The US Embassy in Slovakia has commented on the 24 January meeting between Ukrainian and Slovak Prime Ministers Denys Shmyhal and Robert Fico, condemning the Slovak prime minister for his recent anti-Ukrainian statements.

The American Embassy welcomed the meeting between the Ukrainian and Slovak prime ministers and expressed appreciation for Slovakia's ongoing support for Ukraine.

"However, the United States categorically rejects Prime Minister Fico's claim that Ukraine is under US influence. Such statements are unbecoming of a NATO member," it stated.

The US Embassy in Bratislava added that if Russia were ever to attack Slovakia, the United States and other NATO members would stand with the Slovak people to fight back.

"If the Russians took even one metre of Slovak territory, we would never say ‘Russia’s too strong, let’s give up.’ We would never appease a bully out of self-interest," the embassy said in a statement.

"And American soldiers would fight with Slovaks against tyranny as we did in supporting the Slovak National Uprising in 1944, and we hope no one would say, ‘Slovakia is a state under US influence’," they added.

Before meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart on 24 January, Robert Fico had already made a series of outrageous statements about Ukraine. The Slovak prime minister specifically stated that Ukraine would be forced to cede some of its territory to Russia. The day before, when Russia launched a massive missile attack on Ukraine, including Kyiv, Fico claimed that life in the Ukrainian capital was "totally normal".