Bratislava/Brussels – Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Wednesday dismissed claims from Politico that he expressed concerns about the “psychological state” of U.S. President Donald Trump during informal conversations with EU leaders at last week’s European Council meeting in Brussels. These claims were attributed to five unnamed European diplomats. Fico labeled the report as false information, according to TASR.
Two diplomats indicated that Fico described Trump as “dangerous” following their meeting on January 18 in Palm Beach, Florida, where they discussed the war in Ukraine, EU matters, and bilateral relations.
The extraordinary EU summit in Brussels, held on January 22, was called by European Council President António Costa in response to Trump’s threats regarding Greenland.
Fico reportedly shared his impressions of Trump during informal discussions with some Union leaders and officials, rather than during official roundtable discussions, according to the unnamed diplomats.
“Nobody heard anything, nobody saw anything, there are no witnesses, yet nothing prevented the Politico portal from coming out with lies.” Robert Fico
The Office of the Government of the Slovak Republic stated that the prime minister firmly rejects the magazine’s assertions. “Nobody heard anything, nobody saw anything, there are no witnesses, yet nothing prevented the Politico portal from coming out with lies,” Fico reiterated in the government statement.
Four of the five sources cited by Politico allegedly represent different EU governments, including a high-ranking EU official. These sources did not know the specifics of what Trump said to Fico, but one diplomat claimed Fico appeared “traumatized” after the meeting, stating that Trump seemed “out of it.”
“I did not communicate informally at the Brussels summit, nor did other prime ministers from the V4 countries. I openly criticized this summit and its organization. I did not privately discuss my visit to the USA with any prime minister or president,” Fico added in the government statement, asserting that he does not require intermediaries to express critical opinions.
Politico reported, even before Fico’s statement, that it had attempted several times to reach the Slovak prime minister’s spokespersons for comment but without success. In contrast, White House Deputy Spokeswoman Anna Kellyová did respond, calling it “absolutely fake news from anonymous European diplomats looking to enhance their significance. The meeting at Mar-a-Lago was positive and productive,” she stated.
The article also cites a senior official from the Trump administration who attended the Fico-Trump meeting. This official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, stated that he did not recall any uncomfortable incidents or inappropriate exchanges, describing the meeting as pleasant and normal, with several informal conversations captured by the White House photographer.
The health of 79-year-old U.S. President Trump has become a topic of discussion at various levels, according to a certain EU official cited by Politico. Trump has repeatedly denied experiencing any illness that affects his cognitive abilities, recently telling New York Magazine that he does not have Alzheimer’s disease. (January 28)
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