Slovak Prime Minister Criticizes US Decision to Allow Ukraine to Strike Russia with ATACMS Missiles
The US decision to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles to strike targets in Russia has been criticized by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. In a statement on Facebook, Fico said that the move is an “unprecedented escalation of tension”.
According to reports, the US President Joe Biden has allowed Ukraine to use its ATACMS missiles against Russian and North Korean forces amassing in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.
Fico claimed that the US decision was made to disrupt or delay peace talks completely. He instructed Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar and Defense Minister Robert Kalinak not to support the US decision in any international forum or way.
“This is an unprecedented escalation of tension,” Fico said, echoing the Kremlin’s stance. The prime minister added that those who want to see the war in Ukraine continue are harming national and state interests.
Fico has a history of making inflammatory statements on Ukraine and the war, which often echo Moscow’s talking points. He has repeatedly criticized military aid for Ukraine and called for restoring relations with Russia after the war.
The Kremlin also responded to the US decision, calling it an attempt to provoke an escalation of the war in Ukraine. Several Russian lawmakers have made similar claims, saying that the step could lead to World War III and the end of Ukrainian statehood.
Russia has previously said that long-range strikes against Russia with Western arms would mean NATO‘s involvement in the war. President Vladimir Putin has warned that Moscow is preparing “various responses” to such a step.
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