ISTANBUL

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said that while he firmly condemns and rejects the US military action against Venezuela that captured President Nicolas Maduro, he gives US President Donald Trump credit for openly stating Washington’s real motives instead of invoking democracy or human rights as justification, state news agency TASR reported.

Fico said on Sunday that Trump “did not falsely justify his decision by the need to spread democracy or protect human rights."

He added that the US leader spoke plainly about control over Venezuelan oil and the entry of American companies into the country’s oil sector.

Fico said peace must remain the guiding principle of his government, stressing that Slovakia would not be drawn into any “military adventure.”

He argued that major powers increasingly act without regard for international law, warning that global institutions have been weakened.

He said the UN is “on its knees,” while its Security Council, without reform and stronger powers, has become “toothless.”

Referring to tensions between the US and Venezuela, Fico said small countries like Slovakia have limited influence but still carry a responsibility to speak out.

"However, I would look ridiculous and untrustworthy if, after withdrawing troops from Iraq, vetoing mandatory quotas, rejecting a war loan for Ukraine and repeatedly saying that the use of Russian military force in Ukraine is a violation of international law, I purposefully remained silent in the case of Venezuela," he said.

Fico acknowledged that his stance could temporarily strain Slovak-American relations, particularly as Bratislava and Washington prepare an intergovernmental agreement on nuclear cooperation linked to plans for a new nuclear unit at Jaslovske Bohunice.

"There is no way out for me here. If the American president has unhesitatingly stated what he wants in Venezuela, as the prime minister of a sovereign country that respects international law, I have an obligation to openly express my opinion," he added.