Slovakia Accuses Russia Of Election Interference

Slovakia has accused Russia of meddling in its recent election, which saw populist leader Robert Fico secure victory with promises to end military support for Ukraine. Fico's party, Smer-SD, secured 23 percent of the vote, positioning him to form a new government. However, his platform has raised concerns about potential shifts in Kyiv's Western support. The accusations of interference stem from pre-election remarks made by Moscow's foreign intelligence service director, who labeled Slovakia's pro-Ukraine centrist party, Progressive Slovakia, as "US proxies." Progressive Slovakia finished second in the polls with 18 percent of the vote. Slovakia's foreign ministry condemned what it considered "deliberately disseminated misinformation" and "inadmissible interference" by Russia in the country's electoral process. As a response, the ministry summoned a Russian embassy official and called on Moscow to cease its "disinformation activities aimed at Slovakia." Moscow, however, rejected the allegations, asserting that it does not interfere in the domestic affairs of other nations or engage in regime change. During the election campaign, Fico, 59, pledged that Slovakia, a NATO member, would refrain from providing military support to Ukraine and advocated for improved ties with Russia. In response to Slovakia's claims, the U.S. State Department emphasized its non-interference policy in foreign elections and expressed a commitment to working with the government chosen by the Slovak people. Slovakia's liberal president, Zuzana Caputova, tasked Fico with forming a new government and stressed the importance of respecting the results of democratic elections. Fico's party secured 42 seats in the 150-member parliament and must now seek coalition partners to establish a majority government. Hlas-SD, a potential partner with 27 seats, is among the options. While there is no constitutional deadline for forming a new government in Slovakia, the president is required to convene the first parliamentary session within 30 days of the official publication of election results. Fico, addressing reporters, acknowledged Ukraine's significance but asserted that Slovakia faced more pressing issues. He called for peace talks, emphasizing that further conflict would not benefit anyone. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated that Kyiv respects the "choice of the Slovak people" and expressed readiness to assess the situation's impact on Slovakia's position once a coalition is formed. Fico had previously advocated for good relations with countries worldwide, including Russia. However, the Kremlin rejected the characterization of Smer-SD as a pro-Russian party, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov labeling such claims as absurd. Analysts have suggested that a Fico government could potentially reshape Slovakia's foreign policy to align more closely with that of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who congratulated Fico on his election victory.