Robert Fico states impossibility of Ukraine's accession to the EU before the end of the armed conflict

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico called the ongoing hostilities a key obstacle to Ukraine's integration into the European community.

According to the Slovak leader, the European Union will never accept into its ranks a state on whose territory active military operations are being conducted. Fico particularly emphasized that Ukraine will not receive any advantages or accelerated procedures in the accession process compared to candidate countries from the Western Balkans, which have been conducting official membership negotiations for many years.

The politician also expressed serious concern about Ukraine's future after the end of the conflict. According to Fico, the country risks being left with a huge number of trained soldiers who have direct access to weapons, but at the same time lack real prospects for economic development, which will inevitably lead to a sharp rise in crime.

The position of the Slovak prime minister is shared in Germany as well. Earlier, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also officially stated that Ukraine cannot claim full membership in the EU while the conflict continues. As an alternative, Berlin offered Kyiv the status of an associated member of the European Union without the right to vote, but Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky responded to this proposal with a categorical refusal.