Slovak PM claims Ukraine is not a sovereign country (www.euractiv.com)
from MicroWave@lemmy.world to world@lemmy.world on 21 Jan 2024 19:25
https://lemmy.world/post/11005838

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Saturday (20 January) alleged neighbouring Ukraine was not a sovereign nation but was under the absolute control of the United States, in embrace of a Russian conspiracy theory.

The populist politician, who is against military aid to the war-torn country and opposes sanctions against Russia, also reiterated his opposition to Ukraine’s bid to join NATO.

“Ukraine is not an independent and sovereign country,” Fico told public broadcaster RTVS. “Ukraine is under the total influence and control of the United States.”

Slovakia is a member of both NATO and the European Union.

Fico is due to meet his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal on Wednesday in the city of Uzhhorod, western Ukraine, on the border with Slovakia.

“I will tell him that I am against the membership of Ukraine in NATO and that I will veto it,” Fico said.

#world

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rikudou@lemmings.world on 21 Jan 2024 19:34 next collapse

And that’s not even the worst thing he did/said. Can’t wait for Babiš to win Czech elections so 3 countries of the V4 will have a populist who’s stealing and murdering as a prime minister.

So, which country wants a senior architect/developer? Seriously considering emigrating the last few months.

SteefLem@lemmy.world on 21 Jan 2024 19:50 next collapse

About the immigrating… its the same shit in well almost everywhere.

Quacksalber@sh.itjust.works on 21 Jan 2024 20:07 collapse

Well, Germany has seen really big protests against our populist right-wing party, so that shows at least that still many people care enough.

SteefLem@lemmy.world on 21 Jan 2024 20:22 collapse

My personal feeling (i think its called) is that protests only work when the thing your protesting cares that you are protesting… nazis dont care. But A for effort tho 👍

Quacksalber@sh.itjust.works on 21 Jan 2024 20:26 collapse

Nazis don’t care, but not all people that are willing to give power to Nazis are Nazis themselves.

SteefLem@lemmy.world on 21 Jan 2024 20:59 collapse

Doesnt that make them nazi too?

angrystego@lemmy.world on 22 Jan 2024 06:46 collapse

Not necessarily, but it does make them collaborators.

dlatch@lemmy.world on 21 Jan 2024 22:35 next collapse

Plenty of work for you in The Netherlands… But then again the PVV with Geert Wilders was the biggest in our last elections so it’s not exactly progress.

agent_flounder@lemmy.world on 22 Jan 2024 00:30 collapse

Is anyplace free from these right wing populist cunts?

TwinTusks@bitforged.space on 23 Jan 2024 03:30 collapse

How bout a place where there are no elections and you dont need to care about politics, China.

agent_flounder@lemmy.world on 24 Jan 2024 02:02 collapse

True, plenty of work to keep you occupied in the reeducation camps. Hard to worry about anything else when they’re torturing and beating you for believing the wrong thing.

TwinTusks@bitforged.space on 24 Jan 2024 02:55 collapse

Again, you are thinking politics. There is no reason for you to be in re-education camps if you dont express any outward outrage against government (ie: politics).

legios@aussie.zone on 23 Jan 2024 11:14 collapse

Australia. We seem to be doing OK-ish vs. Right Wingers, but we still have our own issues…

DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafe on 21 Jan 2024 20:03 next collapse

Population of Ukraine: 37 million

GDP: $360 billion

Military: Possibly the strongest in Europe atm, comparable to Turkey as an alliance member at worst.

Strategic value: High

Population of Slovakia: 5 million

GDP: $116 billion

Military: Literally one division of troops that have never seen combat

Strategic value: Could not be lower.

illi@lemm.ee on 21 Jan 2024 20:06 next collapse

I’m Slovak and couldn’t agree more.

DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafe on 21 Jan 2024 20:50 collapse

Even from the Slovakian POV there’s not really a downside.

Y’all don’t need NATO, the EU already comes with a defensive pact. I tend to view more international cooperation being better international cooperation, but if someone’s going to be a bad actor and reject a purely beneficial expansion in a relationship there’s only tertiary benefits for all parties in, why even be in it?

illi@lemm.ee on 22 Jan 2024 21:46 collapse

I’m not saying we shouldn’t be in NATO - it’s the current government I have issue with. Without NATO we would be next in line in case Ukraine would fall. Just because our nation is dumb and easily manipulated or bribed by populist decisions doesn’t mean we should be devoured. We will see how things turn out but hopefuly we manage to turn it around.

