A European country threatens to leave NATO if at the Hague Summit will agree on the increase of defense expenses

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has published the belonging of his country in NATO, just a few days before the important summit of the Alliance that will take place on June 24 and 25 in The Hague. He stressed that the Bratislava Government is positioned against any agreement to increase the defense expenses at 5% of GDP, as the United States especially requires, writes the Spanish newspaper 20minutos, according to Rador Radio Romania.

During a meeting with political parties and President Peter Pellegrini, Fico drastic western countries, accusing them to apply a “warrior” policy that favors the interests of the weapons industry. According to his statements, the new budget objective proposed by NATO would require Slovakia to spend over 7 billion euros annually. The prime minister warned that this amount represents almost one fifth of the state budget, which, in his opinion, endangers the social priorities of the country.

“What we will decide on in The Hague, what we will spend for defense in the future, the new defense investment plan, is based on what we need in terms of material capabilities,” said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, a few weeks ago, offering a series of guidelines to discuss that 5%.

The Secretary General NATO divides the plan into two parts, from now until 2032. From that 5%, 3.5% would be allocated to pure military expenses, while the remaining 1.5% would be invested in defense issues, such as infrastructure protection or cyber defense, elements that the Spanish government also incorporates in its definition,

In this regard, he warned that Russia could attack a NATO country in 2029, which makes it essential to guarantee security both today and in the future. He stressed that support for Ukraine is not temporary, but a policy that will remain and that it must focus on ensuring that the country needs to achieve sustainable peace.

He also highlighted the importance of identifying capabilities that are essential and where, especially in the Baltic region, although he avoided providing specific details. Rutte again asked all the allies to invest massively in defense, “to reduce the gap between the current situation and the necessary level of training” for the future. He insisted that concrete steps are needed towards the 5% GDP objective for military expenses, a target that he considers essential to maintain the safety of the population.

Fico says Slovakia has only two options

Fico, however, did not announce the formal intention to leave NATO, but said that Slovakia has two ways: “to comply with these requirements regarding military spending or to leave the Alliance.” However, he acknowledged that he did not have the authority to make such an unilateral decision. This, he clarified, would require a parliamentary debate or even a referendum. However, his statements have marked a turning point in the official speech of a country that has been a NATO member since 2004.

The prime minister's remarks were so turbulent that Slovak President Peter Pellegrini said firmly, saying that Slovakia has no intention to leave NATO and reaffirming its commitment to the values ​​of the Alliance. Both government and opposition personalities have agreed to describe Fico's remarks as “irresponsible” and “destabilizing” at a very delicate moment for European security, given the Ukraine war and the increasing pressure of Russia in the region.

Fico's critical position is part of a pro-Russian trend that has characterized his current government. Since returning to power in 2023, he has blocked the granting of military aid, criticized the sanctions imposed on Moscow and has openly questioned the possibility of Kiev's accession to NATO. Its position has generated internal tensions, street protests and eroded the confidence of some European partners, who follow with concern the geopolitical change of Bratislave.

In this context, the NATO summit has an even greater significance for the country's future within the Euro-Atlantic, writes 20minutos. Although the withdrawal from the alliance seems unlikely in the short term, the fact that a head of government of a member country publicly raises such a possibility reflects an increasing fracture of Western unity compared to Russia, especially from the perspective of Slovakia and Hungary, but also from the perspective of the United States.

Fico's statements not only anxious to his allies, but could also be interpreted as a symbolic victory for Kremlin, who have been trying for years to weaken NATO cohesion in Central and Eastern Europe.