe anymore,” the head of government said.

Addressing the students, Fico urged them to cherish peace in Slovakia and to “literally hold on” to it. He warned of the possible consequences of the country being drawn into a conflict — missiles flying in, buildings being destroyed, food shortages, and disruptions to the water supply.

“We will very firmly defend a sovereign, independent foreign policy oriented toward peace, so that peace is ensured for the country. That is the most essential thing,” Fico promised.