Russia says it will watch Slovakia developments after Fico's election win

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Fico has yet to agree with other parties on forming a coalition and said it was ridiculous that European politicians like him who put their country's needs first were labelled pro-Russian. "This is absurd.

Russia said on Monday it would watch developments in Slovakia after a party led by former prime minister Robert Fico, who has promised to stop Slovak arms deliveries to Ukraine, won Saturday's election there. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Fico has yet to agree with other parties on forming a coalition and said it was ridiculous that European politicians like him who put their country's needs first were labelled pro-Russian.

"This is absurd. Of course, we would like to see more experienced politicians, sober politicians, politicians who tend to soberly assess the situation. We’ll watch what happens next," Peskov told a regular Kremlin news briefing. Fico will get the first chance to form a government in Slovakia after running an election campaign that called for "not a single round" of ammunition from Slovakia's reserves to be sent to Ukraine. He said, however, that he backed humanitarian aid for Kyiv and help with Ukraine's reconstruction.

The Kremlin has girded Russia for a long war in Ukraine, with big increases in defence spending and production, and is keen to seize on any sign that Western countries may waver in their support for Kyiv. In reply to a separate question on a stopgap funding bill by the US Congress that omitted support for Ukraine, Peskov said Washington would continue to be involved in the conflict but Russia predicted that "conflict fatigue" would grow in various countries including the United States.

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