Simecka: Fico Afraid to Admit that Slovakia Should Be in Coalition of Willing

Bratislava, 4 August (TASR) - Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) is afraid to admit to his voters that it's in Slovakia's interests to be part of the so-called "Coalition of the Willing" - a group of countries supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia, said opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party chairman Michal Simecka in an interview with TASR TV.
        Simecka stated that the premier has in the past portrayed this grouping to Smer-SD voters as a 'club of warmongers'. "I believe that we should have been part of it from the beginning, as it's not only about military help for Ukraine, but also about plans for what the future security order in Europe will look like," he said. According to him, Slovakia's absence from this coalition harms the country's interests, leaving it isolated within the European Union.
        Some media outlets, citing the French Embassy, reported that Slovakia was a member of the Coalition of the Willing, as it had taken part in a meeting of the group in Paris on 13 July. Premier Fico subsequently denied this and stated unequivocally that Slovakia is not, and will not be a member of the coalition. Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) added that the Slovak ambassador attended the meeting only as an observer.
        The French Embassy in Slovakia told TASR that it hadn't issued any official statement regarding Slovakia's membership of the Coalition of the Willing and only mentioned that the Slovak ambassador took part in a meeting of the group.
        Concerning President Peter Pellegrini's visit to China, Simecka doesn't view the visit itself as a problem. However, he warned that trading with China also brings risks. "The penetration of Chinese technologies into the European market, or potentially into Slovakia, particularly in the security sector, represents a genuine security concern," he said.