Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has come under fire from British Ambassador Nigel Baker following Fico's appearance on Russian state television, where he criticized Western policies on
Ukraine. The ambassador openly condemned the prime minister’s choice to engage in an interview with Olga Skabayeva, a sanctioned Russian TV host, prompting a heated response from Fico.
“It’s regrettable that Prime Minister Fico agreed to an interview with Olga Skabayeva—someone on both the UK and EU sanctions lists,” Ambassador Baker stated on social media. He countered Fico’s claims that the West opposes peace in Ukraine, affirming instead that Western nations support Ukraine’s peace plan.
This incident marks Fico as the first EU leader to appear on Russia’s Rossiya 1, a network known for its pro-Kremlin stance. During the interview, Fico openly criticized European leaders’ handling of the Ukraine conflict and signaled interest in attending Moscow’s 80th-anniversary celebration of World War II’s end.
Fico responded sharply, calling Baker’s criticism “outrageous.” In a video statement, he questioned Baker’s authority to comment on his media choices, urging the ambassador to assess Western media’s portrayal of the war in Ukraine. Fico accused the Western press of promoting “crude propaganda defending the indefensible.”
Challenging Baker, Fico asked him to identify any Western or British-led peace initiatives on Ukraine, alleging that none exist. He further argued that early peace negotiations were thwarted in 2022, suggesting that Ukraine’s current peace proposal is unfeasible and instead advocates for victory through escalation, including missile strikes within Russian borders.
However, Fico’s assertions overlook the collapse of peace talks in spring 2022 following the Bucha massacre, a war crime in which Russian forces killed hundreds of Ukrainian civilians. Additionally, there was no official ceasefire agreement at that time.
Fico contends that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s latest plan does not foster peace but risks escalating the conflict further.
This is not the first clash between Baker and Fico. In March, Baker rebuked Fico’s claims that the West was uninterested in peace, referencing Fico’s controversial statement that former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had discouraged Ukraine from signing a peace agreement with Russia.
Former Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď (Demokrati) voiced support for Baker’s recent comments, noting that the British ambassador seems to display more “pro-Slovak sentiment” than Fico. He also observed that Fico refrains from criticizing Russian Ambassador Igor Bratchikov, who he claims is allowed to propagate Russian narratives within Slovakia unchecked.