Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has stated that several members of the European Union and NATO are contemplating sending troops to Ukraine on a bilateral basis. Fico made these remarks ahead of a meeting of EU and NATO national leaders in Paris on Monday to discuss Western strategy on Ukraine. The meeting, centered on a "restricted document" listing concerning topics, has raised concerns about escalating the conflict in Ukraine. Fico expressed his belief that the current Western strategy towards Ukraine has failed, emphasizing the risks associated with potential military deployments from various member states.

Fico's statements come following a meeting of Slovakia's security council and cabinet, where he reiterated Slovakia's stance of not participating in sending troops to Ukraine. The Slovak leader's pro-Moscow tendencies have previously drawn criticism, with him suggesting in January that one solution to the conflict would involve Kyiv ceding some of its territory. In contrast, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, also set to attend the Paris meeting, dismissed Fico's claims by affirming that the Czech Republic has no intentions of sending soldiers to Ukraine. It remains to be seen how the collective Western strategy on Ukraine will unfold amidst differing perspectives among EU and NATO member states.