"Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico from Bratislava on Sunday, sharply criticised European military support for Ukraine, accusing the EU of prolonging a conflict that 'has no military solution' and warning that Slovakia will not blindly follow Brussels' policy line. Fico said he was alarmed by recent remarks from Friedrich Merz suggesting that Europe must ensure Russia can no longer wage war militarily or economically. "I will say openly that I felt a chill when I read the statements made by German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz," Fico said, arguing that continued military backing for Kiev ignores battlefield realities and deepens the human cost of the conflict. He criticised a proposed €90 billion European military loan package for Ukraine, calling it 'ideological madness' at a time when European economies face rising costs and budget constraints. Fico argued that the burden of supporting Ukraine is increasingly falling on Europe as the United States scales back direct financial involvement. He called on the European Union to prioritise a negotiated settlement, stating that instead of prolonging the war, the bloc should prepare 'a meaningful and fair peace proposal' with the full involvement and consent of Ukraine. However, he accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of causing economic harm to Slovakia by halting gas transit, which he said resulted in direct annual losses of €500 million. "Our intelligence information confirms that the oil pipeline on Ukrainian territory is operational and that the suspension of oil transit has purely ideological and political reasons," Fico said. "Slovakia is not a banana republic that immediately does whatever Brussels, Kiev, Washington or Moscow may wish," Fico said, adding that Slovak voters would ultimately decide the country's political direction in the 2027 elections. Fico, who returned to office in October 2023 after campaigning on a platform critical of military assistance to Ukraine, has repeatedly called for a ceasefire and negotiations with Russia."