Slovakia is not and will not become a member of the coalition of the willing supporting Ukraine, Prime Minister Robert Fico declared on Thursday, pushing back against a French embassy statement that listed Bratislava among its members.
The dispute erupted after the French embassy in Bratislava confirmed Slovakia's membership on 23 July, pointing to Slovak participation in a 13 July coalition meeting in Paris. However, Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár said the country's ambassador to France attended only as an observer and that Slovakia remains outside the group. Fico, who previously dismissed the coalition as a club of warmongers, said he spoke directly with French ambassador Nicolas Suran, who acknowledged a misunderstanding.
The coalition, founded by France and Britain in February 2025, comprises roughly 35 nations backing Ukraine's defence against the Russian invasion. The Kremlin has branded the grouping a coalition of warmongers.