Slovakia is a troublesome member for NATO

According to the international group Tasnim news, “SRF” of Switzerland wrote in an article: In 2004, seven Eastern European countries joined NATO. 20 years later, the country of Slovakia, with its new pro-Russian government, shows itself as an agent of separation in NATO.

At the Istanbul summit in March 2004, the countries of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia joined NATO. At the time, Russian President Vladimir Putin took things quite calmly, but not today.

This article continues: However, it is not just Russia and its president. They create problems for NATO. Last October, a pro-Russian government came to power in Slovakia. Left-wing populist Robert Fico won the election with campaign slogans such as: “For us in Slovakia, war has always come from the West, freedom and peace always from the East, let’s never forget this,” promising that under his leadership Slovakia would be “a “The ammunition bullet will not reach Ukraine” came into effect. One day after being sworn in as the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico provocatively declared: “The war in Ukraine is not our war. “We have absolutely nothing to do with this war.” By the time the war started in 2022, Slovakia had handed over its Russian MIG aircraft to the Ukrainian military. Robert Fico declared that the process must now end.

Slovakia’s Pavel Mako, a senior retired NATO general, believes that Slovakia is now a “Trojan horse” in NATO. He says: Our prime minister is becoming a problem for NATO and the nation. Slovakia could soon be the fifth pillar of NATO. A member who secretly sympathizes with the enemy”.

This article continues: NATO currently has the same problem with Hungary. The Hungarian government is also openly pro-Russian. Hungary blocked Sweden from joining NATO for months. On the 25th anniversary of Hungary’s accession to NATO, David Pressman, the US ambassador to Budapest, made it clear that NATO’s trust in Hungary is crumbling. He added: “We have to decide how best to protect our security interests.”

Of course, NATO’s tone towards Slovakia is now much friendlier: when US Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin The United States recently met with its Slovak counterpart, Robert Kalinak, who praised the rapprochement between the United States and Slovakia. Austin said, “Slovakia is increasing defense spending and networking more closely with NATO. The main reason for these kind words for pro-Russian Slovaks is It is that Fico’s administration is currently buying new F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters from the United States, and public criticism should not be revealed until the deal is completed.

General Pavel Mako also advises NATO to be “strategically patient” with Slovakia. He says about this: “It is better to have a less reliable ally than a predictable enemy.” It seems that the NATO alliance in Eastern Europe is now over. However, the Slovak defense industry continues to supply weapons and ammunition to Ukraine as a result of long-term contracts.

The first expansion of NATO to the east took place in 1999 with the membership of Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary in this military alliance.

The second expansion of NATO to the East was formed in 2004 with the entry of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

The third expansion of NATO to the East in 2009 It was done with the membership of Albania and Croatia.

The fourth expansion of NATO in the East took place in 2017 with the membership of Montenegro and

the fifth expansion of NATO in the East in 2020 with the membership of North Macedonia.

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