Slovakia Restores Military Ties With Russia? Fico Pursues Closer Cooperation With Putin

Slovakia is quietly restoring military and diplomatic contacts with Russia and preparing to resume bilateral government meetings suspended after Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to Slovak media reports and an investigation by Politico.

Two Slovak military personnel are already working in Moscow, while Russia has accredited an experienced officer to serve in Bratislava, although he has not yet arrived, Slovak media reported.

The moves have drawn strong criticism from Slovakia's opposition. Critics warn that Slovak representatives in Moscow will face strict scrutiny and that Russia will be the main beneficiary of renewed military contacts.

Robert Fico has yielded to Russian pressure, said Tomáš Valášek, a security expert from the opposition Progressive Slovakia party.

“We have bitter experience with Russian espionage. The previous military attaché in Bratislava abused his diplomatic cover to recruit Slovaks, who were tasked with passing secrets to Russia,” Valášek said.

In 2021, the Russian spy was caught handing money to an employee of a pro-Kremlin disinformation website. The pro-European government then in office expelled dozens of Russian embassy staff members from Bratislava.

Slovakia's current pro-Russian defense minister has justified restoring military contacts by pointing out that the United States, the United Kingdom and France also have officers stationed in Russia. His predecessor, however, has warned that Moscow could use Slovakia as a base to support radical parties and online platforms across Europe that undermine confidence in the European Union and NATO. Slovakia could also become a staging ground for hybrid operations.

The renewed engagement has raised concerns given allegations of Russian sabotage activities linked to Slovak territory.

According to Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, a team linked to Russian military intelligence likely planned an attack from Slovakia on two defense industry facilities in Munich in early September. The two people accused of attempting to set the facilities on fire are Bulgarian nationals and have been arrested.

Vladimír Šnídl of the Slovak newspaper Denník N said the possibility of Russian military intelligence bases operating in Slovakia would be consistent with the government's political orientation and the reputation of the country's intelligence service.

“If there are bases in Slovakia linked to the GRU (Russian military intelligence), it would come as no surprise, given the government's pro-Russian policy and the reputation of the Slovak intelligence service,” Šnídl said.

Russia also recruits lower-level agents in other countries, including Poland. In August, an arson attack targeting a drone factory was thwarted in Slovakia, while one suspect was detained in Germany.

During a visit to Bratislava in late September, German politician Johann Wadephul delivered unusually sharp criticism of Slovakia's pro-Kremlin position.

“The greatest threat to freedom on our continent comes from Moscow. The greatest danger to Europe is Putin’s belligerent imperialism. Questioning these facts is not merely a lack of solidarity - it is irresponsible,” Wadephul said.

Fico has argued instead that the West provoked Russia and has pledged to work toward improving trade relations with Moscow. A Slovak-Russian economic meeting is scheduled for late November.

The Slovak government's approach to historical memory has also reflected pro-Kremlin narratives. Since early October, a statue of Soviet Marshal Ivan Konev, whose role during World War II remains controversial, has stood in eastern Slovakia.

The monument's funding source is unknown. However, Fico was asked by Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting in Moscow to support the initiative, according to the report.

Fico visited Moscow to attend the May 9 parade commemorating the end of World War II, becoming the only head of government from an EU member state to participate in the event. Putin welcomed him to the Kremlin, saying he was "extremely pleased" to see the Slovak prime minister.

“We will do everything necessary to meet the energy needs of the Slovak Republic. We are also prepared to cooperate in other areas of mutual interest,” Putin said.

Slovakia continues to obtain Russian oil and gas through indirect routes. Its dependence on Russian energy has previously led the country to temporarily block EU sanctions against Moscow, while Fico is seeking to strengthen ties further.

During his visit to Russia, the Slovak prime minister said he opposed renewed divisions in Europe and confirmed that military contacts were being restored.

“I want to make it very clear that I am opposed to the creation of a new 'Iron Curtain' in Europe. We have taken concrete steps to resume the mutual exchange of military attachés,” Fico said.

Politico has also reported that Slovakia and Russia are preparing to revive meetings of their intergovernmental commission, which has been inactive since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The commission covers economic, scientific and technical cooperation, and its last meeting took place in Bratislava on November 12, 2021.

According to Politico, which obtained a Russian government document written by Science Minister Valery Falkov, who is under EU sanctions, Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár agreed during a video call on August 20 to convene the commission in Moscow.

Fico said on October 14 that the meeting was scheduled for November 25. The Russian document, dated September 10, had initially proposed October 26-27.

When asked by Politico about the proposed agenda, Slovakia's Foreign Ministry referred the publication to Blanár's public remarks after the August call.

“We pursue a policy in all directions and maintain dialogue with all countries that are interested in pragmatic cooperation with us for the benefit of the Slovak Republic's national interests,” Blanár said.

The Russian document states that Blanár opposed the European Union's gradual phase-out of Russian gas imports and requested that supplies be discussed at the Moscow meeting. Slovak representatives also emphasized the importance of continued Russian oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline and welcomed regular shipments of nuclear fuel for Slovak power plants.

The planned discussions will also cover the establishment of working groups on culture, tourism, agriculture and environmental protection, as well as the status of the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Bratislava.

Blanár also objected to what the Russian document described as "discrimination against Russian athletes" at international competitions, saying the issue would be addressed during the commission meeting.

Fico recently said he did not want Slovakia to be drawn into a war "because of some Article 5" of NATO. He has also accused Western countries of having "needlessly added fuel to the fire" for more than four years in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war, claiming that their actions had provoked a conflict between Russia and NATO.