Ukraine has long expressed a desire to join NATO, a sentiment echoed in the spring of 2023 by the alliance's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. He stated that all NATO allies had agreed on Ukraine's future membership.
This message was reiterated several times, with Stoltenberg saying last summer, "Ukraine is now closer to NATO than ever before. Allies again confirmed that Ukraine will become a member of the alliance."
However, not all responses to this declaration have been positive. Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán expressed strong disapproval on Twitter following Stoltenberg's announcement, exclaiming, "What?!" Orbán has consistently maintained that Ukraine's membership is unrealistic for many years, as reported by Balkan Insight, and has refrained from labeling the conflict in Ukraine as a war.
Slovakia's recently appointed Prime Minister Robert Fico has joined Orbán in opposing Ukraine's NATO membership.
In an upcoming meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shymal, Fico plans to express his opposition and intention to veto Ukraine's membership, citing concerns that it could lead to a third world war, according to Euractiv.
Fico has also accused Ukraine of being "one of the most corrupt countries in the world," questioning the whereabouts of the aid sent to Ukraine.
He argues that there is no military solution to the war, suggesting that Ukraine must compromise and cede some of its territory. "What are they waiting for?" Fico asks, doubting the likelihood of Russian withdrawal and emphasizing the need for a painful compromise on both sides.
