EU member lashes out at bloc’s Ukraine policy

Brussels should focus on tackling illegal migration, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has said

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has criticized the EU’s policy priorities, questioning why the bloc should fund Ukraine in its conflict with Russia while allegedly not doing enough to tackle illegal immigration.

The EU is currently discussing its next seven-year budget for 2028-2035. Speaking at a Slovak-Hungarian-Serbian summit on illegal immigration on Tuesday, Fico suggested that instead of funding Ukraine, Brussels should instead invest in infrastructure in countries such as Libya in order to stop people fleeing to Europe.

“It is interesting that when money is needed for the war in Ukraine, there will be tens of billions (of euros) for murders… Question: Why is it, that while illegal migration is so dangerous for the European Union and Europe, not in a political but essentially, why… can’t we spend enough money to achieve a successful policy of stopping migrants even before the borders (of the European Union)?” Fico asked during a press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, following the summit in the Slovak town of Komarno, as quoted by RIA Novosti.

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Illegal immigration remains a key political problem for Brussels, nearly a decade after the 2015 crisis when roughly 1 million people arrived in the bloc, mainly via the Mediterranean Sea.

Fico’s comments came on the same day that the European Parliament approved a €35 billion ($38 billion) loan to Ukraine. The funds will be transferred to Kiev through the end of next year. The loan will be repaid with revenues from frozen Russian assets held in the Brussels-based central securities depository Euroclear.

“In Libya, for example, we need to build schools, hospitals, infrastructure, so that people don’t have to leave Libya via the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, for that we also need money,” Fico added.

An uprising against the four-decade rule of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 led to a civil war and military intervention by NATO countries. Gaddafi was overthrown and killed as a result. Between 2014 and 2020, the country was engulfed in a civil war, and emerged as one of the main departure points for refugees and migrants.

Fico has been an outspoken critic of Brussels’ policies of providing lethal aid to Ukraine in its fight with Russia, calling instead for a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

READ MORE: Slovak PM points to forces behind assassination attempt

The Slovak prime minister survived an assassination attempt in May, when he was shot four times at close range. Slovakia’s Special Criminal Court stated that the shooter was largely motivated by the decision of Fico’s government not to send arms to Ukraine.