The Slovak prime minister says he does not want his country to be part of a conflict because of some Article 5

Europe is moving dangerously close to a direct clash between NATO and Russia, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has warned, accusing the West of seeking a "pretext" for a major conflict between the two sides.

Fico made the comment in a Facebook post on Thursday, which accompanied the remarks he delivered before traveling to Ukraine for a meeting with Vladimir Zelensky and several European leaders.

"I am deeply concerned that they are merely looking for a pretext for a major conflict between NATO and Russia," he wrote.

Reflecting on the Ukraine conflict, Fico said that the hostilities had "gotten out of control," while accusing European nations of engaging in increasingly bellicose rhetoric which he said risked dragging the continent into a broader war. "The situation has never been as serious and tense regarding the possibility of a pan-European war conflict as it is now," he said.

Fico also warned that Bratislava could face pressure from NATO to commit troops if the bloc's Article 5 - a collective defense clause applied if a member state is attacked - is invoked. "Can anyone imagine being told to prepare 5,000 soldiers, 10,000 soldiers, and that they would go somewhere to fight? We don't know with whom, why, or for what reason," Fico said.

"I don't want Slovakia to be part of any military conflict because of some Article 5," he stressed, adding that, though his country still "cares about collaboration and fulfilling obligations". "As prime minister, I will do everything to ensure that Slovakia is never drawn into a war," Fico stressed.

Fico has consistently opposed military support for Ukraine since returning to office in 2023 while halting government weapons shipments to Kiev. He has also opposed Kiev's accession to NATO, and insisted that Ukraine's EU membership is only possible if it meets all the requirements.

He has also argued that the West's strategy to "bring Russia to its knees" had "completely failed." "The European Union does not need more weapons and Russophobia. The European Union needs more diplomacy and concrete plans to help the economy," Fico said last month.

Russia has accused the EU of rapid militarization, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying the bloc is directing increasing military capabilities against Moscow while portraying it as an enemy.

President Vladimir Putin has consistently rejected claims that Moscow intends to attack NATO countries, but warned last week that deploying European forces to Ukraine "would mean war with Russia." Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also stressed that Russia has no intention of attacking the West but warned that if Europe attacked first, the resulting conflict would be "very short."

(RT.com)