Fico quotes Hitler, confirms Xi, Putin meet-up

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico opened his Slovak National Uprising anniversary speech with an Adolf Hitler quote on 29 August.

Fico began his address in Banska Bystrica, central Slovakia, with the Nazi leader's words: that "the border between Europe and Asia is not the Urals, but the border is the place where the Germanic tribes end and the Slavs begin."

Announcing plans to visit China, Fico explained that his “path to the East” started with Moscow and would now continue in Beijing. "We must move this border as far east as possible," he said, Slovak news website aktuality.sk reported.

The Slovak premier defended his controversial attendance at Moscow’s Victory Day parade on 9 May, where he was the only EU leader present, arguing that it was a tribute to those who defeated Nazism. Slovakia will continue to seek pragmatic ties with both Russia and China, Fico said.

“The Slovak Republic must balance its foreign policy between East and West, without ideological blinkers,” Fico told the gathering.

Kremlin officials said Fico is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing during commemorations marking the end of the Pacific theatre of WWII. Chinese authorities also confirmed bilateral meetings are planned around the event.

Fico denounces Zelenskyy warning

The Slovak premier called a "threat" Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s statement that he could not guarantee the safety of leaders attending the parade in China.

“It is a great disrespect when someone tells a country that had the greatest share in the victory over fascism and suffered the greatest casualties, ‘Celebrate, maybe we will drop a drone on you.’ That is not modern politics. That is unacceptable,” Fico said, adding that "Zelenskyy is mistaken if he believes that his statement will deter foreign delegations from participating."

Before his Moscow visit in May, Fico said Zelenskyy is trying to continue the war and weaken US efforts to peacefully resolve the conflict by pushing a US-Ukraine deal to give access to natural resources and create a joint reconstruction investment fund.

Slovakia diverges from EU consensus

The development comes as Slovakia’s foreign policy increasingly diverges from the EU mainstream. Fico is one of the few EU leaders to have maintained regular contact with Putin since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, news agency AFP recalled. Moreover, Slovakia remains heavily reliant on Russian gas.

Fico’s Moscow visit and rhetoric at the recent commemoration have deepened tensions with Brussels over his approach to Russia. The forthcoming Beijing trip highlights his efforts to expand ties with China, at a time when Slovakia's EU ally Hungary has become Beijing’s closest partner in Central and Eastern Europe.

Slovak opposition parties condemned Fico’s remarks, accusing him of undermining the anti-fascist legacy of the anniversary. Civil groups said quoting Hitler was “provocative and offensive” at a ceremony dedicated to Slovakia's wartime resistance.

Fico to follow trade, infrastructure agenda

Fico said Slovakia would pursue cooperation with China in trade, energy and infrastructure, while continuing dialogue with Brussels. The Beijing visit is expected in early September.

“The world is not divided into good and evil, East and West,” Fico added. “For Slovakia, the only division that matters is between cooperation and conflict.”