Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has publicly accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of attempting to bribe him with €500 million in exchange for Slovakia’s backing of Ukraine’s NATO membership bid. Fico made the explosive allegation during a press conference in Brussels on Thursday, following a private meeting with Zelensky on the sidelines of an EU leaders' summit.

He revealed that Slovakia might consider taking "reciprocal measures" after Ukraine chose not to extend its gas transit deal with Russia, set to expire at the end of the year. Ukraine cited the ongoing war as the reason for the decision, raising concerns in Slovakia, which depends on Russian gas passing through Ukraine.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Fico emphasized the need for alternative solutions to avoid a gas crisis.

He also recalled that Zelensky had declined to allow the transit of fuel, instead offering what the Slovak leader described as "absurd" proposals to resolve the gas issue.

Dive deeper

The Slovak PM revealed that Zelensky asked if he would vote in favor of Ukraine's NATO membership in exchange for €500 million from Russian assets frozen in the West since the conflict began. Fico responded by saying that he would "never" accept such an offer, stressing, "You know my opinion on Ukraine’s membership in NATO, and it is strange that he asked me such a question because he knows very well that Ukraine’s invitation to NATO is completely unrealistic."

Fico was elected Prime Minister of Slovakia for the third time last year, and he promptly froze the country's military aid to Ukraine. Like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, he has frequently urged for a diplomatic solution to the Russia-Ukraine war.

He has also pledged to block Ukraine's NATO membership, stressing that such a move would spark a third world war.

On his part, Ukrainian opposition MP Artyom Dmitruk, who reportedly fled Ukraine earlier this year due to fears of prosecution, criticized Zelensky for "disgracing" the country by attempting to bribe Fico. Dmitruk suggested that the conversation may have involved cash that Zelensky could have brought personally, instead of funds from frozen Russian assets.

The big picture

Moscow, which strongly opposes NATO’s eastward expansion, has cited Ukraine’s NATO aspirations as one of the main reasons for its military operation against Ukraine in February 2022.

Despite this, Ukraine has remained firm on its desire for NATO membership, calling it the only way to deter Russia. In early December, Zelensky announced plans to ask US President Joe Biden for a formal invitation for Ukraine to join NATO before the inauguration of Donald Trump on January 20, 2025, as Trump is skeptical about continuing US aid to Ukraine.

French newspaper Le Monde reported that several NATO members, including the US, Germany, Hungary, Belgium, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain, currently oppose Ukraine's bid to join the alliance.

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