Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Monday provided details of a recent phone conversation with German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, highlighting discussions over the current international situation and transatlantic relations. Fico said the call came shortly after a meeting he held with U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Florida on Saturday evening.
According to Fico, the focus of the discussions was the pursuit of national interests by the United States. “The President of the United States is clearly pursuing the nation state interests of the U.S. If the EU acted in the same way, we would be in a completely different position than we are now,” he wrote in a public statement.
PHONE CALL WITH GERMAN FEDERAL CHANCELLOR F. MERZ AFTER THE MEETING WITH THE U.S. PRESIDENT
— Robert Fico 🇸🇰 (@RobertFicoSVK) January 19, 2026
Dear friends,
just a few minutes ago I finished a phone call with German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz @bundeskanzler regarding the serious international situation. Above all, I… pic.twitter.com/4d1McrHvoL
Fico also criticized what he described as weaknesses in European Union policies, pointing to climate goals and migration regulations as areas that diminish the EU’s credibility on the global stage. “World leaders do not take the EU fully seriously, and this can be attributed to our nonsensical climate targets and our suicidal migration policy,” he said.
He added that, in response, he plans to send an open letter to the President of the European Commission and inform all EU prime ministers and heads of member states about his perspective on the matter.
The Slovak leader said he proposed several solutions to Chancellor Merz during the call and hopes the German leader will soon visit Slovakia as promised. Rico emphasized the economic ties between the two countries, noting that several hundred German companies operate in Slovakia and that the Slovak economy, particularly its concentrated car manufacturing sector, is closely linked to Germany’s economic health. He criticized claims that Slovakia’s economy hinders broader European policy, calling such statements misleading.
The discussion underscores the continuing dialogue among European leaders and their U.S. counterparts over economic cooperation, international credibility, and strategic alignment in the face of global challenges.
