Anger in Kiev after Fico's statement about Ukrainian troops with Nazi symbols

Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico continues to provoke the government in the war-torn neighboring country Ukraine. The reason is that he has spoken about Nazi symbols used by Ukrainian troops.

The statements were made on Monday during Fico’s visit to a Holocaust museum in Sered in western Slovakia. The city had a labor camp for Jews during the Second World War.

“We all talk about fascism and Nazism, while silently accepting the fact that there are soldiers in Ukraine with very clear symbols, which are associated with movements that we consider very dangerous and forbidden today,” Fico said during the visit, according to the Slovak news agency TASR.

“Because there is a geopolitical war going on, no one cares,” the prime minister continued.

Ukrainian disappointment

The Slovak Prime Minister’s statement immediately triggers reactions in the accused neighboring country.

“In Kiev, we are disappointed by the statement from Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico,” said a statement from the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs the same evening.

“Ukrainian soldiers are currently defending their relatives, homes, and their country, as well as the whole of Europe and the free world from the Russian invaders, marked with the Latin letter Z – a symbol of modern Russia’s fascist aesthetics,” the Ukrainian response continued, stating that Fico’s statement violates “the current level of trust and cooperation between Ukraine and Slovakia.”

“Fight against Nazism”

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs never responds to Fico’s claim about Ukrainian forces using Nazi symbols or other attributes associated with the ideology. Instead, they argue that Ukraine fought against Nazism during the Second World War.

“During the 20th century, the Ukrainian people suffered multi-million losses in the fight against Nazism. Millions of Ukrainians offered armed resistance as part of various regular armies or resistance movements within the anti-Hitler coalition and made a significant contribution to the victory over Nazism and Hitler’s allies,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote.

Robert Fico has repeatedly made statements that have irritated the government in Kiev.