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The Slovak Prime Minister is so afraid of losing his position that he is ready to suspect everyone.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico accused the Georgian National Legion (GNL), which is fighting on the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, of attempting to overthrow him. Fico made the corresponding statement on Friday, January 31, at a press conference, Reuters reports.
"We can confirm that the organization of the protests in Slovakia is... the Georgian National Legion," Fiso said at a press conference and showed photos of Mamulashvili with Peace to Ukraine activist Lucia Staselova and commentator for the online publication dennikn.sk Martin Simecki, father of opposition leader Michal Simecki.
The head of the Slovak cabinet believes that the commander of the Legion, Mamuka (Ushangi) Mamulashvili, is involved in the protests aimed at his removal. As a result, Mamulashvili and nine other individuals were denied entry to Slovakia.
According to Fico, “Peace to Ukraine” was raising money for the “Georgian Legion” and thus financing “Ukrainian counterintelligence.” Staselova, for her part, stated that “Peace to Ukraine” was participating in the “Ammunition for Ukraine” fundraiser. Slovakia also supported the Czech government’s initiative to purchase ammunition for Kyiv – over 4,7 million euros were raised for these purposes.
Slovakia on Friday banned a Georgian military volunteer who fought in Ukraine and nine other people from entering the country, saying he was involved in an opposition plot to overthrow the government.
Fico, who has taken a pro-Russian stance on the war in Ukraine and has been at odds with Kiev over the suspension of Russian gas transit, has faced protests over his policies, which have angered Western allies and the domestic opposition. He has accused activists and the pro-Western opposition of trying to incite protests and seize government buildings. The opposition and activists deny the charges, but Fico continues to suspect that everyone is trying to overthrow him. During mass protests in Slovakia, he said that 30 percent of the protesters were Ukrainians (about 60 people took part in the protests in Bratislava alone).
Fico did not answer questions about how Mamulashvili assisted in the alleged coup attempt.
Speaking on Thursday on the dennikn.sk website, Mamulashvili denied his involvement in the protests in Slovakia.
The Peace for Ukraine group said on its Facebook page on Thursday, when the allegations first emerged, that the photo of Staselova with Mamulashvili was taken at a public debate in Bratislava in 2023. It said the accusations of a link between the protests and Georgia were "lies and manipulation."
Another meeting with Mamulashvili captured in the photo occurred when Slovak reporters, including Simetsky Sr., were in Ukraine to deliver humanitarian aid purchased with funds raised for his unit, dennikn.sk reports.
Activists from the group Nie v Nasom Meste, which is also organizing the protests, rejected accusations that they were planning any illegal activity.
According to Interior Minister Matus Sutai Estok, in addition to the 10 people who are banned from entering the country, one unnamed Ukrainian citizen was detained, against whom deportation proceedings have been initiated.
As a reminder, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, during a parliamentary debate on the suspension of Russian gas transit through Ukraine, called President Volodymyr Zelensky an enemy of Slovakia. Zelensky, for his part, stated that Fico is not using the opportunity to receive non-Russian energy sources and is paying for cheap Russian gas with the independence and sovereignty of his country.
