Spanish troops should not remain in Slovakia following the betrayal by the socialist Fico

Amidst an escalation of Russian provocations against NATO, Putin sympathizers have begun attempting to weaken the alliance.

Worrying signs on NATO's eastern flank due to maneuvers in Belarus
From Pontevedra to Lešť: a report on the Spanish soldiers of the BRILAT in Slovakia

Slovakia will not send aid if an allied country is attacked

Yesterday, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, leader of the pro-Russian socialist party Direction–Social Democracy (SMER-SD), made a shocking statement in which he asserted the following regarding the possibility of Russia attacking another NATO member state—a possibility that appears increasingly imminent, judging by recent events:

"I do not want Slovakia to become part of any military conflict because of Article 5. Yes, we are members of NATO. We value that. Cooperation matters to us, and so does fulfilling our commitments. But as Prime Minister, I will do everything I can to ensure that Slovakia is never dragged into a military conflict."

For those who do not know what Fico was referring to, this is what Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty —signed by Slovakia on March 29, 2004— says:

"The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognised by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area. Any such armed attack and all measures taken as a result thereof shall immediately be reported to the Security Council. Such measures shall be terminated when the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to restore and maintain international peace and security."

A blank check for Putin to attack allied countries

Thus, Robert Fico’s announcement means that his country will do nothing if another allied nation is attacked—an attack Russia might well direct against one of the Alliance’s smaller members, such as Lithuania, Latvia, or Estonia. Fico’s statement is a betrayal of the treaty his country signed and effectively gives Putin a green light from Slovakia to attack allied nations. Such behavior is repulsive, treacherous, and cowardly, yet it should come as no surprise given Fico’s well-known pro-Russian leanings.

The Slovak opposition urges the prime minister to retract

Yesterday, the Slovak opposition party Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) urged the Prime Minister to retract his statements and demanded that President Peter Pellegrini clearly distance himself from them, doing so by highlighting the importance of the aforementioned article from a security perspective:

"Article 5 is a fundamental pillar of Slovakia's security. Without it, NATO loses its purpose and Slovakia loses its most important security guarantee. Anyone who questions our readiness to help our allies also undermines their willingness to help us. One day, it could be us who need Article 5. Therefore, such statements have no place coming from the Prime Minister."

The Slovak president remains silent

Slovakia’s current president is the pro-Russian socialist Peter Pellegrini, a member of the left-wing Voice–Social Democracy (HLAS) party. On September 2, after Germany confirmed a Russian drone attack on one of its airports, Pellegrini stated: "Attempts to intimidate our democracies or divide Allies will not succeed. The security of our Allies is the security of us all. We remain steadfast, united, and committed to credible deterrence in defence of our citizens and our shared security."

However, Pellegrini has not yet disavowed Fico. The president's role in the country is not as executive in nature as it is elsewhere. Slovakia is a parliamentary republic, and the president holds a symbolic role. Real power lies in the hands of the prime minister.

Spain has had a significant military contingent in Slovakia since 2024

Since January 2024, Spain has had a significant military contingent deployed in Slovakia. These troops are part of the NATO deployment to defend the Alliance's eastern flank against the Russian threat. From the moment Fico announced his intention to betray the NATO treaty, the continued presence of these Spanish troops in Slovakia has made no sense. If Fico does not want to risk a single Slovak soldier to help an allied country facing potential Russian aggression, Spain should not risk any soldiers in defense of Slovakia either.

Slovakia is poised to repeat the disgrace it committed in 1939

It is worth recalling history. Slovakia’s first experience as an independent country was the Slovak Republic of 1939, a fascist dictatorship that was, in reality, a satellite state of Nazi Germany. That state emerged from the partition of Czechoslovakia by Hitler following the German invasion of March 1938. Slovakia became a puppet of the Third Reich and ended up collaborating in the invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, with the Slovak fascist dictatorship contributing over 50,000 soldiers. That did not spare it from Nazi tyranny—a yoke the Slovak resistance sought to cast off during the Slovak National Uprising of August 1939.

It is sad to think that Slovakia had soldiers to provide to Hitler for the invasion of Poland in 1939—an act of collaboration with the criminal regime that triggered the outbreak of World War II—yet in 2026, the Slovak government intends to betray a treaty to avoid helping a friendly nation should it come under attack. Sometimes, history places nations at difficult crossroads where they must choose between honor and disgrace. For the second time in less than a century, Slovakia appears to have chosen disgrace.

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Photo: Estado Mayor de la Defensa. Spanish BRILAT troops in Slovakia in October 2024.