Because we are usless in the grand scheme of things right now doesn’t mean it should stay that way

SuddenDownpour@sh.itjust.works on 23 Jan 2024 12:33 collapse

Without NATO, EU countries are still legally bound to defend each other in case of aggression by an external actor.

[deleted] on 21 Jan 2024 21:04 next collapse
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[deleted] on 21 Jan 2024 21:19 next collapse
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DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafe on 21 Jan 2024 21:48 collapse

Typo, current estimate is 37 million, same difference really, the point is Ukraine is multiple times more valuable to a military alliance.

NOT_RICHARD@lemmy.today on 21 Jan 2024 21:36 next collapse

Population of Ukraine: 67 million

Stopped here

DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafe on 21 Jan 2024 21:47 collapse

Why? It’s a typo from 37 million. And even that still demonstrates the point rather handily.

It’s like you don’t care about the underlying point at all, and nothing could change your mind.

NOT_RICHARD@lemmy.today on 21 Jan 2024 22:25 collapse

Why?

I don’t like missinformation

Maalus@lemmy.world on 22 Jan 2024 13:24 next collapse

It now says 37 million and you get downvoted for sticking to a pointless typo, that really wasn’t the point at all.

NOT_RICHARD@lemmy.today on 28 Jan 2024 21:54 collapse

Who?

Maalus@lemmy.world on 28 Jan 2024 22:43 collapse

You.

muse@kbin.social on 19 Feb 2024 17:18 collapse

Only if its pro putin right?

boyi@lemmy.sdf.org on 21 Jan 2024 23:14 collapse

With a population 1/7 of Ukraine, the GDP is 1/3 of Ukraine - not bad at all.

DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafe on 21 Jan 2024 23:27 collapse

That’s Central vs Eastern Europe for you, and Ukraine actually did pretty well compared to some of their neighbors.

Hubi@feddit.de on 21 Jan 2024 20:11 next collapse

The fact that Fico got elected has to be one of the hardest blows against European unity in recent memory.

NegativeLookBehind@kbin.social on 21 Jan 2024 20:11 next collapse

Wonder how much Russia bought him for

Burn_The_Right@lemmy.world on 21 Jan 2024 20:29 collapse

Definitely less than Melania. But they both have to suck a tiny button mushroom to stay alive now.

PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee on 21 Jan 2024 20:26 next collapse

How funny would it be if Ukraine just shrugged and applied for statehood instead in response?

Like seriously, I’m pretty sure the main thing they’d have to give up control over is standards and measures and then the Interstate Commerce clause, pretty sure anything else they’d want to maintain control over they’d basically be able to.

[deleted] on 21 Jan 2024 21:18 next collapse
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Dehydrated@lemmy.world on 21 Jan 2024 22:30 next collapse

Slovak PM is a fucking moron

TIMMAY@lemmy.world on 21 Jan 2024 23:13 next collapse

Slovak PM is assisting the spread of Putin’s anti-Ukraine agenda ahead of elections. Slovak PM is firmly attached to putins nutsack by his mouth.

100_percent_a_bot@lemmy.world on 22 Jan 2024 00:10 next collapse

Maybe Czechia should take them over again, they seem to have their shit together

theotherverion@lemmynsfw.com on 22 Jan 2024 11:39 next collapse

It’s a tragedy for Slovakia…

HerrBeter@lemmy.world on 23 Jan 2024 07:36 collapse

A guy on lemmy told me that it’s corruption in its core, sadly

AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world on 23 Jan 2024 14:09 next collapse

It usually goes hand in hand with the populists. Sadly there’s so many of them popping up in European politics, it’s a plague.

theotherverion@lemmynsfw.com on 23 Jan 2024 15:18 collapse

He was very correct. Fico’s best friend - Robert Kalinak stole 12 million euros in 2012 only. It was found that he had this amount of money purely in cash and argued that 2012 was “era of cash”

Nyoka@lemm.ee on 22 Jan 2024 18:25 next collapse

The punishment is known. Feed him to Zizek.

taanegl@lemmy.world on 23 Jan 2024 07:20 next collapse

Ah yes, cowardly ex-USSR state leader pleas for his own relevancy by licking Putin’s boot, hoping to retain his position as a token figure head in the coming vassal state.

Don’t worry. You’ll learn to hate Moscovites too, along with every other Russian.

Hhmel@lemmy.world on 23 Jan 2024 07:53 collapse

This is what a 20% election victory looks like when people can’t be arsed to vote.