BRATISLAVA: 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 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 conflict.

At the same time, some European leaders, such as those in France and Poland, have warned of Russian “hybrid attacks”.

In his video message, Fico said: “We face a mortal danger” while watching the West “pour fuel on 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.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2026