Why Slovakia's Election Could Be a Win for Putin

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Russia may soon be able to count on another ally in Europe. Robert Fico, Slovakia’s longest-serving prime minister who was forced out of office in 2018, is tapping into concerns over the fallout from the war in Ukraine as he campaigns ahead of a tight election on Saturday. Fico has vowed to end military aid to Ukraine, called Slovakia’s president an “American agent” and opposes NATO membership for its war-ravaged neighbor. Up to now, Slovakia has generally remained steadfast in its support for Kyiv, but successive surveys are showing more than half of Slovaks blame the West or Ukraine for the war.