Ukraine rejects Slovakian leader Fico's allegations of interference

Ukraine's HUR military intelligence service on Saturday rejected allegations of involvement in mass protests in Slovakia against the government of Prime Minister Robert Fico.

HUR posted on Telegram that allegations by the Slovakian authorities were false. It cautioned against "hostile propaganda."

On Friday, Fico said he had evidence that networks with ties to Ukraine were seeking to destabilize Slovakia and overthrow his government.

He charged that the organizers of the latest series of mass protests against the Bratislava government were not only closely linked to the Slovakian opposition but also to the so-called Georgian Legion, a volunteer association of Georgians fighting on Ukraine's side against the Russian invasion.

HUR said there was no unit of the name "Georgian National Legion" in its structures, while simultaneously acknowledging that there had in the past been contact with Mamuka Mamulashvili, who is suspected in Slovakia of being behind the protests.

Mamulashvili has rejected the allegations as defaming the legion he commands.

Regarding Mamulashvili, HUR said: "This person terminated their contract with the International Legion of the HUR in the Defence Ministry in April 2023 and has not renewed it."

The International Legion was made up of soldiers from various countries engaged on the Ukrainian side, it said. "And of course, it does not conduct hybrid actions of any kind on the territory of states of the European Union," it said, adding that this would harm Ukraine.

HUR said Russia was attempting to sow discord between the states of the free world, to discredit European politicians and even to arrange political murder in Europe.

Fico, a left-wing nationalist, is criticized in Ukraine for maintaining links with Russia. The Slovakian leader held talks with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in December, breaking with general EU policy and following the example of Hungary's Viktor Orbán, who visited in July.

In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demonstratively invited liberal Slovakian opposition leader Michal Šimečka to Kiev in January.

Tensions between the two neighbours have risen since Kiev allowed a gas transit agreement with Russia to expire at the end of the year, depriving Slovakia of a major energy source.