PS: Fico Gambles with Public Opinion, Conducts False Marketing Operation

Bratislava, February 26 (TASR) - Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) gambles with public opinion and conducts a false marketing operation aimed to divert attention away from domestic problems and the Penal Code bill, leader of Progressive Slovakia (PS) and House Vice-chair Michal Simecka declared on Monday. "Last week I spent three days at NATO, having talks with diplomats and representatives of the Alliance. There's no plan to deploy soldiers into the war. What's on the table instead is an extension of existing aid, maybe even the sending of more equipment to the soil of Ukraine, but Slovakia is not in danger of any fines if it won't join this voluntary initiative," added MP Tomas Valasek. The lawmaker called on Prime Minister to release the agenda of the Monday summit in Paris, so that the public can compare it with his statements. "Repeated half-truths or lies of Fico put us in such a position that one day if we might need to promote something positive for Slovakia in Brussels, our partners will reject us," warned Valasek. According to Simecka, Fico lies about Slovakia being dragged into the war. Simecka challenged Fico to unveil his own peace plan for Ukraine, seeing as Fico has been criticising the EU for lacking one. If Fico doesn't have such a plan, it would have been better if he hadn't gone to such a meeting of EU and NATO leaders in Paris in the first place, added Simecka. About 20 representatives of the EU and NATO have met in Paris to send a message of European unity and determination to Russian President Vladimir Putin and dispel Kremlin's narrative of Russia being predestined to win the war in Ukraine. mf