When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, neighboring Slovakia, with its own experience of decades of Russian occupation in the 20th century, became one of the staunchest supporters of Ukraine.
Under the guidance of then-Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad, Bratislava became the first country to deliver fighter jets to Ukraine, handing over its MiG-29s to a badly depleted Ukrainian Air Force, along with a much-needed S-300 air defense system.
But in September 2023, Slovakia made a 180-degree turn when a coalition led by pro-Russian populist Robert Fico won the country’s parliamentary elections. With public rhetoric openly blaming the West for Russia’s war and vowing never to supply any military aid to Kyiv, Slovakia embarked on a path very similar to its southern neighbor Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Russia-friendly leadership has been a consistent thorn in the side of EU and NATO unity regarding Ukraine.
The Kyiv Independent spoke with Nad about Slovakia’s turn away from Ukraine, political processes inside the country, and the future of pro-Russian political advances across Europe.
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, neighboring Slovakia, with its own experience of decades of Russian occupation in the 20th century, became one of the staunchest supporters of Ukraine.
Under the guidance of then-Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad, Bratislava became the first country to deliver fighter jets to Ukraine, handing over its MiG-29s to a badly depleted Ukrainian Air Force, along with a much-needed S-300 air defense system.
But in September 2023, Slovakia made a 180-degree turn when a coalition led by pro-Russian populist Robert Fico won the country’s parliamentary elections. With public rhetoric openly blaming the West for Russia’s war and vowing never to supply any military aid to Kyiv, Slovakia embarked on a path very similar to its southern neighbor Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Russia-friendly leadership has been a consistent thorn in the side of EU and NATO unity regarding Ukraine.
The Kyiv Independent spoke with Nad about Slovakia’s turn away from Ukraine, political processes inside the country, and the future of pro-Russian political advances across Europe.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban reacts during a conference with Baden-Wuerttemberg's State Premier in the New Castle in Stuttgart, south-western Germany, on June 19, 2024, ahead of attending the Germany and Hungary meet.
Kyiv Independent: I wanted to start with the recent news about you and your govt being accused of treason b'cos of a very simple & very obvious decision, the transfer old, Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, a neighboring country fighting for survival against Russia, who knew how to use those jets already. To an outside observer, this news seems absurd to put it lightly. What was their reaction, were you surprised?
Jaroslav Nad: I wasn't surprised because the current ruling government in Slovakia consists of three political parties, and all three of those parties claimed even before the election that they consider any military help to Ukraine to be treason, and that they would like to sue us. They had submitted their proposal for us to be accused of treason and for mismanagement of state property several times already.
Even every time in past it was dismissed, I hope that justice still exists in Slovakia, there'll be the same result again.
Honestly, if somebody accuses me officially of treason for providing Ukraine with MiG-29s or the S-300 defense system, they probably the only case in world where somebody be prosecuted for helping Ukraine militarily.
It really is insane, if I still believe even though there is a lot of pressure from the govt on police and prosecutors to find any way to accuse us officially, I don't think this will happen.
Kyiv Independent: How can this in any way be rationally explained? Given Slovakia's history in the 20th century, who could they possibly expect to be defending against? How do these leaders explain and sell this to their electorate?
https://kyivindependent.com/former-defen...sian-turn/