Slovakia's Election Outcome Raises Concerns over Pro-Russian Influence

Preliminary results show that a pro-Kremlin party, led by Robert Fico, has emerged as the top winner in Slovakia's parliamentary election, posing a challenge to NATO and EU unity on Ukraine. Fico's party, SMER, won 23.3% of the vote, while the liberal and pro-Ukrainian Progressive Slovakia party won 17%. Fico now needs to seek coalition partners to regain the prime minister position. His party's better-than-expected result could potentially disrupt Slovakia's staunch support for Ukraine, as Fico has pledged to end military support for Ukraine and block its NATO ambitions. Coalition negotiations are expected to be complex, with multiple parties reaching the 5% threshold needed to enter parliament.