Politico: There is no war in Kiev.. Fico mocks Slovakia

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Tuesday that “there is no war in Kiev,” describing life in the Ukrainian capital as “completely normal.”

“Do you really think there is a war in Kiev? I hope you are not serious… Life there is completely normal.” Press Conference When asked why he did not meet with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in Ukraine's largest city, where he might better understand the impact of Russian President Vladimir Putin's ongoing war.

Fico and Shmyhal are scheduled to meet on Wednesday in the city of Uzhhorod in western Ukraine, near the Slovak border. Fico said that the choice of the city was practical and proposed by the Ukrainian side.

The Slovak leader's controversial comments about safety in the Ukrainian capital came on the same day that Russia attacked the country with 41 missiles, killing several people in Kiev and Kharkiv, wounding dozens, and destroying infrastructure.

Ukrainian officials have been angry with Fico, who has repeatedly angered Kiev — including when he pledged during last year's general election campaign in Slovakia “not to send another bullet to Ukraine.”

“Let me tell you about a day in Kiev,” said prominent Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Goncharenko He responded. “Today everyone woke up at 5:43 in the morning because the air raid alarm started. An hour later there were already the first explosions… How did the day start in Bratislava? Maybe not with the sound of Russian missiles.

“Until now.”

This is not the first time this month that Fico has sparked anger with his comments about war. He suggested over the weekend that Ukraine cede territory to Russia to stop its aggression, and reiterated his opposition to Ukraine's desire to join the NATO military alliance. He also questioned Ukraine's sovereignty, saying the country was “under the complete influence and control of the United States.”

Ukraine rejected Fico's proposal to cede territory to Moscow. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said: “The lack of security in Ukraine means the lack of security in Slovakia or Europe as a whole.”